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Leading Satellite Industry CEOs & Top Execs to Gather in Paris for World Satellite Business Week
Countering the prolonged economic slump affecting most of the world, top executives of the global satellite communications industry will be looking back at another year of steady growth and profits as they gather in Paris September 6-10 for World Satellite Business Week.
The week-long meeting, viewed as a must-attend event for the satellite industry’s CEOs and other leaders, draws over 500 top executive delegates from 40 countries. The main event, the World Summit for Satellite Financing, is now in its 14thyear, while the Symposium on Earth Observation Business is entering its 2ndyear. The conference is produced by Euroconsult, the leading international research and analyst firm specializing in the satellite sector.
The multi-billion dollar satellite industry is made up of companies that build, launch, and operate satellites vital to the global networks used by broadcast companies, telecommunications networks, defense and security agencies, Earth observation firms and a wide range of service provider companies. Over the course of the week-long conference, top executives from these companies will share insights and opinions on where the industry may be headed for the coming year and what opportunities may lay ahead for firms that can secure financing for major new projects and expansions. CEOs and business leaders from companies such as SES, Intelsat, Eutelsat, Telesat, Inmarsat, AsiaSat, RSCC, Iridium, HNS, Viasat, O3B Networks, Lockheed Martin, EADS Astrium, Arianespace, Société Générale, Morgan Stanley and Coface will be represented at the World Summit for Satellite Financing.
Despite the global economic downturn that began in late 2007, the satellite sector has continued to post a strong performance; with steady growth in most industry segments (see Table 1 below). Digital broadcasting and broadband satellite communications for a variety of uses continue to require increasing transponder capacity, driving growth in the years to come. New satellite projects from emerging regional operators and space countries continue to boost transponder supply and demand, with a record of 30 commercial GEO comsats ordered in 2009 and still solid prospects for 2010. Government demand for commercial satellite communications, driven by the conflict in Afghanistan, has reached record levels, as have security agency and environmental requirements for satellite imagery with government demand for commercial data projected to reach $2.6 billion by 2019, up from only $735 million in 2009.
Entering its second year, the Symposium on Earth Observation Business will examine the factors driving growth in this rapidly-expanding sector. Euroconsult forecasts that overall procurement of commercial satellite Earth observation (EO) data will reach over $4 billion by 2019. This forum will feature top-level speakers from DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Astrium Services, Ball Aerospace, Google Total, NOAA, Eumetsat, NGA, the UK MoD among others, discussing their business models and providing insight into the opportunities they see in the Earth observation industry.
Chinese firm to spend N34.6bn on failed Nigerian satellite
A Chinese firm, China Great Wall Industry Corporation, is to spend $230m (about N34.6bn) to replace Nigeria’s failed communications satellite, NigComSat-1.
A breakdown of the cost shows that the spacecraft will cost $120m while the launch services will gulp $40m.
About $70m will also be spent on securing the launch vehicle or rocket that will propel the satellite into the orbit.
While CGWIC which built the failed satellite that got lost in orbit on November 10, 2008 is to bear these costs, the Federal Government will take the responsibility of reinsuring the spacecraft before it goes into the orbit.
Another Ariane 5 is delivered to the Spaceport in French Guiana
The active mission pace for Arianespace’s workhorse Ariane 5 is being sustained as a new launcher is welcomed to the Spaceport.
This latest heavy-lift vehicle was delivered to French Guiana yesterday aboard the MN Colibri, which is one of two roll-on/roll-off ships that transport components from Europe to the launch site in South America. Today, the launcher hardware was transferred by road from the port of Pariacabo to the Spaceport.
Arianespace is planning a total of six Ariane 5 flights during 2010, with three of these already performed and a fourth mission in advanced preparation for liftoff in September.
The three launches conducted so far this year have orbited six satellites, delivering a combined payload lift performance of nearly 24,600 kg.
This activity began with Arianespace’s May 21 launch of the ASTRA 3B commercial telecommunications satellite for Luxembourg-based SES ASTRA, along with the COMSAT Bw-2 secure military relay spacecraft for Astrium GmbH on behalf of the German Bundeswehr.
It was followed by a June 26 flight that lofted Arabsat’s Arabsat-5A telecommunications and TV broadcasting satellite, with the multi-purpose COMS spacecraft for South Korea’s KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute).
Arianespace’s latest mission success occurred August 4, orbiting two satellites that will provide telecommunications services to Africa, the Middle East and Persian Gulf states: NILESAT 201 for Egyptian-based Nilesat, and RASCOM-QAF1R for the Pan-African satellite operator, RascomStar-QAF.
Preparations are well advanced for the fourth Ariane 5 flight of 2010, with its launcher having completed the initial build-up at the Spaceport. This vehicle will carry Eutelsat’s W3B telecommunications satellite and the BSAT-3b relay platform for B-SAT Corporation, and is scheduled for launch on September 15.