BSAT-3b, is a geostationary

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 Ear ...

operated by

Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation The Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) is a Japanese corporation established in April 1993 to procure, manage and lease transponders on communications satellites. Its largest stockholder, owning 49.9%, is NHK, the Japan Broadcasti ...

(B-SAT) which was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin 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 satelli ...

platform. It is stationed on the 110.0° East orbital slot along its companion

BSAT-3a BSAT-3a, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) which was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin on the A2100 platform. It is stationed on the 110,0° East orbital slot ...

and

BSAT-3c BSAT-3c, also known as JCSAT-110R, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) and SKY Perfect JSAT (JSAT) which was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin on the A2100 platfo ...

from where they provide redundant

high definition High definition or HD may refer to: Visual technologies *HD DVD, discontinued optical disc format *HD Photo, former name for the JPEG XR image file format *HDV, format for recording high-definition video onto magnetic tape * HiDef, 24 frames-pe ...

direct television broadcasting across Japan.

Satellite description

BSAT-3b was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin on the

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- ...

for B-SAT. It had a launch mass of , a dry mass of , and a 15-year design life. As most satellites based on the A2100 platform, it uses a LEROS-1C

LAE Lae () is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River and at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is the main land transport corridor between the Highl ...

for

orbit raising In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such as a p ...

. It measured when stowed for launch. Its dual wing solar panels can generate 3 kW of power at the end of its design life, and span when fully deployed. It has a single K_u-band payload with eight active

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 tran ...

plus four spares with a

TWTA A traveling-wave tube (TWT, pronounced "twit") or traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA, pronounced "tweeta") is a specialized vacuum tube that is used in electronics to amplify radio frequency (RF) signals in the microwave range. The TWT belongs t ...

output power of 130 watts.

History

On 15 April 2008, Lockheed Martin announced that it had also been awarded the second contract of the B-SAT third generation broadcast satellite fleet for BSAT-3b. It had already produced BSAT-3a, which launched on 2007, and would eventually also produce

. BSAT-3b would be based on the

platform, sport 8 K_u-band

(plus 4 spares) and have a design life of 15 years. It was going to be located at the 110.0° East orbital position. It was to be launched aboard an

Ariane 5 ECA Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It has been used to deliver payloads into ...

in the second half of 2010. On 26 October 2010, Lockheed announced that BSAT-3b was mated to the launcher and ready for its ride to orbit. It launch at 21:51 UTC, on 28 October 2010 aboard an Ariane 5 ECA from

Centre Spatial Guyanais The Guiana Space Centre (french: links=no, Centre spatial guyanais; CSG), also called Europe's Spaceport, is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Kourou is located approximatel ...

ELA-3 ELA-3 (french: Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 3, lit=Ariane Launch Complex 3), is a launch pad and associated facilities at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana. ELA-3 is operated by Arianespace as part of the expendable launch system for ...

launch pad. It rode on the lower berth under the

SYLDA Sylda is a village and a former municipality in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Arnstein.Eutelsat W3B Eutelsat S.A. is a French satellite operator. Providing coverage over the entire European continent, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas, it is the world's third-largest satellite operator in terms of revenues. Eutelsat's satellit ...

. The first signals from the satellite were received one hour later, at 22:52 UTC. On 4 November 2010, Lockheed Martin announced that BSAT-3b had successfully deployed its reflector antennas and solar panels, and also had successfully performed all orbital maneuvers. After some further check outs, it would be put into operative service. It was entered into service on 8 December 2010 after successfully passing the on-orbit deployment and checkout phase.

References

{{Orbital launches in 2010 Communications satellites in geostationary orbit Satellites using the A2100 bus Spacecraft launched in 2010 Communications satellites of Japan Satellites of Japan