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 altitude ...
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. C ...
operated by
SKY Perfect JSAT Group
The SKY Perfect JSAT Group is a Japanese corporate group that claims to be Asia's largest satellite communication and multi-channel pay TV company. It owns the SKY PerfecTV! satellite broadcasting service and the SKY Perfect Well Think content s ...
(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 satelli ...
platform.
Satellite description
The spacecraft 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-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-d ...
. 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 area ...
and for
NTT DoCoMo.
[ As most satellites based on the A2100-AX platform, it uses a LEROS-1C liquid apogee engine (LAE) for ]orbit raising
In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an physical body, object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an satellite, artificial satellite around an object or pos ...
.[ 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 phot ...
span when fully deployed and, with its antennas in fully extended configuration it is wide.[
Its payload is composed of eight 54 ]MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...
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 trans ...
, 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 band of the electromagnetic spectrum covering frequencies from 2 to 4 gigahertz (GHz). Thus it crosses the conventional ...
beam. The Ku-band transponders have 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 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 Wa ...
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 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 ...
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 launching from the offshore ]Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...
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 pad, launch pads, supported by a missile launch contro ...
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.][
]
See also
* Sea Launch
* 2006 in spaceflight
This article outlines notable events occurring in 2006 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs. 2006 saw Brazil, Iran, and Sweden all get a national into space for the first time.
Launches
, colspan=8,
January
, -
, colsp ...
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