Aussat

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Program: Aussat. Objective: Communications. Overview: Australian communications.

Major Events:

1985 August 27 - Aussat A1. Spacecraft: HS 376. Mass: 1,260 kg (2,770 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle.
Released by STS 51I 8/27/85. Aussat A1 was decommissioned in early 1993 at the ned of its nominal life. It is currently in a non-synchronous graveyard orbit.. It spent its active life at 160 deg. E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 160 deg E in 1985-1993 As of 5 September 2001 located at 174.28 deg W drifting at 1.831 deg W per day. As of 2007 Feb 27 located at 120.19E drifting at 1.838W degrees per day.

1985 November 27 - Aussat A2. Spacecraft: HS 376. Mass: 1,259 kg (2,775 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle.
Released by STS 61B 11/28/85; 156 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 156 deg E in 1985-1993; 164 deg E in 1993-1999 As of 1 September 2001 located at 24.67 deg W drifting at 1.153 deg W per day. As of 2007 Feb 27 located at 133.30E drifting at 1.163W degrees per day.

1987 September 16 - Aussat A3. Spacecraft: HS 376. Mass: 1,195 kg (2,634 lb). Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane.
Australian domestic communications; 164 deg E. Communication satellite. Launching states: Australia and France. Longitude 164 deg E +/- 0.5. (orbit given is geocentric 42164 km, which corresponds to altitude 35787 km). The satellite mass was 655 kg at beginning of life for an Ariane mission only on-station after the apogee motor had fired and station acquisition fuel was expended. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 164 deg E in 1987-1993; 156 deg E in 1993-1995; 152 deg E in 1995-1999 As of 4 September 2001 located at 163.96 deg E drifting at 0.005 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 31.52E drifting at 0.011E degrees per day.

1992 August 13 - Optus B1. Spacecraft: HS 601. Mass: 2,760 kg (6,080 lb). Launch Site: Xichang. Launch Vehicle: CZ.
Stationed at 160 deg E. Commercial communications. Longitude 160 +/- 0.05 deg E. Launched fromn China. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 160 deg E in 1992-1999 As of 1 September 2001 located at 159.98 deg E drifting at 0.009 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 163.63E drifting at 0.044E degrees per day.

1992 December 21 - Aussat B2 / Optus B2. Spacecraft: HS 601. Mass: 2,760 kg (6,080 lb). Launch Site: Xichang. Launch Vehicle: CZ.
Despite collapse of the nose fairing and near-desctruction of the payload, the launch vehicle continued on to place the wreckage of Optus-B2, and the Star-63F Kick-Motor into low earth orbit.

1994 August 27 - Optus B3. Spacecraft: HS 601. Mass: 2,760 kg (6,080 lb). Launch Site: Xichang. Launch Vehicle: CZ.
Telephone; TV; mobile communications; air traffic control. Stationed at 156 deg deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 152 deg E in 1994-1995; 156 deg E in 1995-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 156.00 deg E drifting at 0.007 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 151.97E drifting at 0.007W degrees per day.

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