JCSAT-5A or N-STAR d, known as JCSAT-9 before launch, is a

geostationary A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitud ...

communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth ...

operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Group (JSAT) which was designed and manufactured by

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...

on the

A2100 The A2100 is a model of communications satellite spacecraft made by Lockheed Martin Space Systems. It is used as the foundation for telecommunications payloads in geosynchronous orbit, as well as GOES-R weather satellites and GPS Block IIIA satell ...

platform.

Satellite description

The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by

on the A2100-AX

satellite bus A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held. Bus-derived satellites are opposed to specially produced satellites. Bus- ...

. It had a launch mass of and a 12-year design life. It would provide communications services throughout Japan and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

and for NTT DoCoMo. As most satellites based on the A2100-AX platform, it uses a

LEROS-1C Leros ( el, Λέρος) is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies (171 nautical miles) from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 9-hour ferry ride or by a 45-minute flight fr ...

liquid apogee engine (LAE) for orbit raising. Its

solar panels A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a photo ...

span when fully deployed and, with its antennas in fully extended configuration it is wide. Its payload is composed of eight 54 MHz and twelve 36 MHz Ku-band

transponders In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''. In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight tra ...

, twenty 36 MHz C-band transponders and one

S-band The S band is a designation by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for a part of the microwave radio band, band of the electromagnetic spectrum covering frequency, frequencies from 2 to 4 gigahertz (GHz). Thus it c ...

beam. The Ku-band transponders have a TWTA output power of 110

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James ...

s, the C-band of 45 watts and the S beam of 130 watts.

History

On 30 April 2003, JSAT awarded an order for JCSAT-9 to

and its A2100-AXS platform. And in May 2003, JSAT leased some transponders to NTT DoCoMo to be used as N-STAR d for its ''WIDESTAR II'' service. A hybrid satellite with 20 C-band, 20 Ku-band, and 1 S-band transponders, it was expected for launch in 2005 for the 132° East slot. On 12 April 2006 at 23:29:59 UTC, a

Zenit-3SL The Zenit-3SL is an expendable carrier rocket operated by Sea Launch. First flown in 1999, it has been launched 36 times, with three failures and one partial failure. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, and is built by the Yuzhnoye ...

launching from the offshore

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Iliad'', ...

launch platform successfully orbited JCSAT-9. Separation from the

launch vehicle A launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket designed to carry a payload ( spacecraft or satellites) from the Earth's surface to outer space. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pads, supported by a launch control center and sys ...

occurred at 00:38:02 UTC. JSAT had leased some transponders to NTT DoCoMo to be used as N-STAR d. Once in its 132° East orbital position, it was renamed as JCSAT-5A and N-STAR d.

References

{{JCSAT Communications satellites in geostationary orbit Lockheed Martin satellites and probes Spacecraft launched in 2006 Spacecraft launched by Zenit and Energia rockets Satellites using the A2100 bus Communications satellites of Japan Satellites of Japan

Satellite description

History

See also

References