Satmex 6
Encyclopedia
Satmex 6 is a Mexican
geostationary
communications satellite
which is operated by Satmex
. It was launched in 2006, and is used to provide communications services to the Americas
, Hawaii
and the Caribbean
.
Constructed by Space Systems/Loral, Satmex 6 is based on the LS-1300X satellite bus
. It is equipped with 36 G/H band (IEEE C band) and 24 J band (IEEE Ku-band) transponder
s, and at launch it had a mass of 5456 kilograms (12,028.4 lb), with an expected operational lifespan of 15 years.
Arianespace
was contracted to launch Satmex 6, using an Ariane 5ECA
carrier rocket flying from ELA-3
at the Guiana Space Centre. The launch occurred at 21:09 GMT on 27 May 2006, and placed Satmex 6, along with the Thaicom 5
satellite, into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. At the time, this was the heaviest dual-satellite payload ever launched to geostationary transfer orbit.
Following launch, the satellite raised its own orbit by means of an onboard apogee motor. At 18:33 GMT on 31 May, it was injected into geostationary orbit
. It was subsequently tested, and positioned at a longitude
of 113° West for operational service.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
geostationary
Geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero. An object in a geostationary orbit appears motionless, at a fixed position in the sky, to ground observers...
communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
which is operated by Satmex
Satmex
Satmex is a commercial company from Mexico that operates space satellites that provide services to the Americas.-History:...
. It was launched in 2006, and is used to provide communications services to the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
Constructed by Space Systems/Loral, Satmex 6 is based on the LS-1300X satellite bus
Satellite bus
A satellite bus or spacecraft bus is the general model on which multiple-production satellite spacecraft are often based. The bus is the infrastructure of a spacecraft, usually providing locations for the payload .They are most commonly used for geosynchronous satellites, particularly...
. It is equipped with 36 G/H band (IEEE C band) and 24 J band (IEEE Ku-band) transponder
Transponder
In telecommunication, the term transponder has the following meanings:...
s, and at launch it had a mass of 5456 kilograms (12,028.4 lb), with an expected operational lifespan of 15 years.
Arianespace
Arianespace
Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane 5 rocket launcher as part of the Ariane programme....
was contracted to launch Satmex 6, using an Ariane 5ECA
Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales...
carrier rocket flying from ELA-3
ELA-3
ELA-3, short for Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 3 , is a launch pad and associated facilities at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guyana. ELA-3 is operated by Arianespace as part of the expendable launch system for Ariane 5 rockets...
at the Guiana Space Centre. The launch occurred at 21:09 GMT on 27 May 2006, and placed Satmex 6, along with the Thaicom 5
Thaicom 5
Thaicom 5 is a Thai geostationary communications satellite which is operated by Thaicom, and previously Shin Satellite. It is used to provide communications services to Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia....
satellite, into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. At the time, this was the heaviest dual-satellite payload ever launched to geostationary transfer orbit.
Following launch, the satellite raised its own orbit by means of an onboard apogee motor. At 18:33 GMT on 31 May, it was injected into geostationary orbit
Geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero. An object in a geostationary orbit appears motionless, at a fixed position in the sky, to ground observers...
. It was subsequently tested, and positioned at a longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
of 113° West for operational service.