Oz broadband satellite launch

[TWT]

The first of the Australian NBN (National Broadband Network) satellites is to be launched by Arianespace from Kourou,French Guiana tonight between 2030 and 2215 UTC (0630-0815 Thursday 1st October Oz time).

The satellite is NBN Co 1a,and was renamed as 'Sky Muster' by the class of a little girl named Bailey Brooks,who won a competition with her drawing.The drawing will be attached to the side of the rocket.She will benefit from it as she lives on a cattle station in the Northern Territory.She attends school over the internet.

http://www.nbnco.com.au/blog/outback-glory-meet-our-competition-winner-bailey-brooks.html

A live video feed of the launch can be found HERE

[500N]

The world is getting smaller.

I go to NT to get away from TV, phones, Internet.

[admin]

Had significant involvement when Oz Govt formed Aussat Ltd from the OTC - The Overseas Telecommunications Commission, and gave Aussat control of Australias first satellite. As a TOEM Applications Eng with Digital - DEC, I helped configure the PDP11/44's that went into Belrose and across in Perth to control the bird. Worked with the contractor, whose name I cannot remember - might have been Hughes, to check out all systems. They were interesting times for a very techy engineer.

[TWT]

I talk to Optus BOC at Belrose every working day from a different place Alison in order to line up and transmit to their satellite fleet.The early days of Aussat would have been very interesting times.

[TWT]

'Sky Muster' and its passenger 'ARSAT-2' (Argentina) both launched successfully.Arianespace have been very successful with their double satellite launches.The combined weight of the payload (2 satellites) was 10,000kgs.