It is Wednesday, May 25, 2006 here in the USA.

There is to be an Arianespace launch the night of May 26.
- LRK -

You can watch the count-down at
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http://www.videocorner.tv/index.php?langue=en
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For its second launch of the year, Arianespace will launch two communications satellites into geostationary transfer orbit: Satmex 6 for Mexico and Thaicom 5 for Thailand.
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Arianspace http://www.arianespace.com/site/index2.html
http://www.arianespace.com/site/news/releases/06_05_24_release_index.html

Now if you don't live in Mexico or Thailand you might not be interested in the launch.

OR - you might be interested in how the satellite launch industry is doing

OR - you might be interested in the politics revolving around communications satellites.

There is money to be made or lost in beaming information.

Do you get the channels free, pay a subscription, or hack the encryption?

http://www.thaicom.net/
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http://satellite.information.in.th/general-news.html
News clippings about Satellite TV in Thailand in particular Thaicom 5 getting ready

Shin Satellite announced the shipment of Thaicom 5 to Guiana Space Port in French Guiana, where it will be prepared for launch. Thaicom 5 was constructed by Alcatel Alenia Space and will be launched by Arianespace aboard an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle.

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[You may find the whole page interesting as you look back through some of the history of launches for this part of the world. - LRK -]

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And just who holds the purse strings can be questioned as well.
- LRK -

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http://www.thaicom.net/eng-financial/html/faq.html
Frequently Asked Questions

New - Shin Satellite FAQ Feb 21, 2006

1. Is Shin Satellite (SATTEL) still a Thai company now that foreigners have bought shares in Shin Corp?

The key is that no one bought shares in the company directly. Only 1.61% (as of the time of the transaction) of our shares are held directly by foreigners, and most of that is in the form of non-voting depository receipts (NVDR). See SATTEL's Company Profile at http://www.set.or.th to calculate the amount of shares held by foreigners on any day. Foreigners who buy through local nominees are not counted (the shares are actually local shares held by local trustee companies). Even so, the Company's Articles of Association state that foreigners may not hold more than 40%. The only time they could hold more is if we sell new shares to a strategic partner, but even then, they are not allowed to hold more than 49.99% (and under the Telecom law this would be restricted to 49% anyway).

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Do you care if it rains a lot or who is beaming at you?
- LRK -

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http://satjournal.tcom.ohiou.edu/issue8/pers_setiyanto.html
It is time to use the Ku-band in Indonesia

By Prima Setiyanto Widodo

Satellite Communications Systems are infrastructures that can be used for broadband multimedia applications. In the communication satellite field, the C-band (4-6 GHz) frequencies have been used since the beginning and are now saturated. The Ku-band (11-18 GHz) has been used also for communication satellite systems, because with this frequency a bigger bandwidth can be applied. The Ku-band has other advantages, such as avoidance of interference with terrestrial microwave systems that often use the C-band frequency.
However, for Indonesia, the use of the Ku-band needs a thorough examination because frequencies above 10 GHz are vulnerable to rain, especially heavy rain that often occurs in Indonesia. This article examines the possibility of using the Ku-band for satellite communication systems in Indonesia.

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In the USA, Space Systems/Loral has an interest in how the Satmex 6 launch goes.
- LRK -

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http://www.ssloral.com/html/aboutssl/history.html
http://www.ssloral.com/
[Website loaded slowly for me. - LRK -
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Satellite owner's change and companies that build them have a history too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Systems/Loral

If you want to go to the Moon and Mars in a commercial way, then watching who is launching down here may be of interest.

Put a few more links to the above folks, below.
- LRK -


Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsltr.: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
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THE LAUNCH READINESS REVIEW (RAL) took place in Kourou on Thursday, May 25,
2006 and authorized count-down operations for the SATMEX 6 & THAICOM 5.

For its second launch of the year, Arianespace will launch two communications satellites into geostationary transfer orbit: Satmex 6 for Mexico and Thaicom 5 for Thailand.

It will be launched from the Ariane launch complex N° 3 (ELA3), in Kourou, French Guiana.

THE ARIANE 5 "ECA" LAUNCHER LIFT-OFF for this Flight is scheduled during the night of May 26, 2006 as soon as possible within the following launch
window:

>> KOUROU: From 06:09pm to 06:54pm on May 27, 2006.

>> GMT: From 09:09pm to 09:54pm on May 27, 2006.

>> PARIS: From 11:09pm to 11:54pm on May 27, 2006.

>> WASHINGTON: From 05:09pm to 05:54pm on May 27, 2006.

>> MEXICO: From 04:09pm to 04:54pm on May 27, 2006.

>> BANGKOK: From 04:09am to 04:54am on May 28, 2006.

Follow the launch live on the internet:
http://www.videocorner.tv/index.php?langue=en
(Starting 20 minutes before lift-off).

Video streaming will be available in RealMedia and WindowsMedia formats.


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La Revue d’Aptitude au Lancement (RAL) s’est déroulée le jeudi 25 mai à Kourou et a autorisé les opérations de chronologie pour le Vol Ariane 5 ECA
- SATMEX 6 et THAICOM 5.

Pour son deuxième lancement de l’année, Arianespace mettra en orbite de transfert géostationnaire les satellites de télécommunications mexicain SATMEX 6 et thaïlandais THAICOM 5.

Le lancement sera effectué depuis l'Ensemble de Lancement Ariane n° 3 (ELA
3) à Kourou en Guyane française.

Le décollage du lanceur Ariane 5 ECA est prévu le plus tôt possible dans la fenêtre de lancement suivante :

>> KOUROU : De 18h09 à 18h54, le 27 mai 2006.

>> GMT : De 21h09 à 21h54, le 27 mai 2006.

>> PARIS : De 23h09 à 23h54, le 27 mai 2006.

>> WASHINGTON : De 17h09 à 17h54, le 27 mai 2006.

>> MEXICO : De 16h09 à 16h54, le 27 mai 2006.

>> BANGKOK : De 04h09 à 04h54, le 28 mai 2006.

Suivez le lancement en direct sur Internet :
http://www.videocorner.tv/index.php?langue=fr
(Diffusion à partir de H-20 mn).

Des flux aux formats RealMedia et WindowsMedia seront disponibles.

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http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/thaicom-3.htm
Thaicom-3 is a three-axis stabilized spacecraft with a payload capacity of
25 C-Band and 14 Ku-Band transponders. Global beam coverage on Thaicom-3 spans over four continents and can service users in Asia, Europe, Australia, and Africa. The high-powered Ku-Band transponders, with both spot and steerable beams, are ideally suited to Digital DTH services for Thailand and other countries in the region.

Thaicom-3 satellite experienced an anomaly in its power system in 2003. This has caused temporary outages in some of the customers' services. Reportedly, the root cause of the failure is a short circuit in the solar array drive mechanism. These problems will force an early retirement of the spacecraft, which will be replaced in 2006 by Thaicom 5

Thaicom-4 was ordered, but later sold to Agrani as Agrani 2. After Agrani cancelled the purchase of Agrani 2, it was reordered as Thaicom-5 in June 2005. The contract covers the on ground delivery of the satellite, the launch campaign, the support of LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase) and IOT (In Orbit Test). It is dedicated to replace Thaicom 1 and Thaicom 2, which are due to be retired in 2008 and 2009 respectively. It will support Shin Sat satellite operation at 78.5°E and will allow the operator to expand its Ku-Band channels offering over Thailand as well as in the neighbouring countries. It will provide high quality, broadcasting, telecommunication and broadband services. With a launch mass of around 2.8 tons, a power of around 5 kW (end of life), it will be equipped with 14 Ku-Band transponders and 24 C-Band transponders. Thaicom 5 will be integrated and assembled in the Alcatel Space clean rooms in Cannes for a delivery scheduled the second quarter of 2006.

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http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=17335
Thaicom 5 will be the second satellite provided by Alcatel Space to Thailand and the 2nd Spacebus Satellite ordered in 2005

PRESS RELEASE
Date Released: Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Source: Alcatel

Alcatel Space, a subsidiary of Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) and Shin Satellite Inc. of Thailand, a major satellite operator, today announced the signature of a contract for the construction of the Thaicom 5 communications satellite.

The contract covers the on ground delivery of the satellite, the launch campaign, the support of LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase) and IOT (In Orbit Test). It is dedicated to replace Thaicom 1 and Thaicom 2, which are due to be retired in 2008 and 2009 respectively. It will support Shin Sat satellite operation at 78.5°E and will allow the operator to expand its Ku-Band channels offering over Thailand as well as in the neighbouring countries. It will provide high quality, broadcasting, telecommunication and broadband services.

Thaicom 5 satellite is based on the highly reliable design of the Spacebus family, which benefits from a large experience in orbit. With a launch mass of around 2.8 tons, a power of around 5 kW (end of life), it will be equipped with 14 Ku-Band transponders and 24 C-Band transponders.

Thaicom 5 will be integrated and assembled in the Alcatel Space clean rooms in Cannes for a delivery scheduled the second quarter of next year. This new contract with Shin Satellite enables Alcatel Space to reinforce its longstanding cooperation with the operator.

About Alcatel Space

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http://www.satmex.com/english/flota/satmex6.php
Satmex 6 is a Space Systems/Loral FS-1300X capable of generating 14.1 kW (BOL), with a total of 60 transponders: 36 C-Band transponders for CONUS, South America and Continental coverage, and 24 Ku-Band transponders serving the USA, Mexico and Continental regions, with a hot spot over the major cities in South America.

It offers additional benefits: antenna size reduction, linealizer in each channel, one single continental footprint for the Americas, switchable coverage in both C and Ku bands and high-power coverage of South America and the Caribbean.

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http://www.spaceandtech.com/spacedata/logs/2003/satmex6_sum.shtml
Satmex 6 - Summary
space.gif (43 bytes)

The 5700 kg (12563 lbm) Satmex 6 satellite, being built by Space Systems/Loral, will be positioned at 109.2°W. The spacecraft will carry 36 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders.

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http://dev.space.com/spacenews/satellitecomm/Satmex_071105.html
Satmex, Loral Reach Agreement on Satmex 5 and 6

By PETER B. de SELDING
Space News Staff Writer
posted: 11 July 2005
01:25 pm ET

PARIS — Bankrupt satellite operator Satmex has reached an agreement with shareholder and supplier Loral under which Loral will return the Satmex 6 satellite from its South American launch site — where it has been in storage for 21 months — to Loral’s factory to recertify its flight-worthiness.

In return, Loral will continue to use three transponders aboard the orbiting Satmex 5 satellite.

More importantly, Loral will have exclusive use of four transponders on Satmex 6, whose launch could occur in early 2006, according to Loral’s statements to the bankruptcy court.

The Satmex 6 capacity — two transponders in Ku-band and two in C-band — will be used by Loral to re-enter the North American transponder-lease market. As part of its billion-dollar sale of its North American satellite fleet to Intelsat Ltd. of Washington in March 2004, Loral agreed to a no-compete clause that keeps it out of the direct transponder-lease market in North America for two years. Loral can return to the market in March 2006.

The Loral-Satmex agreement is subject to the approval of both Loral’s and Satmex’s bankruptcy courts. Satmex on July 8 told a New York bankruptcy court that the company has filed for bankruptcy protection in Mexico and that, despite bondholder objections, it would not be seeking protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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