AMC-18
| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | SES Americom (2006-09) SES World Skies (2009-11) SES (2011-present) |
| COSPAR ID | 2006-054B |
| SATCAT no. | 29644 |
| Mission duration | 15 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | A2100A |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Launch mass | 2,081 kilograms (4,588 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 8 December 2006, 22:08 UTC[1] |
| Rocket | Ariane 5ECA V174 |
| Launch site | Kourou ELA-3 |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Longitude | 105° west |
| Perigee altitude | 35,777 kilometres (22,231 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 35,807 kilometres (22,249 mi) |
| Inclination | 0.03 degrees |
| Period | 23.93 hours |
| Epoch | 29 October 2013, 07:39:07 UTC[2] |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 24 C band |
| Bandwidth | 36 megahertz |
| Coverage area | North America Caribbean |
AMC-18 is a geostationary Lockheed Martin A2100A communications satellite owned by SES Americom. It was launched on December 8, 2006 from Kourou aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle and is situated at 105° west longitude, providing coverage of North America with twenty-four C band transponders of 12-18 watts each. Future users in May 2007 include The CW Television Network, NASA TV and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, among other services.
The spacecraft can deliver and receive signals from 50 states, the Caribbean and Mexico and has been designated as the third HD-PRIME satellite.
Originally built as a ground spare to the AMC-10 and AMC-11 satellite program, AMC-18 is optimized for digital television distribution from the center of the U.S. orbital arc.[3]
The satellite has an expected lifetime of at least 15 years.
Transponder details
| Amp type | SSPA, 20 watts |
|---|---|
| Amp Redundancy: | 16 for 12 |
| Receiver redundancy: | 4 for 2 |
| Coverage: | 50 state, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean |
References
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ "AMC-18 Satellite details 2006-054B NORAD 29644". N2YO. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ "AMC-18". SES.
External links
- AMC-18 information at LyngSat
- AMC-18 footprint(s) at SatBeams
- SES
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