MEASAT-3b 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 Ear ...

which

MEASAT Satellite Systems MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd, formerly Binariang Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd is a Malaysian communications satellite operator, which owns and operates the MEASAT (Malaysia East Asia Satellite) and AFRICASAT spacecraft. The company provides sat ...

operates in

geosynchronous orbit A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbit ...

at 91.5 degrees east longitude, co-located with

MEASAT-3 MEASAT-3 was a Malaysian communications satellite which was successfully launched on 11 December 2006 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. In March 2003, MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. of Malaysia ordered a Boeing 601HP satellite, givi ...

and

MEASAT-3a MEASAT-3a is a communications satellite which MEASAT Satellite Systems intends to operate in geosynchronous orbit at 91.5 degrees East longitude. It was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, based on the STAR-2 spacecraft platform. History Orbi ...

, with

orbital period The orbital period (also revolution period) is the amount of time a given astronomical object takes to complete one orbit around another object. In astronomy, it usually applies to planets or asteroids orbiting the Sun, moons orbiting planets ...

of 1436.1 minutes and

orbital speed In gravitationally bound systems, the orbital speed of an astronomical body or object (e.g. planet, moon, artificial satellite, spacecraft, or star) is the speed at which it orbits around either the barycenter or, if one body is much more ma ...

of ~3.08 km/s (~1.914 mi/s). It was built by

Astrium Astrium was an aerospace manufacturer subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) that provided civil and military space systems and services from 2006 to 2013. In 2012, Astrium had a turnover of €5.8 billion and 18 ...

(now

Airbus Defence and Space Airbus Defence and Space is the division of Airbus SE responsible for the development and manufacturing of the corporation's defence and space products, while also providing related services. The division was formed in January 2014 during the ...

), based on the

Eurostar Eurostar is an international high-speed rail service connecting the United Kingdom with France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Most Eurostar trains travel through the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France, owned and operated sep ...

spacecraft platform, with an investment of approximately MYR1.25bn ($370m), and the 5th

MEASAT MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd, formerly Binariang Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd is a Malaysian communications satellite operator, which owns and operates the MEASAT (Malaysia East Asia Satellite) and AFRICASAT spacecraft. The company provides s ...

satellite in orbit. Its weigh 5,897 kilograms at liftoff and is 6.6 by 2.8 by 2.3 meters in dimensions in its stowed config and spanned across 39.4m in orbit. It is

three-axis stabilized Spacecraft attitude control is the process of controlling the orientation of a spacecraft (vehicle/satellite) with respect to an inertial frame of reference or another entity such as the celestial sphere, certain fields, and nearby objects, et ...

and has 48

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 o ...

transponder, more than double the current Ku-band capacity operated by MEASAT, which are used for the expansion of video and data services and enhances support to Asia's premium direct-to-home (DTH) and video distribution neighbourhood across Malaysia, South Asia (India), Indonesia and Australia, serving more than 18 million households. It has been designed to support a fourth market. Australian satellite operator

NewSat Ltd. NewSat was an independent satellite communications provider in Australia. Its satellites, VSATs and teleports provided coverage to 75% of the earth’s surface. NewSat was founded on 28 March 1987, then named as Yalfaga. Its name was later chan ...

(now part of SpeedCast Australia Pty Limited) announced in February 2012, that an undisclosed number of Ku-band transponders will be leases and marketed as Jabiru 2. Its mission duration lasted more than 15 years. MEASAT-3b technical frequency EIRP test are available in LyngSat website.

Launch

It was launched on 12 September 2014, 06:05 MYT 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 ...

(Guiana Space Center) at

Kourou Kourou () is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Kourou is famous for being the location of the Guiana Space Centre, the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency (ESA). It ...

French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic ...

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 site, aboard the

Ariane 5 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 in ...

ECA rocket. The launch was announced in national news article and television few hours later after successful launch. It reached orbital epoch on 3 October 2017, 17:03:34 UTC.

References

External links

MEASAT
official site Spacecraft launched in 2014 Communications satellites in geostationary orbit Spacecraft launched by Zenit and Energia rockets Satellites using the Eurostar bus {{communications-satellite-stub