Rainbow-1
Encyclopedia
Echostar 12, also known as Cablevision-1 and Rainbow-1, is a commercial communications satellite
in geosynchronous Earth orbit. It was launched on 17 July, 2003,as Rainbow-1, by an Atlas V
rocket from Cape Canaveral
, Florida
. Its original purpose was to transmit digital television
streams for the ill-fated Voom
high definition direct broadcast satellite
network.
Part of the AS 2100 series of commercial satellites, Rainbow-1 was constructed by the Lockheed Martin
corporation at an approximate cost of $100 million USD, although this amount has not been verified. It is solar powered, has an approximate mass
of 2760 kg (launch vehicle mass 4328 kg), and is capable of transmitting on the C-
and Ku bands
.
EchoStar (Dish Network
spin off) now owns the satellite (as it carried Voom HD Networks). The satellite was renamed Echostar 12 (or E*12) in March 2006.
EchoStar 12 is still in orbit and located at 61.5 degrees West longitude, over the Earth's Equator. It is currently being used for Dish Network HDTV television signals, transmitted using DVB, on the Ku band transponders. The satellite has lost some capability due to degradation of its solar power system.
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
in geosynchronous Earth orbit. It was launched on 17 July, 2003,as Rainbow-1, by an Atlas V
Atlas V
Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
rocket from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Its original purpose was to transmit digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
streams for the ill-fated Voom
Voom
Voom HD Networks was a group of 15 original high-definition television channels owned by Rainbow Media, a subsidiary of Cablevision. The channels were produced in true High Definition with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and were the largest suite of HD channels in the world...
high definition direct broadcast satellite
Direct broadcast satellite
Direct broadcast satellite is a term used to refer to satellite television broadcasts intended for home reception.A designation broader than DBS would be direct-to-home signals, or DTH. This has initially distinguished the transmissions directly intended for home viewers from cable television...
network.
Part of the AS 2100 series of commercial satellites, Rainbow-1 was constructed by the Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
corporation at an approximate cost of $100 million USD, although this amount has not been verified. It is solar powered, has an approximate mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
of 2760 kg (launch vehicle mass 4328 kg), and is capable of transmitting on the C-
C band
The C band is a name given to certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including wavelengths of microwaves that are used for long-distance radio telecommunications. The IEEE C-band - and its slight variations - contains frequency ranges that are used for many satellite communications...
and Ku bands
Ku band
The Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...
.
EchoStar (Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
spin off) now owns the satellite (as it carried Voom HD Networks). The satellite was renamed Echostar 12 (or E*12) in March 2006.
EchoStar 12 is still in orbit and located at 61.5 degrees West longitude, over the Earth's Equator. It is currently being used for Dish Network HDTV television signals, transmitted using DVB, on the Ku band transponders. The satellite has lost some capability due to degradation of its solar power system.