AMC-23 (formerly
GE-23) is an American
geostationary communications
satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioiso ...
that was launched by an
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 i ...
/
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 on ...
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 syste ...
at 02:28:40
UTC on 29 December 2005. The satellite to provide services to the
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the part of the world near the western Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific region varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, Russian Far East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Pacific Isla ...
,
West Coast of the United States
The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous ...
through separate beams to each region, after parking over the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
through its 18 (+4)
C-band and 20 (+6)
Ku-band
The Ku band () is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies from 12 to 18 gigahertz (GHz). The symbol is short for "K-under" (originally german: Kurz-unten), because it is the lower part of the ori ...
transponders, over 186° West
longitude
Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east– west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek let ...
.
[ ]
GE-2i/AMC-13/Worldsat-3/AMC-23
AMC-13 was originally ordered as GE-2i. In early 2004, AMC-13 was transferred to Worldsat LLC, a new subsidiary of
SES Americom
SES Americom was a major commercial satellite operator of North American geosynchronous satellites based in the United States. The company started as RCA Americom in 1975 before being bought by General Electric in 1986 and then later acquired by ...
as Worldsat 3. The original AMC-13 was to features 60 C-Band transponders, but when transferred to Worldsat, it was ordered to be changed to the hybrid C-/Ku-band payload with 18 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders. In early 2005, it was renamed AMC-23.
GE-23
In 2007, the satellite was spun-off from SES Americom to GE-Satellite, when
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
split off from SES. After this transaction, the satellite was renamed GE-23.
Eutelsat-172A
Eutelsat has announced in June 2012 the acquisition of GE-23 satellite from GE-Satellite. The satellite is renamed to Eutelsat 172A and expands Eutelsat coverage to Asia-Pacific region and West Coast of United States of America. The satellite had at that time an estimated lifespan of 8.5 years.
Eutelsat-174A
In 2017, after
Eutelsat 172B had replaced it, Eutelsat 172A was moved to 174° East and renamed Eutelsat 174A.
See also
*
References
{{Orbital launches in 2005
Communications satellites in geosynchronous orbit
SES satellites
Spacecraft launched in 2005