Thaicom 5
Thaicom 5 was a geostationary communications satellite operated by Thaicom. It was used to provide communications services to Asia, Africa, Middle East, Americas, Europe and Australia.[2]
| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | Thaicom |
| COSPAR ID | 2006-020B |
| SATCAT no. | 29163 |
| Mission duration | 12 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Spacebus 3000A |
| Manufacturer | Alcatel Alenia Space |
| Launch mass | 2,800 kilograms (6,200 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 27 May 2006, 21:09 UTC |
| Rocket | Ariane 5ECA |
| Launch site | Kourou ELA-3 |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Longitude | 78.5° East |
| Perigee altitude | 35,777 kilometres (22,231 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 35,796 kilometres (22,243 mi) |
| Inclination | 0 degrees |
| Period | 24 hours |
| Epoch | 27 May 2006, 17:09:00 UTC[1] |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 25 C band 14 Ku band |
Overview
Thaicom 5 was constructed by Alcatel Alenia Space, and is based on the Spacebus 3000A satellite bus, with a configuration identical to the Thaicom 3 satellite which it replaced. It was originally ordered as Thaicom 4, but sold to Agrani as Agrani 2 before completion. It was completed in 1997, and stored until June 2005 when it was cancelled and sold back to Thaicom. It was equipped with 25 G/H band (IEEE C band) and 14 J band (IEEE Ku band) transponders, and at launch it had a mass of 2,800 kilograms (6,200 lb), with an expected operational lifespan of 12 years.[3][4]
Thaicom 5 began experiencing technical difficulties in December 2019, causing Thaicom to duplicate some channels, including Korean Central Television, to neighboring satellites.[5]
Launch
The satellite was launched on an Ariane 5ECA carrier rocket, contracted by Arianespace, flying from ELA-3 at the Guiana Space Centre. The launch occurred at 21:09 UTC on 27 May 2006, and placed Thaicom 5, along with the Mexican Satmex 6 spacecraft, into geosynchronous transfer orbit.[6] At the time, it was the heaviest dual-satellite payload ever launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit,[7] however, this record has since been broken.
Following launch, Thaicom 5 raised itself into geostationary orbit using an S400 engine, with insertion occurring on 3 June 2006.[8] It underwent on-orbit testing, and was positioned at a longitude of 78.5° East for operational service, where it replaced the failing Thaicom 3 satellite.[2] On 2 October 2006, after Thaicom 5 had become operational, Thaicom 3 was moved to a graveyard orbit.
References
- "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Trajectory Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
- "THAICOM 5". Satellites. Thaicom Public Company Limited. Archived from the original on 2013-05-21. Retrieved 2013-04-09.
- "UCS Satellite Database". Union of Concerned Scientists. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
- Krebs, Gunter. "THAICOM 3, 5". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
- Williams, Martyn (February 5, 2020). "KCTV appears on Chinese satellite". Archived from the original on February 5, 2020.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
- Launch Webcast. Arianespace. 2006-05-27.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Index". Geostationary Orbit Catalog. Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
External links
- International Media Switzerland Official provider's site