Corrected errors in French satellite registrations: 2007 Jul 16

I am happy to report that France has corrected the errors in its registration and is now a shining example of compliance with the registration convention.

Errors in French satellite registrations: 2004 Jul 18


France has updated its registration of satellites with the United Nations.
In UN document ST/SG/SER.E/445, 
http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/Reports/Regdocs/ser445F.pdf,
submitted to the UN on 2004 Mar 4, it
gave a new list of satellites superseding previous information, which
includes the registration of 22 previously unregistered satellites. Although
I congratulate France on these corrections, regrettably there are
many errors in the part of the document covering earlier years
of the French space program:

 * FR-1 (1965-101A), previously registered by France in UN doc. A/AC.105/INF.127, 
   is omitted.
 * The two satellites ESRO-1A (1968-84A) and ESRO-1B (1969-83A) are
   mangled into a single erroneous entry. The ESRO satellites were registered
   by France on behalf of ESRO in A/AC.105/INF.207 and INF.213.
 * 1971-30A is mistakenly called "D2A Polaire"; the correct name is
   just D2A, whereas "D2A Polaire" was a later launch than failed to orbit.
 * ESRO satellite ESRO 4 (1972-92A), registered by France for ESRO
   in A/AC.105/INF.264, is omitted.
 * Aureole 2 (1973-107A) and Aurole 3 (1981-94A), collaborative satellites
   generally considered to be  Russian-owned with French instruments, 
   were registered by the USSR in A/AC.105/INF.288 and ST/SG/SER.E/062; 
   France is now laying claim to the satellites for the first time.
   I will give priority to the earlier USSR registrations in my records.
 * The D5A and D5B satellites 1975-39A/39B, registered by France in
   A/AC.105/INF.337, are omitted.
 * The SRET 2 satellite 1975-49B, and the Aura D2B satellite 1975-92A,
   registered by France in A/AC.105/INF.337, are omitted.
 * The ESA ISEE-2 satellite 1977-102B, which has never been registered,
   should have been registered by France on behalf of ESA at the time.
   It's not in the new French list, so ESA should register it.
 * The ESA OTS-2 satellite 1978-44A, registered by France in A/AC.105/INF.376,
   is omitted.
 * The information for 1984-81 is muddled: 1984-81A is ECS 2, not Telecom 1A;
   1984-81B is Telecom 1A, not "element de lanceur non fonctionnel".
   ECS 2 was registered by ESA.
 * ECS 5 (1988-63B) was registered by ESA in ST/SG/SER.E/188; I will
   ignore France's new claim.