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Aviation History
1985
1985 - 0108.PDF
INTERNATIONAL SATELLITED/RECTORY Above Satellite Business Systems' fourth Hughes-built satellite, SBS-4, was launched by Shuttle in August 1984. Right GTE's RCA-built Space- net 2 sits atop Europe's Marecs B2 (inside the Sylda fairing) as the two satellites are prepared for launch by Ariane in November 1984. Aerospatiale is building France's TDF 1 pre-operational direct-broadcast satellite Satcom RCS American Communications (Americom) currently operates five domestic communications satellites, providing cable TV relay and business communications services to the USA. One satellite, Satcom V, is actually owned by Alascom, serving Alaska, and is operated by Americom as a joint licensee with Alascom. A sixth satellite is to be launched in 1986. Americom also plans a series of three Ku-band communications satellites, Satcom Ks, to be launched between 1986 and 1987. Americom has, however, abandoned plans to establish a direct-broadcast satellite system. Payload Satcom 24 6/4GHz transponders Satcom K 16 14/12GHz transponders Owner RCA American Communications Manufacturer RCA Astro-Electronics Orbit Geostationary Launch/location/status Satcom I Dec 1975 Delta/retired II Mar 1976 Delta/retired III Dec 1979 Delta/lost on launch IIIR Nov 1981 Delta/131" W/ replaced III IV Jan 1982 Delta/83°W V Oct 1982 Delta/143°W IR Apr 1983 Delta/139° W/replaced I IIR Sep 1983 Delta/72°W/replaced II VI May 1986 Shuttle/67°W Satcom KI Nov 1985 Shuttle/96°W KII Nov 1985 Shuttle/102°W Kill May 1987 Shuttle—in orbit spare Stabilisation 3-axis Power (end of life) Satcom 0-8kW Weight (at launch) Satcom 1,080kg Satcom K 1,815kg Design life 8 years Cost Satcom K $120m+ (1983)—3 craft Remarks Satcom V onwards use RCA Advanced Satcom bus, with solid-state power amplifiers in place of travelling- wave tubes. Satcom K derives from Advanced Satcom bus. SBS Satellite Business Systems (SBS) provides digital voice, data, image, and long-distance telephone communications for business users in the USA using a network of four SBS satellites. A fifth SBS is scheduled for launch by Ariane in 1986. A sixth satellite will be held as a ground-based spare. Following the with drawal of Comsat, SBS is owned 60:40 by IBM and Aetna Life & Casualty. Payload 10 14/12 GHz transponders Owner Satellite Business Systems Manufacturer Hughes Aircraft Orbit Geostationary Launch/location SBS- 1 Nov 1980 Delta/100°W 2 Sep 1981 Delta/97°W 3 Nov 1982 Shuttle/94°W 4 Aug 1984 Shuttle/103°W 5 Nov 1986 Ariane Stabilisation Spin Power (end of life) 0-9kW Weight (at launch) 1,060kg Design life SB-1/2 7 years SBS-3 8 years SBS-4/5 10 years Remarks HS376 bus. SBS was the first all-digital, Ku-band commercial commu nications satellite. 36 Spacenet GTE Spacenet is developing the first domestic communications satellite network to operate in both C and Ku bands. The operational network will comprise three satellites and a ground- based spare. GTE Spacenet and GTE Satellite, which will operate the Ku-band Gstar craft, are to be combined into one company. Payload 18 6/4GHz transponders 6 14/12GHz transponders Owner GTE Spacenet Manufacturer RCA Astro-Electronics Orbit Geostationary Launch/location Spacenet I May 1984 Ariane II Nov 1984 Ariane /69°W III Apr 185 Ariane Stabilisation 3-axis Power (start of life) l-2kW Weight (at launch) 1,195kg Design life 10 years Cost $300m—3 flight plus one spare Remarks Bus based on RCA Satcom. Of the 18 C-band (6/4GHz) transponders, 12 are narrow-band using solid-state power amplifiers, six are wide-band using travel ling wave tube amplifiers. STC Although Comsat Corporation has broken off negotiations with potential partners in a direct television broadcast venture, RCA will continue to build two high- power direct broadcast satellites for Comsat subsidiary Satellite Television Corporation while the company seeks a lower-risk approach to DBS. FLIGHT International, 12 January 1985
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