Thaicom 5

THAICOM 5
Mission type Communication
Operator Thaicom Public Company Limited
COSPAR ID 2006-020B
Mission duration 12 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
Bus Spacebus 3000A
Manufacturer Alcatel Alenia Space
Launch mass 2,800 kilograms (6,200 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date 27 May 2006, 21:09 (2006-05-27UTC21:09Z) UTC
Rocket Ariane 5ECA
Launch site Kourou ELA-3
Contractor Arianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Geostationary
Longitude 78.5° East
Perigee 35,777 kilometres (22,231 mi)
Apogee 35,796 kilometres (22,243 mi)
Inclination 0 degrees
Period 24 hours
Transponders
Band 25 C band
14 Ku band

Thaicom 5 is a Thai geostationary communications satellite which is operated by Thaicom. It is used to provide communications services to Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia.[1]

Overview

Thaicom 5 was constructed by Alcatel Alenia Space, and is based on the Spacebus 3000A satellite bus, with a configuration identical to the Thaicom 3 satellite which it replaced. It was originally ordered as Thaicom 4, but sold to Agrani as Agrani 2 before completion. It was completed in 1997, and stored until June 2005 when it was cancelled and sold back to Thaicom as Thaicom 5. It is equipped with 25 G/H band (IEEE C band) and 14 J band (IEEE Ku band) transponders, and at launch it had a mass of 2,800 kilograms (6,200 lb), with an expected operational lifespan of 12 years.[2][3]

Launch

The satellite was launched on an Ariane 5ECA carrier rocket, contracted by Arianespace, flying from ELA-3 at the Guiana Space Centre. The launch occurred at 21:09 GMT on 27 May 2006, and placed Thaicom 5, along with the Mexican Satmex 6 spacecraft, into geosynchronous transfer orbit.[4] At the time, this was the heaviest dual-satellite payload ever launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit,[5] however this record has since been broken.

Following launch, THAICOM 5 raised itself into geostationary orbit using an S400 engine, with insertion occurring on 3 June 2006.[6] It underwent on-orbit testing, and was positioned at a longitude of 78.5° East for operational service, where it replaced the failing Thaicom 3 satellite.[1] On 2 October 2006, after Thaicom 5 had become operational, Thaicom 3 was moved to a graveyard orbit.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "THAICOM 5". Satellites. Thaicom Public Company Limited. Retrieved 2013-04-09.
  2. ↑ "UCS Satellite Database". Union of Concerned Scientists. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  3. ↑ Krebs, Gunter. "THAICOM 3, 5". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  4. ↑ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  5. ↑ Launch Webcast. Arianespace. 2006-05-27.
  6. ↑ McDowell, Jonathan. "Index". Geostationary Orbit Catalog. Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
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