Dec 3 1979
From The Space Library
The ESA reported from its November 29 meeting that British Aerospace, chosen as prime contractor for ESAs Large Satellite, would receive a contract for the first part of a study phase. Contracts for payload studies would go to Selenia (Italy) for a television broadcast payload and a 20-30 GHz transponder payload; to BTM (Belgium) for a 20-30 GHz beacon payload; to United Kingdoms Marconi Space and Defense Systems for a specialized-services payload; and to Marconi with Telespazio (Italy) and Philips (Netherlands) for mission studies related to the 20-30 GHz transponder. Contractor work would be done by April 1980, with launch scheduled for early 1984.
Objectives of the Large Satellite program were to build a multipurpose space platform to match user requirements in telecommunications and to demonstrate a service payload that would advance ESA technology, assess potential of new satellite services, and promote satellite usage. (ESA Info Bltn 33)
ESA reported that Meteosat 1 had put itself into standby mode November 24, one day after its second anniversary of successful operation in orbit, because of an apparent power overload. Attempts to switch it back to full operating mode succeeded only briefly. ESA had begun a step-by-step unit switching to detect the area of failure and isolate it; the fault apparently occurred in the electronics that turned off the main power supply in case of overload.
Periodic instability had appeared in this protection unit, but the data collection function was fully operational and Meteosat 1 was able to collect and relay data from meteorological platforms within its field of view. ESA was analyzing the problem for possible effect on Meteosat 2, scheduled for launch in September 1980. (ESA Info Bltn 34)
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