Lockheed Martin A2100

The A2100 is a communications satellite spacecraft model made by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in the 1990s-2010s for telecommunications in geosynchronous orbit, as well as GOES-R weather satellites and GPS Block IIIA satellites.^{[1] [2]}

The Lockheed Martin A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft series is designed for a variety of telecommunications needs including K_a band broadband and broadcast services, fixed satellite services in C-band and K_u band payload configurations, high-power direct broadcast services using the K_u band frequency spectrum, and mobile satellite services using UHF, L-band and S-band payloads.^[3]

The A2100 satellite system was developed by a Skunk Works team at the Astro Space East Windsor, New Jersey facility. A group of Space Architects, including Brian Stewart, John Close, Pete Wise, Jim Wilson (GE R&D Lab), and Keith Davies delivered a flexible common bus with fewer components, lower spacecraft weight, and reduced customer delivery time.^[4]

The first satellite, AMC-1, was launched September 8, 1996, and has achieved 15-year on-orbit service life.^[5] Since 1996 there have been over 45 of the A2100 based satellites launched, with over 400 years of total on-orbit service.^[6] Recent A2100 spacecraft include JCSAT-13 and VINASAT-2, which were launched May, 2012 on an Ariane 5 rocket. ^[7]

In 2002 Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems was given a Frost and Sullivan Satellite Reliability Award for excellence in the production of flexible and reliable communications satellites used in geosynchronous Earth orbit.^[8]

A2100 customers includes communications companies around the world, including Astra, Telesat, SKY Perfect JSAT Group and others.

Propulsion system

The attitude control system includes reaction wheels,^[9] with momentum desaturation and main motor maneuver attitude control propulsion provided by small monopropellant hydrazine motors. This hydrazine supply is contained in a central propellant tank of 0.90 m diameter and up to 2.00 m length depending on the customer's requirements.^[10] This tank's maximum length was later increased to 2.55 m.^[11] The liquid apogee engine uses hydrazine fuel from the central tank along with nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer from two flanking tanks of 0.54 m diameter and up to 1.65 m long.^[12] Orbit maintenance is performed by the small hydrazine motors and ion thrusters.^[13] The maximum propellant supply (with the largest tanks at 95% fill factor) are 1368 kg of hydrazine fuel and 627 kg of nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer.

According to Moog-ISP, the A2100 platform uses its LEROS bipropellant Liquid Apogee Engine.^[14]

References

Lockheed Martin
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