MSAT
Encyclopedia
MSAT, short for Mobile Satellite, is a satellite
-based mobile telephony
service developed by the National Research Council of Canada
. Supported by a number of companies in the US
and Canada, MSAT hosts a number of services, including the broadcast of CDGPS signals. The MSAT satellites were built by Hughes (now owned by Boeing
) with a 3 kilowatt solar array power capacity and sufficient fuel for a design life of twelve years. TMI of Canada referred to its MSAT satellite as MSAT-1, while American Mobile Satellite Consortium (now SkyTerra) referred to its MSAT as AMSC-1, with each satellite providing backup for the other.
operations mode in November 2004, reducing station keeping fuel usage and extending the satellite's useful life.
On January 11, 2006, Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSVLP) (now SkyTerra) announced plans to launch a new generation of satellites (in a 3 satellite configuration) to replace the MSAT satellites by 2010. MSV has said that all old MSAT gear would be compatible with the new satellites.
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
-based mobile telephony
Mobile telephony
Mobile telephony is the provision of telephone services to phones which may move around freely rather than stay fixed in one location. Mobile phones connect to a terrestrial cellular network of base stations , whereas satellite phones connect to orbiting satellites...
service developed by the National Research Council of Canada
National Research Council of Canada
The National Research Council is an agency of the Government of Canada which conducts scientific research and development.- History :...
. Supported by a number of companies in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada, MSAT hosts a number of services, including the broadcast of CDGPS signals. The MSAT satellites were built by Hughes (now owned by Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
) with a 3 kilowatt solar array power capacity and sufficient fuel for a design life of twelve years. TMI of Canada referred to its MSAT satellite as MSAT-1, while American Mobile Satellite Consortium (now SkyTerra) referred to its MSAT as AMSC-1, with each satellite providing backup for the other.
History
- April 7, 1995 - MSAT-2 (aka AMSC-1) launched from Cape CanaveralCape Canaveral Air Force StationCape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
, Launch Complex 36, Pad A, aboard Atlas IIAAtlas IIAtlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. Atlas II was the last Atlas to use a three engine, "stage-and-a-half" design: two of its three engines were jettisoned during ascent, but its fuel tanks and other... - May 1995 - testing causes overheating and damage to one of eight hybrid matrix amplifier output ports aboard MSAT-2
- April 20, 1996 - MSAT-1 launched from Kourou, French Guiana aboard Ariane 42PAriane (rocket)Ariane is a series of a European civilian expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. The name comes from the French spelling of the mythological character Ariadne....
- May 15, 1996 - Reported failures of two solid state power amplifiers (SSPAs) and one L-band receiver on separate occasions aboard MSAT-2.
- May 4, 2003 - MSAT-1 loses two power amplifiers.
Phaseout
MSAT-1 and MSAT-2 have had their share of problems. Mobile Satellite Ventures placed the AMSC-1 satellite into a 2.5 degree inclined orbitInclined orbit
A satellite is said to occupy an inclined orbit around the Earth if the orbit exhibits an angle other than zero degrees with the equatorial plane. This angle is called the orbit's inclination...
operations mode in November 2004, reducing station keeping fuel usage and extending the satellite's useful life.
On January 11, 2006, Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSVLP) (now SkyTerra) announced plans to launch a new generation of satellites (in a 3 satellite configuration) to replace the MSAT satellites by 2010. MSV has said that all old MSAT gear would be compatible with the new satellites.
- MSV-1 (U.S.)
- MSV-2 (Canada)
- MSV-SA (South America)
Services Delivered via MSAT
The following services are singularly dependent upon the continued operation of the MSAT satellite:- CDGPS - a differential correction signal system for improved GPS navigation accuracy
- Mobile Telephony - by Mobile Satellite Ventures
- Fleet Dispatch and Trailer Tracking - by XATA
- Trailer Tracking - by SkyWave Mobile CommunicationsSkyWave Mobile CommunicationsSkyWave Mobile Communications is a satellite telematics company that provides satellite transceivers, dual-mode satellite/GPRS terminals and satellite network services for global tracking, monitoring, and control of mobile and stationary assets...
- Trailer Tracking - by SkyBitzSkybitzSkyBitz, based in Sterling, Virginia, is a United States company that offers a trailer tracking service.-Business:Based just outside of Washington, DC, SkyBitz provides products to track unpowered assets such as tractor-trailers, intermodal containers, rail cars, power generators, and heavy...
- Fleet Dispatch - by Wireless Matrix
- Fleet Management and Asset Tracking - by CES Wireless Technologies Corp., http://www.ceswireless.com
- EMERGNET - by GlentelGlentelGlentel is the largest independent mobile phone retailer in Canada. The company has three operating divisions - Canadian Retail, American Retail, and a business division.-Retail Division:...