Túpac Katari 1

Túpac Katari 1 or TKSat-1 is a telecommunications satellite that the government of Bolivia outsourced to People's Republic of China (PRC) to serve telecommunications in Bolivia, such as mobile, television and Internet use.^[1]

It was launched into orbit on 20 December 2013 from the Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, China,^[2] with a trial period of a little over three months, and commercial operation starting in March 2014.^[3]

It was built on behalf of the Bolivian Space Agency. The China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), was responsible for the construction (using French, German and USA technology), launch and orbit of the satellite.^[4][5]

The satellite is named after 18th century Bolivian independence activist Túpac Katari.^[6]

Technical issues

The satellite is geostationary and parked at 87.2° W, at a distance of 36,000 kilometers from equator;^[7] two-way voice communications are subject to latency.

The estimated useful life is 15 years;^[8] having been launched in 2013, it should be deactivated in 2028.

Cost and revenue

The satellite had a cost of around $300 million, of which $251 million was a loan from the China Development Bank (CDB) to the government of Bolivia, and the rest was paid by the government of Bolivia.^[9]

From launch to August 2017, the satellite generated revenue of $60 million. The Bolivian Space Agency said the satellite was not a business, but instead its purpose was to increase access to communications. Running expenses were not disclosed.^[10]

See also

• Spaceflight portal

• 2013 in spaceflight
• Bolivia-People's Republic of China relations