NigComSat-1
| Operator | NigComSat/Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited |
|---|---|
| Major contractors | CGWIC |
| Bus | DFH-4 |
| Mission type | Communication |
| Satellite of | Earth |
| Launch date | 13 May 2007, 16:01 GMT |
| Carrier rocket | Long March 3B |
| Mission duration | Planned: 15 years Achieved: 18 months |
| COSPAR ID | 2007-018A |
| Homepage | NigComSat |
| Mass | 5,150 kg |
| Orbital elements | |
| Regime | GSO |
| Inclination | 0.1° (1) |
| Apoapsis | 35,789 kilometres (22,238 mi) (1) |
| Periapsis | 35,782 kilometres (22,234 mi) (1) |
| Orbital period | 24 hours |
| Longitude | 42.5oE (1) |
| References: 1[1] | |
NigComSat-1 was a Nigerian communication satellite. The initial contract to build the satellite was signed in 2004. It became the first African geosynchronous communication satellite, when it was launched at 16:01 GMT on 13 May 2007, aboard a Chinese Long March 3B carrier rocket, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China. The spacecraft was operated by NigComSat Nigerian Communication Satellite Ltd. On November 11, 2008, NigComSat-1 failed in orbit after running out of power due to an anomaly in its solar array.
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[edit] Launch
The satellite, which is the third Nigerian satellite to be placed into orbit, was launched into a geosynchronous transfer orbit and subsequently it was successfully inserted into a geosynchronous orbit, positioned at 42.5oE. It had a launch mass of 5,150 kg, and had an expected service life of 15 years.
[edit] Specifications
It was based on the Chinese DFH-4 satellite bus, and carries a variety of transponders:
It design was to provide coverage to many parts of Africa, and the Ka-band transponders would also cover Italy.
[edit] China's satellite export business
NigcomSat-1 represented a milestone for China’s satellite export business. For the first time the China Great Wall Industry Corporation provided all aspects of in-orbit delivery of a satellite to an international customer. This included satellite manufacture, launch services, ground station construction, project financing, insurance and training.[2]
[edit] Failure and replacement
On 10 November 2008 (0900 GMT), the satellite was reportedly switched off for analysis and to avoid a possible collision with other satellites. According to Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, it was put into "emergency mode operation in order to effect mitigation and repairs".[3] The satellite eventually failed after losing power on 11 November 2008.
On March 24, 2009, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, NigComSat Ltd. and CGWIC signed a further contract for the in-orbit delivery of the NigComSat-1R satellite. NigComSat-1R is also a DFH-4 satellite with improvments over the previous satellite, and was delivered in the fourth quarter of 2011 as a replacement for the failed NigComSat-1. It was successfully launched on December 19, 2011.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Encyclopedia Astronautica - CZ-3B
- ^ "CGWIC News". CGWIC. http://www.cgwic.com/news/index.html.
- ^ "'Technical problems' shut down Nigerian satellite". AFP. 2008-11-12. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g4S4e2LVeoER0jCP79S0gw3tjp7A.
- ^ http://www.cgwic.com/In-OrbitDelivery/CommunicationsSatellite/Program/NigComSat-1.html
