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The Space Congress® Proceedings 1973 (10th) Technology Today and Tomorrow

Apr 1st, 8:00 AM

The Symphonie Project Organization

Georg Mosl German Executive Secretary of the SYMPHONIE Project, Bonn, Germany

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Scholarly Commons Citation Mosl, Georg, "The Symphonie Project Organization" (1973). The Space Congress® Proceedings. 3. https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings/proceedings-1973-10th/session-3/3

This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Space Congress® Proceedings by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE SYMPHONIE PROJECT ORGANIZATION

Dr. Georg Mosl German Executive Secretary of the SYMPHONIE Project Bonn, Germany

ABSTRACT

SYMPHONIE is a Franco-German project for participation of French and German the planning, construction, launching, and industry in the development and con­ utilization of an experimental telecom­ struction of the satellite and the munication satellite. In this lecture, ground stations the governmental and contractor organiza­ tions are presented as well as the equal rights in the experimental uti­ project experiences discussed. lization of the satellite

development results at the disposal 1 INTRODUCTION of both countries

In Europe first considerations on Euro­ - observation of the existing inter­ pean telecommunication satellite projects national regulations concerning the were made about the year 1963. operation of the satellite and the ground stations. In application of the 1963 Franco-German Friendship Treaty on the co-operation Due to a subsequent agreement, the par­ between the two countries, on June 6th, ticipation of Belgian industry in the 1967, the French and German Governments development tasks amounts to about 4%. agreed to jointly plan, construct, launch, and utilize an experimental telecommun­ Various organizations have been called ication satellite called SYMPHONIE. into existence within the government authorities and by industrial companies The agreement provides the following in order to study, develop, and manufac­ principles for the execution of the ture the various parts of the SYMPHONIE project: system.

equal participation of the two govern­ We shall begin this lecture with a short ments in planning, management, and fi­ description of the SYMPHONIE system and nancing of the project then present the project organization and our project experiences. equal qualitative and quantitative

3-7 with 2 MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE The satellite will be positioned SYMPHONIE SYSTEM an accuracy of 0.5° on its geostationary orbit at 11.5° W; this position has been INTELSAT. The operational configuration of the geo­ chosen by mutual agreement with stationary SYMPHONIE satellite is shown will in figure 1. From this position, the antennas cover the following areas (figure 2): We discern the SHF horn will receive signals from the hexagonal main hody of 1 ?n cm the visible part of the earth maximum diameter and 50 cm height the SHF antennas will transmit into the integrated apogee motor held by a two elliptical cones corresponding three-legged structure, and its fuel to the European zone and the American tank zone.

the attitude control nozzles and the The satellite is equipped with two trans­ infrared earth sensors ponders receiving in the 6 GHz band and transmitting in the 4 GHz band. Each of 3 solar panels consisting of 4 sub- them may be switched to either antenna. panels each The EIRP (equivalent isotropic radiated - 4 VHP antennas of the TM/TC system power) will be 29 dBW at the edge of the zones. the SHF reception horn This EIRP permits the use of ground diameter, the SHF transmitting antenna feeders stations of about 16 m antenna and the antenna reflectors. the ground station sensitivity necessary for colour TV transmission being G/T = The satellite is three-axes stabilized. 31.5 dB/°K . The attitude control is semi-passive, using a flywheel the axis of which is The mass of the spacecraft will be parallel to the main axis of the satel­ 387 kg including the apogee motor. The to lite, and a cold gas system. The direc­ launcher ELDO-EUROPA II will be able tion of the satellite is maintained with put this payload into a transfer orbit an accuracy of 0.5° . of 300 km perigee and 36,000 km apogee altitude. The orbit control is effected by a hot gas system directed from the ground by Further details on the SYMPHONIE techni­ TC. For TC, the NASA Tone Digital Command cal characteristics may be found in the System is used. publications of the IFRB (International Frequency Registration Board) (1). The life-time of the two flight models will be 5 years. Various technical difficulties had to be overcome in the development of the

3-8 Council following subsystems of the satellite: 3.1.1 The Directory

consists of 3 Ger­ the passive type thermal control The Directory council members nominated by the system man and 3 French Governments: the three-axes stabilization system (Federal Minis­ with a director of the BMFT try of Research and Technology) as • the inertial wheel German chairman

the BPA (Federal • the static infrared sensor a representative of Press and Information Office) assisted the German the hot gas system by an advisor representing radio-television organizations the high-gain transponder using a of the BMP (Federal 13 W travelling wave tube a representative Ministry of Post) the solar generator: The difficulty of the CNES lies in the soldering technology of the general manager Research Center) as the solar cells to be cycled between (French Space +50° and -170° C 2000 times in 5 French Chairman years. a representative of the PTT (French and Telephone Agency) For all of the satellite equipment, a Post, Telegraph, most advanced lightweight technology had of the ORTF (French to be used in order to meet the mass a representative Office). restrictions. Radio-Television

The Directory Council meets alternately under French or PROJECT ORGANIZATION in France and in Germany, German chairmanship. 3.1 GOVERNMENT SIDE ORGANIZATION the general (Figure 3) The Directory Council fixes policies of the project; its decisions of the Executive The principal features of the govern­ are made on the basis mental organization are fixed in the 1967 Committee's proposals. agreement between the German and French Directory Council Governments. In particular, the

The agreement specifies two organs: decides on

of the SYMPHONIE the Directory Council • the mission satellites the Executive Committee,

3-9 • the technical specifications of the 3.1.3 The Project Groups project Four project groups work under the direc­ • the selection of the main tion of the Executive Committee: contractors the satellite project group seated at • the utilization programs Bretigny, near the satellite contrac­ tor^ seat. It is composed of 45 approves the contracts persons, with a German project manager and a French deputy project manager. submits the financial plans to the two governments. the launcher project group seated at Bretigny, near the seat of ELDO 3.1.2 The Executive Committee (European Space Vehicle Launcher Development Organization). It is The Executive Committee is composed of composed of 7 persons, with a French a French and a German Executive Secre­ project manager and a German deputy tary. They are charged with the technical project manager. and financial execution of the project in accordance with the lines and the deci­ The satellite and launcher project groups sions taken by the Directory Council, are "integrated" groups consisting of and with the overall project coordina­ approximately half French and half tion. German personnel.

The two full-time Executive Secretaries the ground station project group con­ are assigned by their respective govern­ sisting of a German project manager ments. The seat of the French Executive who is responsible for the ground Secretary is at Bretigny, near Paris, the station at Raisting, near Munich, and seat of the German Executive Secretary a French deputy project manager who is is at Bonn. responsible for the ground station at Pleumeur-Bodou, Bretagne. The Executive Committee meets every week alternately at Bonn and at Bretigny. the operational project group con­ During the meetings the decisions re­ sisting of a French project manager at quired to carry out the program are Bretigny who is responsible for the taken. All decisions are taken by un­ French operational network, and a animous consent. Each Executive Secretary German deputy project manager at Ober- has an advisory staff of technical, pfaffenhofen, near Munich, who is financial and legal experts. The French responsible for the German operational staff is working at Bretigny; one part network. of the German staff is working at Bonn, the other part at Bretigny. The project groups are charged with the technical control of the contractors.

3-10 the The definition of the interfaces between The CIFAS General Assembly approves satellite, launcher, ground stations, and contracts and fixes the policies of operational systems is worked out in CIFAS. co-operation of the respective project groups, under the control of the Execu­ The counterpart of the satellite project tive Committee. group is the CIFAS project group charged with the realization of the satellite.

3.2 CONTRACTORS ORGANIZATION It has its seat at Les Mureaux, near Paris. The engineers of the project group 3.2.1 Satellite are delegated by the firms of the con­ sortium. Corresponding organizations have The development and manufacture of the been established within our satellite group. satellite has been entrusted to the project group and the CIFAS project Franco-German industrial consortium CIFAS (Consortium Industriel Franco-Allemand The integration of the models is per­ pour le Satellite SYMPHONIE) consisting formed by one fixed Franco-German crew of 3 French and 3 German firms: of engineers ivithin the project group of CIFAS. It takes place alternately in - Thomson-CSF France (engineering model and first flight model) and in Germany (prototype and Societe Anonyme de Telecommunications second flight model). (SAT) - Societe Nationale Aerospatiale (SNIAS) 3.2.2 Launcher - Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) The launchers and launching services for Siemens the SYMPHONIE flight models are to be - AEG-Telefunken provided by ELDO.

This consortium has taken the legal form 3.2.3 Ground Stations of an economical interest group (Groupe- ment d* Interest Economique) , a form The Raisting station is built by AEG as created in French law in order to adapt main contractor, the most important sub­ the structure of assemblies to the de­ contractor being the French LCT (Labora- mands of the expanding European market. toire Central de Telecommunications). The economical interest group is charac­ terized by being a body corporate with­ The Pleumeur-Bodou station is built by out necessarily disposing of paid-in the French economical interest group shares, the members of the group being TELSPACE as main contractor, the most liable for the obligations of the group important subcontractor being Siemens. with their general estate. 3.2.4 Operations The Direction of CIFAS is the General Assembly consisting of the representa­ The operation of the satellite will be tives of the consortium firms and the performed by two completely equipped General Manager of SNIAS as chief manager,

3-11 staffs of the Executive German and French operational networks. project group, the Committee The German network will be established Secretaries, and the Executive Executive Committee and operated by the DFVLR (German Research on the other hand, the for approval to Agency for Aerospace Technology) / GSOC will submit the contract After approval,the (German Space Operations Center) at Ober- the Directory Council. pfaffenhofen, near Munich. The French contract will be signed, on instruction the national network will be operated by CNES. of the Directory Council, by organizations GfW on the German side and CNES on the French side - as SYMPHONIC is 3.3 WORKING METHODS no body corporate.

pro­ 3.3.1 Technical Questions On the contractor's side, the CIFAS ject manager will submit the contract to and For technical questions, the Executive the General Assembly for approval Committee and their staffs will rely upon signature. the experts of the project groups and functional support from the national or­ 3.3.4 Personnel Questions ganizations CNES, DFVLR, GfW (German personnel of the Executive Secre­ Space Research Agency), CMET (French Te­ The and of the project groups lecommunications Research Center) , FTZ taries 1 staffs cared for by (German Central Telecommunications Office) is employed and socially the national organizations CNES, DFVLR, organi­ 3.3.2 Financial Questions GfW, and the telecommunications zations. They work in the project by from the national organizations The financial execution of the project delegation of the Executive Se­ is essentially the task of the Executive and on instruction Committee. The contractors* accounts, cretaries . after examination by the project groups, are approved by the Executive Secretaries. 3.3.5 Information System On instruction of the Executive Secre­ reports to which the taries, the payment is effected by GfW Besides the periodic contract a and CNES who administrate the government contractors are obliged by levels funds granted for the execution of the system of information at various Informa­ proj ect . similar to the NASA Management tion and Control System is used for pro­ 3.3.3 Contractual Questions vision of the necessary informations. All information, letters, contracts, etc. in As a typical example, let us consider the are issued in French as well as development of a contract with the satel­ German. lite contractor CIFAS.

After negociation of the technical, fi­ 4 DEVELOPMENT AND STATE OF THE nancial, and contractual details between PROJECT the representatives of the CIFAS project group on the one hand and the satellite At the end of 1968, CIFAS was chosen

3-12 collaboration in contractor for the development and manu­ We should note that the remarkably good facture of the satellite. The project the SYMPHONIE project is can definition phase lasted until the end of at all levels. Language difficulties and German 1969. According to the terms of phased- be neglected. Our common French an advanced project-planning, the development phase efforts taken for progressing the followed in 1970. In 1971, the fabrica­ and promising project have formed of excel­ tion phase began with the manufacturing basis for the steady development communication. of the various technical mockups. By now, lent human relations and the inner compatibility of the Satellite organization system has been confirmed by successful On the contractor's side, the as a consor­ tests of the technical mockups. The inte­ of the satellite contractor in an gration of the satellite prototype has tium of French and German firms has stood the begun this year. The ground stations and economical interest group the co­ operational system will be completed test. After initial difficulties, well. within the next months. We expect that operation has developed notably SYMPHONIE will achieve operational status on in 1974. The satellite development was based a fixed price contract; only the costs of the CIFAS project group are paid cost Awards 5 SYMPHONIE PROJECT EXPERIENCES plus fee up to a maximum amount. are provided for the perfect functioning penalties The SYMPHONIE project is executed accord­ of the satellite in the orbit, of ing to the principle of equal project shall be imposed for late deliveries responsibility of both parties. The two the flight models. parties have equal duties and enjoy equal by a rights. There is no partition of work The development risk was covered held in the packages between the two parties. single fixed amount to be responsibility of CIFAS in order to fi­ be necessary The Executive Committee is the completely nance modifications as may integrated organ for the management of on the system level. the whole project. The effectiveness of the project work largely depends on the that we have mutual understanding of the Executive Summing up, I would state in European Secretaries. Understanding lacking the made a lot of experiences government side as project work will be blocked whereas with collaboration, on the side. And I good collaboration the necessity of ex­ well as on the industrial solving our changing views and coming to decision by dare say, we are successfully mutual accord will be very fruitful and challenging task. advance the project in the best possible way. REFERENCES A good collaboration between the French SAT/6/790 annexed and the German side is of particular (1) Special Section No, 790, 30 January importance for the daily work of the pro­ to IFRB Circular No, ject groups. 1968

3-13 Special Section No. SAT/19/970 annexed ILLUSTRATIONS to IFRB Circular No , 970, 3 August 1971 Figure 1. Configuration of the SYMPHONIE Special Section No. SAT/20/984 annexed satellite. to IFRB Circular No , 984, 9 November 1971 Figure 2. SYMPHONIE coverage zones. Special Section No. SAT/23/1022 annexed to IFRB Circular No , 1022, 8 August Figure 3. Organization of SYMPHONIE. 1972

Figure 1. Configuration of the SYMPHONIE satellite.

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