SPACEWAY-1
Encyclopedia
Spaceway F1 is part of DirecTV
’s constellation
of direct broadcast satellite
s. The satellite was launched via a Zenit 3SL rocket from Sea Launch
’s Odyssey equatorial platform on April 26, 2005. Its operational position is in geosynchronous orbit
35800 kilometres (22,245.1 mi) above the equator
at 102.8 degrees west longitude
. SPACEWAY-1 is a Boeing 702
-model satellite with a 12-year life expectancy
. It is expected to provide high definition television to DirecTV customers with its Ka-band communications payload. DirecTV is not expected to make use of the broadband capabilities on SPACEWAY-1 even though it was originally built by Boeing for this purpose.
SPACEWAY-1 was the heaviest commercial communications satellite (13,400-lb
or 6,080-kg
) ever put into orbit until iPSTAR-1 (6,775 kg) was launched by Arianespace
on August 11, 2005.
DirecTV-10 is co-located with SPACEWAY-1 in order to use the 500 MHz of unused spectrum for HDTV broadcasting. This spectrum was originally intended for the broadband internet capabilities of the two SPACEWAY satellites which were disabled by Hughes at the request of DirecTV.
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
’s constellation
Satellite constellation
A group of artificial satellites working in concert is known as a satellite constellation. Such a constellation can be considered to be a number of satellites with coordinated ground coverage, operating together under shared control, synchronised so that they overlap well in coverage and...
of direct broadcast satellite
Direct broadcast satellite
Direct broadcast satellite is a term used to refer to satellite television broadcasts intended for home reception.A designation broader than DBS would be direct-to-home signals, or DTH. This has initially distinguished the transmissions directly intended for home viewers from cable television...
s. The satellite was launched via a Zenit 3SL rocket from Sea Launch
Sea Launch
Sea Launch is a spacecraft launch service that uses a mobile sea platform for equatorial launches of commercial payloads on specialized Zenit 3SL rockets...
’s Odyssey equatorial platform on April 26, 2005. Its operational position is in geosynchronous orbit
Geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period...
35800 kilometres (22,245.1 mi) above the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
at 102.8 degrees west longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
. SPACEWAY-1 is a Boeing 702
Boeing 702
Boeing 702 is a communications satellite design. The Boeing Satellite Development Center tailors the payload of each Boeing 702 to meet customer specifications based on a modular design but with usually more than seventy transponders....
-model satellite with a 12-year life expectancy
Life expectancy
Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
. It is expected to provide high definition television to DirecTV customers with its Ka-band communications payload. DirecTV is not expected to make use of the broadband capabilities on SPACEWAY-1 even though it was originally built by Boeing for this purpose.
SPACEWAY-1 was the heaviest commercial communications satellite (13,400-lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
or 6,080-kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
) ever put into orbit until iPSTAR-1 (6,775 kg) was launched by Arianespace
Arianespace
Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane 5 rocket launcher as part of the Ariane programme....
on August 11, 2005.
DirecTV-10 is co-located with SPACEWAY-1 in order to use the 500 MHz of unused spectrum for HDTV broadcasting. This spectrum was originally intended for the broadband internet capabilities of the two SPACEWAY satellites which were disabled by Hughes at the request of DirecTV.