SES-3 is a

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 SES World Skies, then by SES S.A.

Spacecraft

SES-3 was built by

Orbital Sciences Corporation Orbital Sciences Corporation (commonly referred to as Orbital) was an American company specializing in the design, manufacture, and launch of small- and medium- class space and launch vehicle systems for commercial, military and other governmen ...

(OSC), and is based on the Star-2.4

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 is equipped with 24 C-band, and 24 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 ...

, and at launch it had a mass of . It has a design life of fifteen years, however it was launched with enough fuel to operate for at least sixteen years, if its systems are still functional.

Launch

It was launched on 15 July 2011 at 23:16:10 UTC on a

Proton-M The Proton-M, (Протон-М) GRAU index 8K82M or , is an expendable Russian heavy-lift launch vehicle derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Ka ...

Briz-M The Briz-K, Briz-KM and Briz-M (russian: Бриз-К, КM and M meaning ''Breeze-K, KM and M'') are Russian liquid-propellant rocket orbit insertion upper stages manufactured by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and used ...

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 ...

, the launch was arranged by

International Launch Services International Launch Services, Inc. (ILS) is a joint venture with exclusive rights to the worldwide sale of commercial Angara and Proton rocket launch services. Proton launches take place at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan while Angara is l ...

(ILS), since Baikonour, Site 200/39 alongside the

KazSat-2 KazSat-2 ( kk, ҚазСат-2, ''QazSat-2'') is the second Kazakh communications satellite after KazSat-1. It was launched on 16 July 2011, at 23:16:10 UTC by Proton-M / Briz-M launch vehicle. This satellite was constructed by Khrunichev S ...

satellite.

Mission

It is positioned at 103.0° West orbital location over

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

, replacing

AMC-1 AMC-1 was a geosynchronous communications satellite operated by SES S.A., as part of the AMC fleet acquired from GE AMERICOM in 2001. It was a hybrid C-Band / Ku-band spacecraft currently located at 131° West, serving the Canada, United Stat ...

. Clients include E. W. Scripps Company,

In Demand In Demand (stylized as iN DEMAND) is an American cable television service which provides video on demand services, including pay-per-view. Comcast, Cox Communications, and Charter Communications (with former independent companies Time Warner Cab ...

Pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...

Ion Television Ion Television is an American broadcast television network owned by the Katz Broadcasting subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network first began broadcasting on August 31, 1998, as Pax TV, focusing primarily on family-oriented en ...

, Mood Media,

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

and QVC.

References

{{Orbital launches in 2011 Communications satellites in geostationary orbit Spacecraft launched in 2011 SES satellites Satellites using the GEOStar bus Satellites of Luxembourg