Title: Challenges Satellite Operators Face Today
1Challenges Satellite Operators FaceToday
- Roger Tinley
- VP Space Systems
- Telesat Canada
2Telesat Canada
Telesats Ottawa Headquarters
Satellite Control Center
- Business transponder leasing in N S America
end-to-end services and consulting - Created in 1969 100 owned by BCE since 1998
- 14 satellites launched (Anik A1 in 1972) 3 on
order - 2003 revenues 345M
- Facilities in Canada US SA Australia 500
staff - Maintain operate 20000 earth stations
3Worldwide Consulting Services
- Frequency coordination
- System design specs RFPs
- Bid evaluations/negotiations
- Construction monitoring
- Satellite operations
- Satellite control facilities
- Earth station installation
- Flight dynamics software
- Transfer orbit services
- Due diligence/insurance etc.
4Industry Issues
- Slow recovery from the economic downturn
- Commercial failures of LEO/MEO fleets
- Fewer orders for satellites and launch services
- Temporary over supply of transponders
terrestrial capacity - ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations)
- Reduction in the number of suppliers/operators
- In-orbit reliability
- Space insurance market
5Insurance
- Losses of 9/11 drove up reinsurance rates and
made some classes of insurance more attractive to
investors than space - Costly in-orbit satellite failures have shaken
the space insurance market - Major reduction in insurance capacity from 1.5B
to 300M per launch - Fluctuating high rates and coverage limitations
6Insurance Cont.)
- Limited capacity has a negative impact on large
cost effective but expensive satellites - Insurers pushing back on historical coverage
terms shorter terms exclusions/deductibles
and higher margins - Insurers requiring manufacturers and operators to
take increased liability for design problems
7ITAR
- Complex regulations strain the working
relationship between supplier and customer - Regulations limit
- Visibility during procurement
- Technical exchanges between operators
- Lessons learned on other programs
- Design data needed for operations
- Technical discussions with the Insurers
- Insurance settlements inevitably delayed despite
best efforts
8Steps Taken by Telesat
- ITAR and CGP Officers
- Restricted access work areas
- Program isolation
- Extensive data control
- Comprehensive ITAR training
9ITAR Wish List
- Remove standard commercial payloads from the US
Munitions List classic designs common
equipment and no US unique technology - Supplier TAAs giving the maximum permitted access
to data - Exemptions for non-US equipment
- ITAR-free US commercial communications satellites
(using lower technology as necessary)
10Industry Changes
- Fewer operators due to consolidation
- Potential reduction in the number of
manufacturers - Shift of emphasis from commercial to military for
some satellite and launch services suppliers
11Positive Signs
- Success of Direct-to-Home services
- Success of digital satellite radio e.g. XM-Radio
- Broadband satellites such as Anik F2
- HDTV
- New programs such as Anik F3
12Conclusions
- Positive signs that the industry is emerging from
the economic downturn - There is a need to ease the ITAR controls on
standard commercial communications satellites - Recovery of the space insurance market is
essential and can only be achieved by improved
reliability