Horizons-1
| Names | Horizons-1 Galaxy 13 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communication |
| Operator | Intelsat/SKY Perfect JSAT Group |
| COSPAR ID | 2003-044A[1] |
| SATCAT no. | 27954[2] |
| Website | Intelsat Page JSAT Page Galaxy 13 Page |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Horizons-1 |
| Bus | BSS-601 |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Launch mass | 4,060 kg (8,950 lb) |
| BOL mass | 2,630 kg (5,800 lb) |
| Dimensions | 26.2 m × 7.0 m (86.0 ft × 23.0 ft) with solar panels and antennas deployed. |
| Power | 8.6 kW |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 04:03, October 1, 2003[3] |
| Rocket | Zenit-3SL |
| Launch site | Ocean Odyssey |
| Contractor | Sea Launch |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Regime | GEO |
| Longitude | 127°West |
| Transponders | |
| Band | Ku band: 24 (+8 spares) × 36 MHz C band: 24 (+8 spares) × 36 MHz |
| Bandwidth | 1,728 MHz |
| Coverage area | North America, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico |
| TWTA power | Ku band 108 W C band 40 W |
Horizons-1, also known as Galaxy 13, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT Group (JSAT) which was designed and manufactured by Boeing on the BSS-601 platform. It has Ku band and C band payload and was used to replace Galaxy 9 at the 127°West longitude.[4] It covers North America, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico.[5][2][6][7]
Satellite description
The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by Boeing on the BSS-601 satellite bus. It had a launch mass of 4,060 kg (8,950 lb) and a mass of 2,630 kg (5,800 lb) at the begging of its a 15-year design life. When stowed for launch, it measured 5.7 m (19 ft) of height and 2.7 m × 3.6 m (8 ft 10 in × 11 ft 10 in) on its sides. Its solar panels span 26.2 m (86 ft) when fully deployed and, with its antennas in fully extended configuration it is 7.0 m (23.0 ft) wide.[8]
It had two wings with four solar panels each that that used dual-junction GsAs solar cells. Its power system generated 9.9 kW of power at beginning of life and 8.9 kW at the end of its design life and had a 30-cell NiH battery for surviving solar eclipse.[8]
Its propulsion system was composed of an R-4D-11-300 LAE with a thrust of 490 N (110 lbf). It also used had 12 22 N (4.9 lbf) bipropellant thrusters for station keeping and attitude control. For North-South stationkeeping, its primary method was an electric propulsion system with four XIPS 13, with four of the chemical thrusters acting as backup. It included enough propellant for orbit circularization and 15 years of operation.[8][6]
It had two 107 in (2.7 m)* Gregorian antennas and 50 in (1.3 m)* two gridded shaped antennas.[8]
Its Ku band payload is composed of twenty four active plus eight spares 36 MHz transponders powered by TWTA with an output power of 108 Watts. It covers North America, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico and is known as Horizons-1.[8][9][6][10][11]
The C band payload had another twenty four plus eight spares 36 MHz transponders powered by 40 Watts TWTA. It covers North America, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico and is known as Galaxy 13, which was used to replace Galaxy 9.[12][13][8]
History
Horizons Satellite was originally an equal share joint venture with PanAmSat. On September 4, 2001, it ordered from Boeing its first satellite, Horizons-1/Galaxy 13.[4] It was a 4 t (4.4 tons) spacecraft with 24 C band and 24 Ku band transponders. It had a 10 kW power generation capacity and 15 years of expected life.[8]
On the same day of the satellite order, Boeing disclosed that it had received an parallel contract from PanAmSat, where the latter had excercised an existing option to launch Horizons-1 from its Sea Launch subsidiary.[14]
It was successfully launched on October 1, 2003 at 4:03 UTC, aboard a Zenit-3SL rocket from the Ocean Odyssey platform sationed at the 154°W over the Equator in the Pacific ocean.[5][15]
In late 2005 PanAmSat was taken over by Intelsat who continued the joint venture.
References
- ^ "Horizons 1". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ a b "Horizons 1". Satbeams. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ "Horizons 1". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ a b "Boeing to Build New Satellite for PanAmSat, JSAT Joint Venture". Boeing. September 4, 2001. Archived from the original on 2001-11-08. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
- ^ a b Krebs, Gunter Dirk (2016-08-28). "Galaxy 13 / Horizons 1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ a b c "Horizons-1". SKY Perfect JSAT Group. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ "Satellite Fleet JSAT". SKY Perfect JSAT Group. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Galaxy XIII/Horizons-1". Boeing Satellite Development Center. Archived from the original on 2010-02-07. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ "Horizons 1 at 127° W". Intelsat. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ "Who we are" (PDF). SSKY Perfect JSAT Group. 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ "Horizons 1". PanAmSat. Archived from the original on 2006-03-12. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
- ^ "Galaxy 13". PanAmSat. Archived from the original on 2006-03-12. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
- ^ "Galaxy 13 at 127° W". Intelsat. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
- ^ "PanAmSat Exercises Launch Option with Sea Launch". Boeing. September 4, 2001. Archived from the original on 2001-11-08. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
- ^ "The Successful Launch of Horizons-1". JSAT. Archived from the original on 2007-04-26. Retrieved 2016-08-30.