BSAT-2b

BSAT-2b, was a geostationary communications satellite ordered by B-SAT which was designed and manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation on the STAR-1 platform. It was designed to be stationed on the 110° East orbital slot along its companion BSAT-2a where it would provide redundant high definition direct television broadcasting across Japan.^[3][4]

BSAT-2b

Mission type	Communication
Operator	B-SAT
COSPAR ID	2001-029B[1]
SATCAT no.	26864
Mission duration	Launch failure
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	BSAT-2b
Bus	STAR-1[2]
Manufacturer	Orbital Sciences Corporation
Launch mass	1,317 kg (2,903 lb)
Dry mass	535 kg (1,179 lb)
Dimensions	3.76 m × 2.49 m × 2.03 m (12.3 ft × 8.2 ft × 6.7 ft)
Power	2.6 kW
Start of mission
Launch date	23:58, July 12, 2001 (UTC) (2001-07-12T23:58:00Z) (failure)[1]
Rocket	Ariane 5G V-142
Launch site	Guiana Space Center ELA-3
Contractor	Arianespace
End of mission
Disposal	Decayed from wrong orbit
Decay date	January 28, 2014 (2014-01-28)
Transponders
Band	4 (plus 4 spares) Ku band
TWTA power	130 Watts
B-SAT ← BSAT-2a BSAT-2c →

But the Ariane 5G rocket had an anomaly during its July 12, 2001 launch. It left BSAT-2b stranded in an orbit too low for its propulsion system to compensate and the spacecraft was written off.^[5][6][1] BSAT ordered BSAT-2c immediately to replace it.^[7] It decayed and burned in the atmosphere on January 28, 2014.^[1][8]

Satellite description

BSAT-2b was designed and manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation on the STAR-1 satellite bus for B-SAT. It had a launch mass of 1,317 kg (2,903 lb), a dry mass of 927 kg (2,044 lb), and a 10-year design life.^[9] As all four STAR-1 satellites, it had a solid rocket Star 30CBP apogee kick motor for orbit raising, plus 200 kg (440 lb) of propellant for its liquid propellant station keeping thrusters.^[4][2][10]

It measured 3.76 m × 2.49 m × 2.03 m (12.3 ft × 8.2 ft × 6.7 ft) when stowed for launch. Its dual wing solar panels can generate 2.6 kW of power at the beginning of its design life, and span 16.10 m (52.8 ft) when fully deployed.^[9]

It has a single K_u band payload with four active transponders plus four spares with a TWTA output power of 130 Watts.^[3][9]

History

In March 1999, B-SAT ordered from Orbital Sciences Corporation two satellites based on the STAR-1 platform: BSAT-2a and BSAT-2b.^[7] This was the second order of the bus and the first since Orbital had acquired CTA Space Systems, the original developer.^[2]

BSAT-2b was launched aboard an Ariane 5G at 23:58 UTC, July 12, 2001, from Guiana Space Center ELA-3.^[5] It rode on the lower berth below Artemis. But the EPS upper stage had an anomaly and left the satellites on a 17,528 km × 592 km × 2.9° orbit, short of the planned 35,853 km × 858 km × 2.0°. While Artemis used its electric propulsion to make up for the difference. But BSAT-2b Star 30CBP apogee kick motor could not make up for the orbital energy short fall and was written off.^[6][1][7]

On January 28, 2014, BSAT-2b decayed from its orbit and burned in the atmosphere.^[1][8]