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African digital radio satellite launched
KOUROU, French Guiana (Reuters) - A venture that aims to provide digital radio service to Africa and the Middle East-and eventually to other developing markets-made it into space Wednesday.
WorldSpace Corp.'s Afristar satellite was launched atop an Ariane 44L rocket from the European Space Agency's facility in Kourou, on the northeast coast of South America.
Noah Samara, chairman of Washington, DC-based WorldSpace, said the new system will use small satellite radio receivers about the size of current-day transistor radios and will deliver digital quality sound. Two more satellites-Asiastar and Ameristar-to service the Asian and American markets are planned for launch next year.
Samara said the entire project-satellites, launches, and insurance-costs US$700 million. He said the project was privately financed, but declined to disclose who the financial backers were.
The prime contractor for the Afristar satellite was Alcatel Space, and the major sub-contractor was Marta Marconi Space, a joint venture of Britain's General Electric and France's Lagardere.
The flight also deployed a second bird, a TV broadcast satellite owned by General Electric.
Wednesday's mission was the ninth Ariane rocket launch this year and the 40th consecutive successful launch of an Ariane-4 rocket. Paris-based Ariane said it had 37 satellites on order to be launched worth an estimated $3.3 billion.
The world market for commercial satellites, launches, and ground stations was estimated to have exceeded $30 billion last year and is expected to double by 2000.
(Reuters/Wired)
WHAT WILL THIS MEAN???? |
