Thaicom 6

THAICOM 6
Mission type Communication
Operator Thaicom
COSPAR ID 2014-002A
SATCAT № 39500
Mission duration 14 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
Bus GEOStar-2
Manufacturer Orbital Sciences Corporation
Launch mass 3,325 kg (7,330 lb)[1]
Power 3.7 kW (5.0 hp)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date January 6, 2014, 22:06 (2014-01-06UTC22:06Z) UTC
Rocket Falcon 9 v1.1
Launch site Cape Canaveral SLC-40
Contractor SpaceX
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Geostationary
Longitude 78.5° East[1]
Perigee 35,789 kilometres (22,238 mi)[2]
Apogee 35,795 kilometres (22,242 mi)[2]
Inclination 0.07 degrees[2]
Period 1436.07 minutes[2]
Epoch 25 January 2015, 02:13:56 UTC[2]
Transponders
Band 18 C band
8 Ku band

THAICOM 6 is a Thai satellite of the Thaicom series, operated by Thaicom Public Company Limited, a subsidiary of INTOUCH headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. THAICOM 6 is colocated with Thaicom 5 at 78.5 degrees East, in geostationary orbit. The total cost for the satellite is US$160 million.

Overview

THAICOM 6 is a 3-axis stabilized spacecraft, carrying 18 active C-band transponders and 8 active Ku-band transponders. The Ku-band transponders are both addressed as well as beam-switched to broadband. THAICOM 6 provides communication service to Southeast Asia, Africa and Madagascar[3] with its primary role being DTH service for Thailand.[1]

Launch

THAICOM 6 launching on a Falcon 9 v1.1 vehicle.

The spacecraft was launched on January 6, 2014, by SpaceX on a Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle. The payload was delivered by SpaceX to a 90,000 kilometers (56,000 mi)-apogee supersynchronous elliptical transfer orbit that will later be reduced by the satellite builder Orbcom to an approximately 35,800 kilometers (22,200 mi) circular geostationary orbit. The supersynchronous transfer orbit enables an inclination plane change with a lower expenditure of propellant by the satellite's kick motor.[4]`

This launch was SpaceX's second transport of a payload to a Geostationary transfer orbit.[5][6] Both the SES-8 SpaceX launch before this one and THAICOM 6 utilized a supersynchronous transfer orbit, but Thaicom 6 was at a somewhat greater apogee than that used for SES-8.[4]

The Falcon 9 upper stage used to launch THAICOM 6 was left in a decaying elliptical low-Earth orbit which decayed over time and, on 28 May 2014, re-entered the atmosphere and burned up.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Fact Sheet: THAICOM 6" (PDF). Orbital Sciences Corporation. 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "THAICOM 6 Satellite details 2014-002A NORAD 39500". N2YO. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  3. ↑ "THAICOM: Satellites & Services - THAICOM 6". Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 de Selding, Peter B. (6 January 2014). "SpaceX Delivers Thaicom-6 Satellite to Orbit". Space News. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  5. ↑ SpaceX Targeting Jan. 3 For Launch of Thaicom 6
  6. ↑ "SpaceX's 1st Commercial Comsat Launch Slips Three Days". Space News. 13 November 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "FALCON 9 R/B details 2014-002B NORAD 39501". N2YO. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
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