AMC-3

For the ship, see USS Plover (AMc-3).

AMC-3 (formerly GE-3) is a commercial broadcast communications satellite owned by SES (and formerly GE Americom, then SES Americom, then SES World Skies). Launched on 4 September 1997, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, AMC-3 is a hybrid C-band / Ku-band satellite. It provides coverage to Canada, United States, Mexico, Caribbean. Located in a geostationary orbit parallel to the Yucatán Peninsula and Great Lakes, AMC-3 provides service to commercial and government customers, with programming distribution, satellite news gathering and broadcast internet capabilities.^[2][6]

AMC-3

Names	GE-3 (1997-2001) AMC-3 (2001-present) Eagle-1 (2017-present)
Mission type	Communications[1]
Operator	GE Americom (1997-2001) SES Americom (2001-2009) SES World Skies (2009-2011) SES (2011-present)
COSPAR ID	1997-050A
SATCAT no.	24936
Mission duration	15 years (planned) [2] 27 years, 8 months, 4 days (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	GE-3
Spacecraft type	Lockheed Martin A2100
Bus	LM A2100A[3]
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin
Launch mass	2,845 kg (6,272 lb) [4]
Dry mass	1,300 kg (2,900 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	4 September 1997, 12:03:00 UTC[1]
Rocket	Atlas IIAS[4]
Launch site	Cape Canaveral, LC-36A[4]
Contractor	Lockheed Martin
Entered service	1997
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit[5]
Regime	Geostationary orbit
Longitude	72° West
Transponders
Band	48 transponders: 24 C-band 24 Ku-band[2]
Coverage area	Canada, United States, Mexico, Caribbean[2]
SES constellation ← AMC-2 AMC-4 →

Eagle-1

In January 2017, the AMC-3 Ku-band payload was sold to Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE), a provider of satellite-based connectivity and media to mobility markets, such as passenger aircraft. GEE purchased all the capacity on the satellite to support aeronautical customers, in particular Southwest Airlines, the company's largest customer, and rebranded the satellite as Eagle-1. The satellite remains under the control of SES S.A.^[7]