Hughes Space and Communications has now inked its deal with DirecTV for a new series of high-powered birds to be placed onorbit beginning this summer. But while Hughes said it would choose the launcher later this spring, it looks like medium lifters suc as Delta III have the edge.
And it just so happens that Hughes helped create more medium lift capacity for its satellites by their forward-looking launch package deals of the past several years. Look for these deals to continue to bear fruit, as the larger HS601 series adaptations use these rides up.
Back in the spring of 1995, Hughes was the prime mover in the establishment of the Delta III medium lifter. As launch customer for the biggest Delta to that date, Hughes bought reservations for 10 Delta IIIs over the period of 1998 to 2002.
Unfortunately, their first bird blew up during first stage flight, but the second try might prove a charm next week when Delta III no. 2 gets a crack at GTO. About six months later, in December 1995, the company reached over to Boeing and bought up 10 launch options aboard the Sea Launch floating Cape Canaveral project.
In November 1996, the Japanese HIIA was the target of a Hughes launch package, again buying up a 10 launch options package over five years, with first launch in 2000. And then a year later, in June 1997, Hughes went to China to buy rides aboard four Long March 3B and a single Long March 3.
With the exception of the Chinese vehicles, which are currently under a ban by the U.S. Clinton administration, all of the other launch vehicles booked by Hughes didn't exist at the time the orders were placed. Hughes space chief Steve Dorfman made good on his promise to exercise his company's strength in creating access to orbit that didn't exist before.
Which brings us to the subject of the DirecTV birds. Based on the proven HS601 satellite bus, the new spacecraft, the HS-601HP will need medium lift rides to orbit. Slightly heavier than the original 601 series but smaller than the 702s, the new satellites are compatible with nearly every launcher now in service beyond the Delta II:
Ariane 44
Ariane 5
Atlas IIAS
Atlas IIIA
Atlas IIIB
Delta III
H-IIA
Long March 3 series
Proton K
Proton M
Sea Launch
Our prediction is if next week's Delta III launch is a success, look for the DirecTV launches to start on that medium lifter. If not, and if the March 26th test flight of the Sea Launch is a success, we bet on that one. In any event, don't expect to see the DirecTV birds on a French carrier of any variant. Dorfman's vision, after all, was to create access to orbit cabability on an American carrier.
