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Galaxy
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Program: Galaxy. Objective: Communications. Overview: Television broadcast satellite. Major Events:
- 1992 October 28 - Galaxy 7. Spacecraft: HS 601. Mass: 2,968 kg (6,543 lb). Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 42P.
Geostationary at 91 deg W. The Galaxy 7 satellite failed on November 22, 2000, the third such satellite to fall victim to a design flaw in the on-board computers. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 91 deg W in 1992-1999 As of 1 September 2001 located at 32.55 deg E drifting at 2.022 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 141.47W drifting at 2.077W degrees per day.
- 1995 December 15 - Galaxy 3R. Spacecraft: HS 601. Mass: 2,980 kg (6,560 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas IIA.
Stationed at 95 deg W; 24 C-band, 24 Ku-band transponders; TV for Caribbean and Central America. Launch vehicle put payload into subsynchronous earth orbit with MRS trajectory option. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 95 deg W in 1996-1999 As of 3 September 2001 located at 95.05 deg W drifting at 0.008 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 132.80W drifting at 0.084W degrees per day.
- 1998 August 27 - Galaxy 10. Spacecraft: HS 601. Mass: 3,876 kg (8,545 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta 3.
Built by Hughes/El Segundo for Panamsat. The satellite carried 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders to provide US/Caribbean coverage, and was to have replaced the ageing SBS-5 satellite at 123 deg West. Replenishing the Galaxy/PAS constellation was a high priority for Panamsat following the loss of Galaxy 4 and problems with Galaxy 7. Galaxy 11 was not scheduled to go up until the first launch of the Sea Launch Zenit-3SL in early 1999, and this booster was in limbo due to legal problems with unauthorised transfer of technical data from Boeing to Russia. In addition there were several PAS satellites awaiting launch over the next year on Proton and Ariane vehicles.
- 1999 December 22 - Galaxy 11. Spacecraft: HS 702 . Mass: 4,484 kg (9,885 lb). Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 44L.
Communications satellite. Third Ariane launch within three weeks. First Hughes HS 702 bus satellite, for PanAmSat Corporation to expand video and telecommunications services to North America and Brazil. The 20-watt C-band transponders will be used primarily for cable television customers. The Ku-band payload offers two power levels: 140 watts for video distribution, and 75 watts for data networks and other general communications services. This gives Galaxy 11 a total payload of 64 active transponders. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg W in 2000. As of 4 September 2001 located at 91.01 deg W drifting at 0.010 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 91.01W drifting at 0.008W degrees per day.
- 2000 January 25 - Galaxy 10R. Spacecraft: HS 601. Mass: 1,987 kg (4,380 lb). Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 42L.
Geosynchronous communications satellite launched to supplement Panamsat's Galaxy cable TV distribution constellation. It carried Ku and C band transponders and was to be stationed at 127 deg W. A replacement for Galaxy 10, lost on the first Delta 3 launch failure. Stationed at 123 deg W. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 123 deg W in 2000. As of 3 September 2001 located at 122.99 deg W drifting at 0.002 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 123.03W drifting at 0.000E degrees per day.
- 2000 April 19 - Galaxy 4R. Spacecraft: HS 601. Mass: 3,668 kg (8,086 lb). Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 42L.
Galaxy 4R carried 28 Ku-band and 28 C-band transponders. After insertion in a standard 219 x 32007
km x 7.0 deg geostationary transfer orbit, Galaxy 4R's R-4D apogee engine raised orbit to 35765 x 35792 km x 0.1 deg by April 27 and was over 67 deg W by late April. Final destination was 99 deg W. The Galaxy satellites provide US domestic telecommunications services. 4R replaces the original Galaxy 4H which failed in May 1998, putting pagers out of action across the USA. Stationed at 99 deg W. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 73 deg W in 2000. As of 5 September 2001 located at 98.99 deg W drifting at 0.016 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 76.88W drifting at 0.001E degrees per day.
- 2002 June 15 - Galaxy 3C. Spacecraft: HS 702. Mass: 4,850 kg (10,690 lb). Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-3SL.
Launch delayed from July 2001 and May 28, June 2 and 9, 2002. The Galaxy 3C satellite was launched from the Odyssey floating launch platform at its standard 154W 0N location. The Zenit second stage and the DM third stage with payload entered a -2160 x 195 km suborbital trajectory at 2248:10. At about 2252 UTC the DM stage entered a 180 x 393 km x 0 deg parking orbit. A second burn of the DM at 2324 to 2330 UTC put Galaxy 3C in a 358 x 41440 km x 0.02 deg transfer orbit This was a record low inclination for a geostationary transfer orbit. The satellite's R-4D apogee engine was to put the Boeing BSS-702 satellite in geostationary orbit. The satellite was the first 702 model to use extra solar panels instead of the solar concentrators which ran into fogging problems on the earlier 702 flights. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 95.06W drifting at 0.007W degrees per day.
- 2005 August 13 - Galaxy 14. Spacecraft: Star bus. Mass: 2,087 kg (4,601 lb). Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz FG.
Payload swapped from Ariane 5. Launch delayed from December 2004; February 25, March 16 and 25, April 25, June 17, July 10 and 28, August 1, 6 and 12, 2005. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 125.05W drifting at 0.008W degrees per day.
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© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2007 except where otherwise noted.
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