JCSAT-3 was a geostationary communications satellite designed and manufactured by Hughes (now Boeing ) on the HS-601 satellite bus . It was originally ordered by JSAT Corporation , which later merged into the SKY Perfect JSAT Group . It has a mixed Ku-band and C-band payload and operated on the 128° East longitude until it was replaced by JCSAT-3A . ^[2]

Satellite description [ edit ]

The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by Hughes on the HS-601 satellite bus. It had a launch mass of 3,105 kg (6,845 lb), a dry mass of 1,841 kg (4,059 lb) and a 12-year design life. When stowed for launch, its dimensions were 2.8 m × 4.9 m × 3.8 m (9 ft 2 in × 16 ft 1 in × 12 ft 6 in). With its solar panels fully extended it spanned 26.2 m (86 ft), and its width when its antennas were fully deployed was 7.5 m (25 ft). ^[2] Its power system generated approximately 5 kW of power thanks to two wings with four solar panels each. ^{[2] [3]} It also had a single NiH ₂ battery composed of 30 cells and a 200 Ah charge. ^[2] It would serve as the main satellite on the 128° East longitude position of the JSAT fleet . ^[2]

Its propulsion system was composed of an R-4D-11-300 liquid apogee engine (LAE) with a thrust of 490 N (110 lb _f ). It also used had 12 22 N (4.9 lb _f ) bipropellant thrusters for station keeping and attitude control . It included enough propellant for orbit circularization and 12 years of operation. ^[2]

Its payload is composed of four octagonal antenna fed by twelve 36 MHz and sixteen 27 MHz Ku-band plus twelve 27 MHz C-band transponders for a total bandwidth of 1296 MHz. ^[2] The Ku-band transponders have a TWTA output power of 63 watts while the twelve C-band transponders have 34 watts of power. ^[2]

History [ edit ]

In 1993, Japan Communications Satellite Company and Satellite Japan Corporation merged to form Japan Satellite Systems Inc. (JCSAT). ^[4] That same year, JCSAT ordered JCSAT-3, a third satellite from Hughes, but this time using the HS-601 platform. ^[2] In 1995, JCSAT obtained a license for international service, and thus became a regional operator. ^[4]

On 29 August 1995 at 00:53:02 UTC , an Atlas IIAS launching from Cape Canaveral LC-36B successfully launched JCSAT-3 into orbit. It was positioned into the 128° East orbital longitude. ^[2]

On 20 April 2004, JSAT ordered a second satellite from Lockheed Martin , JCSAT-10 . Based on the A2100-AX satellite bus, it would have a C-band and Ku-band payload and was expected to replace JCSAT-3 at the 128° East orbital longitude after its planned 2006 launch. ^[5] On 11 August 2006, an Ariane 5 ECA launched JCSAT-10 (JCSAT-3A) along Syracuse-3B into a transfer orbit. Upon successful deployment at 128° East longitude, it was renamed JCSAT-3A. ^[6] In March 2007, JCSAT-3 was retired and decommissioned. ^{[7] [8]}

References [ edit ]