Palapa-D
Encyclopedia
Palapa-D, also known as Palapa D1, is an Indonesia
n geostationary communications satellite
which is operated by Indosat
. It was built by Thales Alenia Space
, based on the Spacebus-4000B3
satellite bus
, and carries thirty five G/H band and five J band transponders (US IEEE C and Ku bands respectively). It is intended to be positioned in geostationary orbit
at a longitude
of 113º East, where it will replace the Palapa C2 satellite.
Indosat ordered Palapa-D from Thales Alenia Space in 2007. The satellite was built without using American
components, and was therefore not restricted by US International Traffic in Arms Regulations
, which allowed the China Great Wall Industry Corporation to be selected as a launch service provider
.
rocket, flying from Launch Area 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre was used to launch Palapa-D. A problem with the third stage of its carrier rocket left it in an incorrect orbit, which was subsequently corrected using the spacecraft's onboard propulsion system.
After launch, Palapa-D was to have separated from its carrier rocket into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, however one of its two identical upper-stage engines failed to deliver the necessary thrust, resulting in it reaching a lower orbit than planned. The 400 newton apogee motor of the satellite was subsequently used, in a non-nominally mode to raise it into geostationary orbit.
on 9 September. It underwent on-orbit testing, and arrived at its orbital slot of 113º East in mid-September. After completing its testing, it is now being used to provide communications to Asia
and Australia
.
Palapa-D was built with a design life of fifteen years, but due to the expenditure of fuel during maneuvers to correct its orbit, it is expected to have enough fuel for about ten years of operations, according to Reynald Seznec
, President of Thales Alenia Space.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n geostationary communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
which is operated by Indosat
Indosat
PT Indosat Tbk., formerly known as PT Indonesian Satellite Corporation Tbk. is a provider of telecommunication services in Indonesia. It is the third largest telecommunication company for mobile services in Indonesia after defeat by XL Axiata...
. It was built by Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space is an aerospace company born after the Thales Group bought the participation of Alcatel in the two joint-ventures between Alcatel and Finmeccanica, Alcatel Alenia Space and Telespazio.-History:...
, based on the Spacebus-4000B3
Spacebus
Spacebus is a satellite bus produced at the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center in France by Thales Alenia Space. Spacebuses are typically used for geostationary communications satellites, and fifty-two have been launched since development started in the 1980s. Spacebus was originally produced by...
satellite bus
Satellite bus
A satellite bus or spacecraft bus is the general model on which multiple-production satellite spacecraft are often based. The bus is the infrastructure of a spacecraft, usually providing locations for the payload .They are most commonly used for geosynchronous satellites, particularly...
, and carries thirty five G/H band and five J band transponders (US IEEE C and Ku bands respectively). It is intended to be positioned in geostationary orbit
Geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero. An object in a geostationary orbit appears motionless, at a fixed position in the sky, to ground observers...
at a 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 ....
of 113º East, where it will replace the Palapa C2 satellite.
Indosat ordered Palapa-D from Thales Alenia Space in 2007. The satellite was built without using American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
components, and was therefore not restricted by US International Traffic in Arms Regulations
International Traffic in Arms Regulations
International Traffic in Arms Regulations is a set of United States government regulations that control the export and import of defense-related articles and services on the United States Munitions List...
, which allowed the China Great Wall Industry Corporation to be selected as a launch service provider
Launch Service Provider
A Launch Service Provider is a type of company which specialises in launching spacecraft. It is responsible for the ordering, conversion, or construction of the carrier rocket, assembly and stacking, payload integration, and ultimately conducting the launch itself...
.
Launch
A Long March 3BLong March 3B
The Long March 3B , also known as the Chang Zheng 3B, CZ-3B and LM-3B, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre...
rocket, flying from Launch Area 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre was used to launch Palapa-D. A problem with the third stage of its carrier rocket left it in an incorrect orbit, which was subsequently corrected using the spacecraft's onboard propulsion system.
After launch, Palapa-D was to have separated from its carrier rocket into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, however one of its two identical upper-stage engines failed to deliver the necessary thrust, resulting in it reaching a lower orbit than planned. The 400 newton apogee motor of the satellite was subsequently used, in a non-nominally mode to raise it into geostationary orbit.
Recovery and operations
On 3 September, the satellite's orbit was adjusted, placing it into a geostationary transfer orbit. It reached geostationary orbitGeostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero. An object in a geostationary orbit appears motionless, at a fixed position in the sky, to ground observers...
on 9 September. It underwent on-orbit testing, and arrived at its orbital slot of 113º East in mid-September. After completing its testing, it is now being used to provide communications to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Palapa-D was built with a design life of fifteen years, but due to the expenditure of fuel during maneuvers to correct its orbit, it is expected to have enough fuel for about ten years of operations, according to Reynald Seznec
Reynald Seznec
Reynald Seznec is the President and CEO of the Franco-Italian company Thales Alenia Space since 2008, succeeding to Pascale Sourisse in the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center.-External links:*...
, President of Thales Alenia Space.