AsiaSat 5 is a Hong Kong communications satellite, which is operated by the Hong Kong based Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company (AsiaSat). It is positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 100.5° East of the Greenwich Meridian, where it replaced the AsiaSat 2 satellite.[2] It is used to provide fixed satellite services, including broadcasting, telephone and broadband very small aperture terminal (VSAT) communications, to Asia and the Pacific Ocean region.[3]

Background

The launch was originally scheduled to be conducted by Land Launch (SSL-1300LL satellite bus), using a Zenit-3SLB launch vehicle. The satellite was subsequently re-awarded to ILS after Land Launch were unable to guarantee that the satellite could be launched by August 2009, in order to be in orbit before AsiaSat 2 ceased operations.[4][5]

Satellite description

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), announced in May 2005 that it has been chosen by AsiaSat. At launch, AsiaSat 5 had a mass of 3,760 kg (8,290 lb),[6] and was expected to operate for fifteen years. It carries 26 C-band and 14 Ku-band transponders.[2]

Launch

AsiaSat 5 was built by Space Systems/Loral, and is based on the LS-1300XS satellite bus.[3] It is being launched by International Launch Services (ILS), using a Proton-M launch vehicle with a Briz-M upper stage. The launch was conducted from Site 200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, at 19:47:33 UTC on 11 August 2009. The Briz-M separated from the Proton-M nine minutes and forty one seconds into the flight, and AsiaSat 5 will separate from the Briz-M into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) nine hours and fifteen minutes after liftoff.[6] It will then raise itself into its final geostationary orbit.

See also

References

  1. ^ "ASIASAT 5". N2YO.com. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Satellite Fleet - AsiaSat 5". AsiaSat. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b Krebs, Gunter (11 December 2017). "AsiaSat 5, 7 / Thaicom 6A". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  4. ^ "ILS Announces 9 New Proton Missions in First Half of 2009". Reuters. 15 June 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  5. ^ Clark, Stephen (3 April 2009). "Multi-tasking satellite deployed by 50th ILS Proton". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Mission Overview - AsiaSat 5" (PDF). International Launch Services. Retrieved 2 August 2009.