NOVEMBER 24, 2014 SPOTLIGHT Clyde Space See page 12 www.spacenews.com VOLUME 25 ISSUE 46 $4.95 ($7.50 Non-U.S.) PROFILE/22> YVONNE PENDLETON DIRECTOR, SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION RESEARCH VIRTUAL INSTITUTE INSIDE THIS ISSUE LAUNCH INDUSTRY Swift Development of Ariane 6 Urged Applauding the end of a French-German impasse over the Ariane 6 rocket, the European Satellite Operators Association said the vehicle needs to be in service as quickly as possible. See story, page 8 ATK Hints at Antares Engine Selection Alliant Techsystems Chief Executive Mark DeYoung said there are no near-term liquid- propulsion alternatives to Russian engines for U.S. rockets. See story, page 6 ESA PHOTO Virginia May Seek Federal Funds for Wallops > “We have found a compromise that is OK for both countries, for the other participating states and also for industry,” Brigitte Zypries (above), Germany’s Virginia’s two U.S. senators said they may seek federal funds to cover $20 million in repairs to the space minister, said of an agreement under which Germany and France will back the Ariane 6 rocket and scrap the Ariane 5 Midlife Evolution. Wallops Island launch pad damaged when Orbital Sciences’ Antares exploded. See story, page 6 MILITARY SPACE Protected Tactical Waveform Taking Shape German-French Compromise The U.S. Air Force is expected to demonstrate its protected tactical waveform in new modems and reworked terminals as early as 2018. See story, page 11 U.S. To Grant Indirect Access to Space Fence Paves Direct Path to Ariane 6 The Pentagon’s international space surveillance partners will have indirect access to data from the Air Force’s next-generation Space Fence tracking system. See story, page 5 PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS “We have found a compromise and the role of Ariane manufac- that is OK for both countries, for turers in assuming market risk SATELLITE TELECOM he German government the other participating states and all were too ill-defined to permit has agreed to drop its de- also for industry,” Zypries said a full-scale go-ahead. SES Casts Vote in Battle of the Bands Tmand that Europe devel- in a Nov. 15 emailed response Zypries is Germany’s parlia- op a long-planned upgrade of to- to SpaceNews questions. “The mentary state secretary in the Saying inflight Internet represents a huge opportunity for satellite operators, SES has concluded day’s Ariane 5 rocket and instead important elements are the Federal Ministry for Economic that Ku-band is superior to Ka-band for most mobile-broadband applications. See story, page 11 proceed with a new-generation joint intention to develop a new Affairs and Energy, and the gov- Ariane 6 that borrows heavily on launcher as part of a concept based ernment’s coordinator for aviation New Methods for Tracking Dark Ships Ariane 5 technology, Germany’s mainly on Ariane 5 ME technology and space policy. MDA Corp. is developing methods for tracking dark ships, vessels that don’t broadcast the space minister said. and Vega, and a new launcher Her French counterpart, Automatic Identification System signals maritime regulations require. See story, page 14 The decision ends an impasse governance.” Genevieve Fioraso, who is state sec- that has bedeviled the European Vega is the Italian-led small- retary in the French Ministry for Space Agency for more than two satellite launcher. A Vega upgrade, Higher Education and Research, years as it prepares for a Dec. 2 along with Ariane 6, Europe’s par- alluded to a French-German agree- >FEATURES conference of its governments. ticipation in the international ment in a briefing with journalists While noting that certain space station and a European Mars Nov. 12. funding details and a clarifica- exploration project, will all be on Fioraso and Zypries met Nov. 3 NEWS BRIEFS/ tion of industry’s risk-taking the table at the ministerial confer- 13 in Cologne, Germany, with guarantee remain to be ironed ence in Luxembourg. ministers from Italy and several 16COMMENTARY/ out, Brigitte Zypries said Germany The debate about future Ariane other governments. and France now agree to back 5 investment has been the major Germany had said the Ariane 19LAUNCH REPORT/ Ariane 6 and to scrap the Ariane roadblock to an agreement on 5 ME, which is basically today’s 5 Midlife Evolution (ME) rocket all these subjects. Germany had Ariane 5 with a new, multi-ignition 21ON THE MOVE that European governments have said the Ariane 6 business model, been developing for several years. industrial work-share distribution SEE COMPROMISE PAGE 8 PERIODICALS-NEWSPAPER HANDLING Launch Smart arianespace.tv @arianespace @arianespaceceo www.spacenews.com 3 November 24, 2014 NEWS BRIEFS NASA and the NSF to ensure that America Culberson To Chair NASA will always lead the world in space exploration and scientific discoveries,” he said. House Approps Subcommittee In an interview with SpaceNews in U.S. Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), a September, Culberson said his top priorities strong advocate of NASA’s exploration and for NASA included accelerating development planetary science programs, will chair the of the Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket subcommittee of the House Appropriations and Orion spacecraft as well as funding key Committee that funds the agency in the next space science missions. However, he was Congress, the committee announced Nov. 20. skeptical about NASA’s Asteroid Redirect In a statement, committee chairman Mission, which seeks to move a small asteroid Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) released the list into lunar orbit to be visited by astronauts in of the 12 subcommittee chairs approved the 2020s. “It just doesn’t, in my mind, make by the Republican Steering Committee. financial sense when NASA’s money is so That list included Culberson as chairman scarce and so hard to come by,” he said in of the Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) the interview. “I don’t think it’s productive to subcommittee, which funds NASA as well add another really extensive project to their as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric plate when they’re telling the scientific com- Administration and the National Science munity they’re short money to do top-priority Foundation (NSF). missions like Europa.” U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PHOTO Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) will Culberson is perhaps best known for his > U.S. senior adviser Jason Y. Kim said regulatory measures put into place should be technology-neutral. continue to head the defense subcommittee, advocacy for a mission to Europa, a large which funds military space and missile defense moon of Jupiter believed to have a liquid programs. water ocean beneath its icy surface that may U.S. Warns EU Against Making Galileo Mandatory Culberson was widely considered to be be able to support life. As a member of the The U.S. government has alerted the Commission, the EU executive arm and one of two front-runners to succeed Rep. CJS subcommittee, he worked to set aside European Union that any preferential Galileo’s owner, in June 2004 agreed to Frank Wolf (R-Va.), the previous CJS subcom- funding for a Europa mission in recent appro- treatment the EU gives to its Galileo posi- a series of measures to assure interoper- mittee chairman, who is retiring at the end priations bills, including $100 million in the tioning, navigation and timing network will ability of their systems. of this year. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), fiscal year 2015 CJS appropriations bill passed likely violate World Trade Organization But unlike GPS, Galileo — which is still the current vice chairman of the subcom- by the House in May. NASA had requested (WTO) agreements signed by the United in development but is expected to launch mittee, was also in contention for the post, only $15 million for Europa mission studies States and the 28-nation EU. much of its constellation in 2015-2016 — but will instead retain the chairmanship in its 2015 budget request. In particular, U.S. government officials has always had a commercial ambition. of the agriculture and rural development “It didn’t have an advocate. It didn’t have voiced concerns that the EU is weighing European Commission officials have subcommittee. anybody pushing for it,” Culberson said of equipment mandates for aviation, car- said in recent months that they are still “I am honored that my House Republican Europa mission proposals in the September accident reporting and emergency-call weighing how to stimulate Galileo use, colleagues have chosen me as the new interview. “I knew it was the likeliest place to regulations that could unfairly tip the especially through regulatory measures chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science find life on another world. So that’s sort of scales in favor of Galileo to the detriment requiring that navigation equipment be Appropriations Subcommittee,” Culberson why I picked it up. Europa needed a friend.” of U.S. GPS-enabled hardware. installed on aircraft, automobiles and said in a Nov. 20 statement. “I’m grateful to In a presentation to the 9th Meeting of other platforms. have earned Chairman Hal Rogers’s confi- the International Committee on GNSS, “Requiring specific systems arbitrarily dence, and it is a real privilege to succeed NASA Contract Puts Orbital’s held Nov. 10-14 in Prague, a senior GPS prevents or penalizes imports of goods Chairman Frank Wolf.” official said the United States and the EU having perfectly functional GNSS capa- In the statement, Culberson said he would Pegasus XL Back on the Board have signed a wide body of satellite navi- bility,” Kim said. emphasize both law enforcement and science Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Virginia, gation agreements designed to promote The United States and Russia both as subcommittee chairman.