Space

While the Aerospace Plane is seen as NASA’s longer term objective, uncertainties over its yet to be developed air-breathing powerplants suggest an operational capability only well after 2000. Shuttle 2 would employ structural materials common to the Aerospace Plane which would offer cost •savings for both programmes. US sources suggest the extensive use of metal matrix composite materials will allow structures to function at far higher temperatures than possible with current materials. Active cooling of leading edges may be employed, these measures could apparently provide up to a 60% weight saving over the current Shuttle. Further weight reductions would be offered by the use of an advanced digital/fully electrical flight control system.

Several powerplant configurations are under study. Options include- oxygen/hydrogen, liquid oxygen/hydrocarbon and dual fuel hydrogen/hydrocarbon engines. Major emphasis is being placed upon engine lifetime and failure rates, the new engines may be significantly derated against current designs. NASA Marshall Space Flight Centre has begun engine definition.

Conceptual design contracts for the vehicle could tie awarded this year, although this will depend strongly upon the conclusions drawn from the current NASA studies and the National Space Transportation System Architecture study submitted in late 1986. Industry sources in the US suggest a 1987 contract award could lead to advanced design studies by 1991 and programme funding in 1992.

China’s Long March Vehicle Wins Further Customers

The People’s Republic of China has scored further wins in its quest to commercialise its Ariane 1 class Long March 3 expendable launch vehicle. Earlier successes include launch agreements with Western Union, Terasat and the Swedish Space Corporation. Western Union intend to launch the Westar 6-S, a replacement for Westar 6 which experienced a booster failure and was subsequently recovered by Shuttle Mission 51-A Westar 6, owned by a group on underwriters, was then sold for US$20 million to Johnson Geneva Ltd, who formed a joint venture with PanAm Commercial Services. PanAm Pacific Satellite Corp will provide voice, video and data services to Pacific island nations. Westar 6 was renamed to Pacific Star 1 and under the terms of the US$30 million reservation agreement between PanAm Pacific Satellite and China’s Great Wall Industry Corp it would be launched before May, 1988.

Dominion Video Satellite entered similar agreements in late 1986, covering the launch of two direct broadcast satellites in late 1987 and early 1988. The government of Iran has also entered into an agreement seeking the launch of a communications satellite.

The CSL-X3 Long March 3 with an oxygen/hydrogen fuelled third stage can lift a 3,000lb class payload to geostationary transfer orbit and has been accepted as a suitable launcher for Hughes HS-376 communications satellites such as Aussat. China _has also been seeking a long-term agreement with Indonesia to develop a joint launch facility on Indonesian territory which is favourably situated about the equator. If this goes ahead the Chinese-Indonesian joint venture could compete effectively in the medium payload market.

Australia and Canada Link in New Aerospace Venture

Hawker Pacific and Ottawa-based Canadian Astronautics Ltd have announced the formation of a new joint venture aerospace company – Astro Pacific Pty Ltd.

Mr James Taylor, President of Canadian Astronautics said on signing the agreement: “The joint venture is the culmination of extensive negotiations with Hawker Pacific about the opportunities for developing locally a number of highly advanced projects in areas of spacecraft hardware, materials processing on future space stations, search and rescue satellite earth stations and advanced remote sensing systems. ”

Mr David Price, a director of Hawker Pacific said: “A major objective of the new joint venture will be to focus on export opportunities, particularly in the Asian and Pacific regions where my company has an extensive on-the-ground presence and long experience in the sale and support of sophisticated aerospace products and systems.

The new joint venture company will have a majority of Australian ownership and will establish collaborative links with a number of other ·Australian advanced technology companies as well as providing new aerospace career opportunities for Australians.

Embraer and Brazil Join the Space Trade

Embraer, Brazil’s highly respected manufacturer of military, private and commuter aircraft has teamed with that nation’s largest arms manufacturer to enter the industry of space. State-owned Embraer and Engesa will each own 40% of the shareholding in Orbitawith the remaining 20% going to a group of Brazilian high tech companies. Orbita will build commercial launch vehicles for the world’s growing satellite market and will launch these from a new facility at Alcantara, situated on the equator in north eastern Brazil. This way Brazil will be able to offer enhanced payload uplift capability from smaller rockets exactly in the same manner as so recently envisaged by the Australian Space Board (refer to p116, Nov 86 AA) and the Queensland Government’s current feasibility study into establishing a major space base in northern Queensland. Plans for the Brazilian equatorial facility certainly lend weight to the proposed Australian venture.

Orbita will initially use the established Sonda rocket and hopes to be able_ to offer discounts per kilo of payload around 20% cheaper than either the USA or Europe. Brazil adds this to virtual year round launch capability, a stable political environment and a considerable engineering back-up via the nation’s resident high tech community. It is also believed that Orbita will develop and build a range of military rockets including the Leo anti-tank missile and the Piranha air-to-air missile.