MSAT

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MSAT, short for Mobile Satellite, is a satellite-based mobile telephony service developed by the National Research Council of Canada. Supported by a number of companies in the US and Canada, MSAT hosts a number of services, including the broadcast of CDGPS signals. The MSAT satellites were built by Hughes (now owned by Boeing) with a 3 kilowatt solar array power capacity, sufficient fuel for a design life of twelve years. TMI of Canada referred to its MSAT satellite as MSAT-1, while American Mobile Satellite Consortium (now Mobile Satellite Ventures) referred to its MSAT as AMSC-1, with each satellite providing backup for the other.

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[edit] History

  • April 7, 1995 - MSAT-2 (aka AMSC-1) launched from Cape Canaveral, Launch Complex 36, Pad A, aboard Atlas IIA[1]
  • May 1995 - testing causes overheating and damage to one of eight hybrid matrix amplifier output ports aboard MSAT-2[2]
  • April 20, 1996 - MSAT-1 launched from Kourou, French Guiana aboard Ariane 42P[3][4]
  • May 15, 1996 - Reported failures of two solid state power amplifiers (SSPAs) and one L-band receiver on separate occasions aboard MSAT-2.[2]
  • May 4, 2003 - MSAT-1 loses two power amplifiers.[5]

[edit] Phaseout

MSAT-1 and MSAT-2 have had their share of problems. Mobile Satellite Ventures placed the AMSC-1 satellite into a 2.5 degree inclined orbit operations mode in November of 2004, reducing station keeping fuel usage and extending the satellite's useful life.[6]

On January 11, 2006, Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSVLP) announced plans to launch a new generation of satellites (in a 3 satellite configuration) to replace the MSAT satellites by 2010. MSV has said that all old MSAT gear would be compatible with the new satellites.:[7][8]

  • MSV-1 (U.S.)
  • MSV-2 (Canada)
  • MSV-SA (South America)

[edit] Services Delivered via MSAT

The following services are singularly dependent upon the continued operation of the MSAT satellite:

  • CDGPS - a differential correction signal system for improved GPS navigation accuracy
  • Mobile Telephony - by Mobile Satellite Ventures
  • Fleet Dispatch and Trailer Tracking - by Geologic
  • Trailer Tracking - by Vistar (now owned by Transcore and operated as Globalwave)
  • Trailer Tracking - by SkyBitz
  • Fleet Dispatch - by Wireless Matrix
  • Fleet Management and Asset Tracking - by CES Wireless Technologies Corp., [1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Florida Today Space and Missile Launch Database. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
  2. ^ a b AMERICAN MOBILE SATELLITE CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES: Form 10-Q (2006-05-14). Retrieved on 2006-11-27.
  3. ^ MSAT-1 TO LAUNCH APRIL 20TH. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
  4. ^ Boeing: Chronology of Launches. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
  5. ^ Service Outage - November 30, 2003. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
  6. ^ MOTIENT CORP: Form S-1 (2005-11-03). Retrieved on 2006-11-27.
  7. ^ Mobile Satellite Ventures Engages Boeing To Develop Next Generation Satellites. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
  8. ^ Company Fact Sheet: Investor/Financial. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.

[edit] External links