This news index includes material assembled on the occasion of the SPOT-4 launch on Ariane V106, in March 1998. France's SPOT-4 satellite carries the ESA-developed SILEX terminal for the direct laser-optical communications between satellites in space. SILEX will permit the relaying of remote sensing data from SPOT-4, via Artemis, to Europe, regardless whether SPOT-4 is in direct line of sight of a ground station or not.
The news index includes the following material: 3-D graphics and live action recordings on relaying data directly between spacecraft; Live action recordings of SILEX and SPOT-4 development; Live action recordings of ARTEMIS development; 3-D graphics and live action recordings on thge use of laser-optical links between satellites of a multimedia constellation like Skybridge or Telesi.
These constellations are a prime candidate for using second generation optical terminals of the SILEX type that are currently being breadboarded.

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10:00:00:00 copyright clearance for broadcast use
10:00:08:00 ESA opening title
10:01:34:00 title: relaying data directly between satellites
10:00:40:00 title: Silex on board Spot 4
10:00:49:00 launch of Spot-3 onboard Ariane V59 on September 26th, 1993 [CSG Service Optique]
10:01:36:00 3D graphics of satellite in low-Earth orbit sending data back to Earth
10:01:48:00 3D graphics of communications from a ground station with a satellite in low-Earth orbit
10:01:54:00 live action recordings of a ground station for the reception of Earth observation satellite data, and their subsequent computer processing
10:02:07:00 examples of high-data volume Earth observation data from ESA's ERS satellite, animated into graphics
10:02:34:00 3D graphics of Silex laser communications between Spot-4 and Artemis
10:02:54:00 Earth observation data reception and processing facilities at ESA
10:03:08:10 title: Silex - Semiconductor Inter-Satellite Laser Experiment
10:03:12:10 3D graphics of an Earth observation