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Asiasat 3


Also called HGS 1 and PAS 22

General


Designation 25126 / 97086A
Launch date 24 Dec 1997
Country of origin China
Mission Telecommunications
Geostationary orbit should have gone to 105.5°E, see below
Launch vehicle Proton #255

Was to be launched by Long March but this was cancelled after the Intelsat 708 crash.

Satellite cost approx $100 million. Was to go to 105.5°E.

The launcher failed to place the satellite in GEO; it was left in 365 x 35989 km x 51.6°. The satellite was believed to be lost and the insurances payed $250 million in compensation. The ownership of the spacecraft was transfered to HGS, Hughes Global Services Inc (the satellite was renamed HGS 1) to try a very special manoeuver. HGS will share profits of the satellite salvage with the consortium of 27 insurers.

A first manoeuver was carried out in May 1998 to reach the GEO orbit using the attraction of the moon. On this very special orbit the satellite flied-by the moon (in spin-stabilized mode with main antennas deployed). A second lunar flyby was then programmed to improve the orbit. This was the very first time a commercial satellite used this kind of manoeuver (although the idea to use the moon to reach GEO is as old as 1971).

This operation consumed most of the 1700 kg of propellant. On June 19th, the satellite over 152 W with a 35963 km apogee and a 35681 km perigee at a 8.7 degree orbit.

HGS was formed as a subsidiary of Hughes Space and Communications. It provides domestic and international government and public-sector agencies at all levels with "one-stop shopping" access to commercially available satellite communications.

In Apr 1999 Hughes filled to request authorization to operate the satellite at 60°W in C-band (transp. 3B to 14A) and in Ku-band (5B to 8A). The satellite is then renamed PAS 22

Location


Begin End Position
L: 24 Dec 1997   bad orbit
Jul 1998 Nov 1998 158°W, inclined
May 1999 Jul 2002 62°W, inclined


End of life


Out of service Jul 2002
Cause moved to the junk orbit


External resources


http://www.hughesglobal.com/

sat-index articles


Technical data



EIRP coverage (dBW)


C-band
Ku-band North Asia
Ku-band South Asia

G/T coverage (dBW)


C-band
Ku-band North Asia
Ku-band South Asia

Specifications


Prime contractor Hughes
Platform HS-601HP
Mass at launch 3480 kg
Mass in orbit 2534 kg
Dry mass 1674 kg
Dimension stowed: 3.1 x 3.4 x 4 m
Solar array 26.2 m span
Stabilization 3-axis
DC power 9900 W
Design lifetime 15 years

Has a Marquardt R-4D-11-300 liquid propulsion. Is reported to have battery problems.

C-band


Main transponders 28
Backup transponders
Power 55 W (TWTA)
Bandwidth 36 MHz
Coverage Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Australia
EIRP max 40 dBW
G/T max -1 dB/K
SFD -98 dBW/m² (at G/T = -1 dB/K)
Polarization linear H/V


C-band transponder frequency chart (GHz)


Horizontal
uplink
Horizontal
downlink
Transponder Vertical
downlink
Vertical
uplink
  3.640 1B   5.865
5.885   1A 3.660  
  3.680 2B   5.905
5.925   2A 3.700  
  3.720 3B   5.945
5.965   3A 3.740  
  3.760 4B   5.985
6.005   4A 3.780  
  3.800 5B   6.025
6.045   5A 3.820  
  3.840 6B   6.065
6.085   6A 3.860  
  3.880 7B   6.105
6.125   7A 3.900  
  3.920 8B   6.145
6.165   8A 3.940  
  3.960 9B   6.185
6.205   9A 3.980  
  4.000 10B   6.225
6.245   10A 4.020  
  4.040 11B   6.265
6.285   11A 4.060  
  4.080 12B   6.305
6.325   12A 4.100  
  4.120 13B   6.345
6.365   13A 4.140  
  4.160 14B   6.385
6.405   14A 4.180  


Ku-band


Main transponders 16
Backup transponders
Power 138 W (TWTA)
Bandwidth 54 MHz
Coverage 2 beams: 1 for China & 1 for India
+ 1 steerable beam
EIRP max 53 dBW
G/T max 6 dB/K
SFD -100 dBW/m² (at G/T = 7 dB/K)
Polarization linear H/V


Ku-band transponder frequency chart (GHz)


Horizontal
uplink
Horizontal
downlink
Transponder Vertical
downlink
Vertical
uplink
beam
  12.280 1B   14.028 North
14.048   1A 12.300   North/South
  12.340 2B   14.088 North
14.108   2A 12.360   North/South
  12.400 3B   14.148 North
14.168   3A 12.420   North/South
  12.460 4B   14.208 North
14.228   4A 12.480   North/South
  12.520 5B   14.268 North
14.288   5A 12.540   North/South/Steerable
  12.580 6B   14.328 North
14.348   6A 12.600   North/South/Steerable
  12.640 7B   14.388 North
14.408   7A 12.660   North/South/Steerable
  12.700 8B   14.448 North
14.468   8A 12.720   North/South/Steerable

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