November 13, 2000

View Full Issue Table of Contents

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Online Trading Exchanges Leave Many Suppliers Cold

NEW YORK If original equipment manufacturers do a good job of rolling out the e-commerce trading exchanges unveiled earlier this year, major customers should see a measurable improvement in the products and services they buy. But what’s the value of the exchanges to lower tier suppliers, whose participation would seem essential to the success of these Web-based sites? Not much, if a random sampling of more than 50 companies representing a broad cross section of the industry is any indication.

By ANTHONY L. VELOCCI

100

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Loral Satellite Network Targets Brazil, Eurasia

KOUROU, FRENCH GUIANA and PARIS Loral Space & Communications has started commercial operations in two new markets as it continues to expand its fixed satellite service network. Known as the Loral Global Alliance, the network includes Loral Skynet, Satmex, Loral Skynet do Brasil, EuropeStar and Stellat.

By MICHAEL A. TAVERNA

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

West Grasps China's Hand at Zhuhai

ZHUHAI, CHINA Air Show China 2000, the country’s third international industry gettogether, attracted about 400 exhibitors and tens of thousands of visitors to Zhuhai airport on Nov. 6-12 for a glimpse into the future of China. With the country on the precipice of global market competition as it readies for membership in the World Trade Organization, aircraft and engine manufacturing officials rolled up their sleeves, ready to do business.

By WILLIAM DENNIS

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

EO-1 Takes Landsat Era One Step Smaller

SAN FRANCISCO One of NASA’s working prototypes for more cost-effective science missions is scheduled to be launched from Vandenberg AFB this week into an orbit that will track the space agency’s most advanced Earth-imaging satellites.

By MICHAEL MECHAM

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

France, U.S. Target 2001 Kickoff For Joint Sample Return Missions

PARIS France and the U.S. hope to give final approval by the end of next year to an expanded program of joint Mars sample return missions, including a preliminary flight to test vital technologies. The sample return missions, for which French space agency CNES will contribute the orbiter/reentry vehicle and NASA, the launch, lander/rover and Mars ascent vehicle (MAV), were reprogrammed late last month to 2009, 2011 or 2014— depending on the results of the validation flight and available financial resources—because of the complexity and lack of maturity of some of the technologies involved.

By MICHAEL A. TAVERNA

102

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

African Satcom Venture Eyes Year-End Startup

KOUROU, FRENCH GUIANA A bold plan to build a satellite telecommunications network to serve the African continent is likely to be finalized by the end of the year, according to officials close to the project. The network, comprising a yet-undefined geostationary Earth orbit C-band/Kuband payload, gateway stations and up to 500,000 low-cost, solar-powered ground terminals, is intended to provide fixed-satellite urban and inter-African telecom links, direct-to-home television and rural multimedia services to 53 nations of Africa, which suffers from an acute lack of telecommunications infrastructure.

By MICHAEL A. TAVERNA

November 62000

November 202000

November 13, 2000

November 13, 2000