Superbird-C

Superbird-C, also known as Superbird-3 ^[5] or Superbird-A3,^[2] was a geostationary communications satellite ordered and operated by Space Communications Corporation (SCC) that was designed and manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications Company (now Boeing Satellite Systems) on the HS-601 satellite bus. It has a pure Ku-band payload and was used to fill the position at 144° East longitude. It provided television signals and business communications services throughout Japan, South Asia, East Asia, and Hawaii.^[2][6][7]

Superbird-C

Names	Superbird-3 Superbird-A3
Mission type	Communications
Operator	SKY Perfect JSAT Group
COSPAR ID	1997-036A [1]
SATCAT no.	24880 [2]
Mission duration	13 years (planned) 18 years (achieved)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Superbird-3
Spacecraft type	Superbird
Bus	BBS-601
Manufacturer	Hughes
Launch mass	3,130 kg (6,900 lb)
Dry mass	1,416 kg (3,122 lb)
Dimensions	26.2 m × 7.5 m × 4.9 m (86 ft × 25 ft × 16 ft) with solar panels and antennas deployed.
Power	4.5 kW
Start of mission
Launch date	28 July 1997, 01:15:01 UTC[1][3]
Rocket	Atlas IIAS (s/n AC-133)
Launch site	Cape Canaveral, LC-36B
Contractor	International Launch Services (ILS)
End of mission
Disposal	Graveyard orbit
Deactivated	2015
Last contact	2015
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit[4]
Regime	Geostationary orbit
Longitude	144° East
Transponders
Band	4 Ku-band × 54 Mhz 4 × 36 MHz and 16 × 27 MHz
Coverage area	Japan, South Asia, East Asia, Hawaii
TWTA power	90 watts
Superbird constellation ← Superbird-A1 Superbird-B2 →

Satellite description

The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by then Hughes Space and Communications Company (now Boeing Satellite Development Center) on the HS-601 satellite bus. It had a launch mass of 3,150 kg (6,940 lb), a dry mass of 1,416 kg (3,122 lb) and a 13-year design life. When stowed for launch, it measured 4 m × 3.8 m × 2.4 m (13.1 ft × 12.5 ft × 7.9 ft). It had two wings with four solar panels each, that generated 4.5 kW at the end of its design life. When fully deployed, the solar panels spanned 26.2 m (86 ft), with its antennas in fully extended configuration it was 7.5 m (25 ft) wide.^[6][7] It had a 29-cell NiH₂ battery with a power charge of 200 Ah.^[7]

Its propulsion system was composed of an R-4D-11-300 liquid apogee engine (LAE) with a thrust of 490 N (110 lb_f). It also used had 12 22 N (4.9 lb_f) bipropellant thrusters for station keeping and attitude control. It included enough propellant for orbit circularization and 13 years of operation.^[7]

Its payload is composed of two 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) dual-gridded reflectors and twenty four Ku-band transponders powered by a traveling-wave-tube amplifier (TWTA) with and output power of 90 watts. It can configure two 54 MHz transponders into one 114 MHz with an effective 180 watts.^[6][7]

The Ku-band footprint covered Japan, southern and eastern Asia, and Hawaii.^[7]

History

Space Communications Corporation (SCC) was founded in 1985, the same year as the original companies that later formed JSAT.^[8] SCC switched satellite suppliers and on 1995 ordered a satellite from Boeing, Superbird-C.^[6]

On 28 July 1997 at 01:15:01 UTC, Superbird-C was put into orbit by an Atlas IIAS launched from Cape Canaveral LC-36B.^[6]

Superbird-C was replaced by Superbird-C2 during 2008, in 2015 it was decommissioned.^[9]