| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | Hughes Network Systems |
| COSPAR ID | 2007-036A |
| SATCAT no. | 32018 |
| Mission duration | 12 years (planned) 18 years, 10 months, 19 days (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | BSS-702 |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Launch mass | 6075 kg |
| Dry mass | 3655 kg |
| Power | 12800 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 14 August 2007, 23:44:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Ariane 5 |
| Launch site | Kourou, ELA-3 |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| Entered service | October 2007 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 95.0° West |
| Transponders | |
| Band | Ka-band |
| Frequency | 500 MHz |
| Bandwidth | 10 Gbit/s |
| Coverage area | North America |
Spaceway-3 is a communications satellite which was launched on August 14, 2007, at 23:44:00 UTC. The third satellite in the Spaceway series, it includes a Ka-band communications payload.1 It is used by Hughes Network Systems to provide broadband Internet Protocol network service.
History
In March 2007, shortly after the failure of a Sea Launch rocket launch in January 2007, Hughes Network Systems switched launch of Spaceway-3 from a Zenit-3SL rocket to an Ariane 5 launch vehicle.23
Launch
Spaceway-3 was launched 14 August 2007 on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle with BSAT-3a.4 It lifted off at 23:44 UTC from ELA-3 of the Centre Spatial Guyanais. Five hours and 46 minutes later, signals from the spacecraft were successfully received at a ground station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa.5
References
References
- "Launch Kit" (PDF). Arianespace. 14 March 2007.
- "Hughes Signs Contract with Arianespace to Launch SPACEWAY 3". Hughes. 1 March 2007. Archived from the original on 3 March 2007.
- "Hughes Network Systems Awards SPACEWAY 3 Launch Contract to Sea Launch Company". Hughes. 8 December 2005. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
- "Arianespace boosts SPACEWAY 3 and BSAT-3a into orbit". Arianespace. Archived from the original on 19 October 2007.
- "Boeing-Built Spaceway 3 Satellite Operational after Successful Launch". Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. Archived from the original on 11 April 2008.