Badr-6, ProtoStar
1
Launched: 7 July 2008
Site: CSG Kourou,
French Guiana
Launcher: Ariane 5ECA
Name: ProtoStar 1
Orbit: GEO:
98.5° E
International Number: 2008-034A
Owner:
ProtoStar
Contractor: Space Systems/Loral
Name: Badr 6
Orbit: GEO:
26° E
International Number: 2008-034B
Owner: Arabsat
Contractor:
Astrium
Badr 6 is a commercial communications satellite owned and
operated by Arabsat.
ProtoStar 1 is a commercial communications
satellite.
About Badr-6
Badr-6 will be used by Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia-based, satellite operator Arabsat to provide Direct-to-Home broadcasting
as well as internet broadband services and HD TV broadcasting for the Middle
East and North Africa region. BADR-6 was produced jointly by EADS Astrium and
Thales Alenia Space, and is based on the Eurostar 2000+ platform.
The
3,350 kg Badr-6 spacecraft carries a mixed payload of 24 C-band and 20 Ku-band
transponders, and is designed for a lifetime of about 15 years.
Astrium
is the prime contractor for the BADR-6 satellite and responsible for the Launch
and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) operations as part of an in-orbit delivery
contract. Thales Alenia Space supplied the communications payload.
About
ProtoStar 1
ProtoStar I is based on Space Systems/Loral's 1300
spacecraft bus, and will provide K-Band/C-Band relay capacity over the Asian
region. It is the first in a fleet of satellites that Asian satellite services
ProtoStar plans to launch for advanced satellite television services and
powerful two-way broadband communications access. The spacecraft was designed
to meet the needs of both emerging and existing direct-to-home (DTH) operators
in Asia, as well as other broadband communication requirements in the region.
It weighed 4,200 kg at launch.
The ProtoStar I satellite carries twenty
two 36 MHz-equivalent Ku-band transponders and thirty eight 36MHz-equivalent
C-band transponders for operation from an orbital position of 98.5 deg.
East.
About ProtoStar
ProtoStar, a Bermuda corporation with
subsidiary operations in San Francisco, CA, and Singapore, was formed to
acquire and operate high-power geostationary satellites optimised for DTH
satellite television in the Asia-Pacific region. The firm is led by seasoned
veterans from the satellite, direct-to-home television, telecommunications and
finance industries.
About Space Systems/Loral
Based in Palo Alto,
California, SS/L designs and builds satellites and spacecraft systems for
commercial and government customers around the world. As the leading provider
of high-power commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite
operators to deliver spacecraft for a broad range of services including
direct-to-home television, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, and digital
multimedia broadcasting. With a 50-year history and more than 1,400 on-orbit
years logged, SS/L helps customers meet business objectives with advanced
solutions based on space-proven heritage designs.
About
Astrium
Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to
providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2007, Astrium had a
turnover of Euro 3.5 billion and 12,000 employees in France, Germany, the
United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are
Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, Astrium
Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment and its wholly owned subsidiary
Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services. EADS
is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2007, EADS
generated revenues of Euro 39.1 billion and employed a workforce of more than
116, 000.
(source: Arianespace, EADS Astrium)
