Hughes Aircraft expects its satellites to soar in 1994.El Segundo-based division expects its best year ever Hughes Aircraft Hughes Aircraft Company was a major aerospace and defense company founded by Howard Hughes. The group was based near Ballona Creek, in Culver City, California, USA, on the Pacific Coast. Hughes Aircraft was acquired by General Motors in 1985. Co. expects 1994 to be its best year ever for launching communications satellites. Officials at the space and communications division of the Los Angeles-based aerospace and defense company said as many as 15 of their communications satellites may be launched this year. The current high for launches of Hughes-built communications satellites is nine in both 1984 and in 1985. Last year seven Hughes satellites were launched but only six are in orbit and working, due to the failure of a launch vehicle, said a Hughes spokeswoman. The space and communications division, which is located in and employs about 5,000 workers in El Segundo El Segundo (ĕl sēgŭn`dō), industrial city (1990 pop. 15,223), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1917. Its products include navigation and computer systems, aircraft parts, office machines, telephone apparatus, and , makes communications satellites for government and private industry customers around the world. About nine out of 10 of the satellites are built for commercial customers, with the rest being made under government contracts. The division boasts it is the biggest maker of communications satellites in the world, accounting for about 50 of the approximately 120 that are now in orbit. Last December, the Hughes division launched its 100th and 101st satellites since it started making the space vehicles 30 years ago. Satellites have only a limited life span because they eventually run out of fuel that is used to maneuver the vehicles while they are in orbit. In the early days of satellite technology, the vehicles were built to last only a year or two. Among the scheduled 1994 launches, Hughes satellites are being made for a number of commercial users from the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong Hong Kong (hŏng kŏng), Mandarin Xianggang, special administrative region of China, formerly a British crown colony (2005 est. pop. 6,899,000), land area 422 sq mi (1,092 sq km), adjacent to Guangdong prov. , Europe and Thailand. The U.S. Navy is also scheduled to launch two Hughes communications Hughes Communications is a publicly traded company under the stock symbol of NASDAQ: HUGH since September 2006. Hughes Communications is wholly owned by Apollo Management. The principal business of Hughes Communications, Inc. satellites this year. The first of the 1994 launches is scheduled for next month from Cape Canaveral Cape Canaveral (kənăv`ərəl), low, sandy promontory extending E into the Atlantic Ocean from a barrier island, E Fla., separated from Merritt Island by the Banana River, a lagoon; named (1963) Cape Kennedy in memory of President John , Fla., and they will continue through December. In addition to Cape Canaveral, Hughes satellites this year will be launched from French Guiana French Guiana (gēăn`ə, –än`–), Fr. La Guyane française, officially Department of Guiana, French overseas department (2005 est. pop. and at a site in China. Hughes' satellites are put into orbit by various launch vehicles This is a list of space launch vehicles sorted by country/operator in alphabetical order, commercial vehicles are listed under their corresponding country.
Brazil
Fran Slimmer, a spokeswoman for the space and communications division, said, "We have picked up a lot of contracts in recent years and our customers wanted delivery (a launch) in 1994. But I guess you can say that launches are picking up too because of the activity and technology development in the communications industry communications industry, broadly defined, the business of conveying information. Although communication by means of symbols and gestures dates to the beginning of human history, the term generally refers to mass communications. ." She said that so far, 10 launches are scheduled for 1995 and four for 1996. It is unlikely the 1995 schedule would be increased by more than one or two but the 1996 schedule could increase by several more launches, said Slimmer. Division officials would not disclose how much revenue the record-setting number of launches this year will produce for the division, which in the third quarter of 1993 had revenues of $707 million. For the first nine months of 1993, the division had revenues of $1.6 billion. Fourth quarter and year-end 1993 results for the division will not be available until February. The Hughes communications satellites come in two basic models -- the HS376 and the HS601. Depending on the many options available on each of the vehicles, the two satellites cost customers between $50 million and $200 million each. The cost to launch the satellite can run into the tens of millions of dollars. Even though Hughes boasts of being the world's biggest maker of communications satellites, it is being hotly pursued by Martin Marietta Martin Marietta Corporation was founded in 1961 through the merger of The Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. The combined company became a leader in aggregates, cement, chemicals, aerospace, and electronics. Corp., which is based in Maryland, and New York-based Loral Corp. Lockheed Corp., which is headquartered in Calabasas, is also now getting into the commercial satellite business. It builds satellites in Sunnyvale in northern California. With development of the so-called information superhighway, more companies are expected to get into the communications satellite business in coming years. Hughes' commercial communications satellites are used for television, data and telephone transmissions. One of the division's latest developments is a series of satellites that could be used for what is called Direct TV. The satellites will provide consumers in North America with a high-powered, direct-to-home entertainment system. Consumers will be able to hook into the system with pizza-sized receiver dishes rather than the big backyard dishes currently in use. The first of Direct TV satellites was launched in December and is scheduled to be operational this coming March. |
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