SBS 3 (satellite)

SBS 3 was a geostationary communications satellite designed and manufactured by Hughes (now Boeing) on the HS-376 platform. It was ordered by Satellite Business Systems, which later sold it to Hughes Communications. It had a K_u band payload and operated on the 94°W longitude.^[3]

SBS 3

SBS 3 with PAM-D stage
Mission type	Communications
Operator	SBS
COSPAR ID	1982-110B[1]
SATCAT no.	13651
Mission duration	12 years, 6 months and 21 days (achieved) 42 years, 9 months (in orbit)
Spacecraft properties
Bus	HS-376
Manufacturer	Hughes Space and Communications
Launch mass	1,117 kilograms (2,463 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	11 November 1982, 12:19 (1982-11-11UTC12:19Z) UTC
Rocket	Space Shuttle Columbia STS-5
Launch site	Kennedy LC-39A
Contractor	NASA
End of mission
Disposal	Decommissioned
Deactivated	June 02, 1995 (1995-06-03)
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Geostationary
Longitude	94° W[2]
Eccentricity	0.73391
Perigee altitude	294 kilometres (183 mi)
Apogee altitude	37,127 kilometres (23,070 mi)
Inclination	23.7°
Period	659.1 minutes
Epoch	November 11, 1982
Transponders
Band	14 Ku band

Satellite description

The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by Hughes on the HS-376 satellite bus. It had a launch mass of 1,117 kg (2,463 lb), a geostationary orbit and a 7-year design life.^[4]

History

On November 11, 1982, SBS 3 was finally launched by a Space Shuttle Columbia in the mission STS-5 from Kennedy Space Center at 12:19 UTC. The satellite was launched along with the Canadian communications satellite Anik C3.

On 2 June 1995, SBS 3 was finally decommissioned and put on a graveyard orbit.^[3]

See also

• Spaceflight portal

• 1982 in spaceflight