| Country of Origin: | Philippines |
| Major contractors: | Space Systems/Loral |
| Application: | Communication |
| Satellite of: | Earth |
| Launch: | August 19, 1997 |
| Launch vehicle: | Long March 3B |
| Mass: | 2,820 kg (6,200 lb) |
| NSSDC ID: | 1997-042A |
| Webpage: | Agila 2 webpage |
| Orbit: | Geostationary orbit 146°E |
Agila 2 (also known as Mabuhay 1 and ABS-5 after being acquired by Asia Broadcast Satellite), named after the critically endangered Philippine eagle,[1] is a communications satellite launched in 1997. It provides telecommunications services for the Mabuhay Philippines Satellite Corporation. It is the first Filipino space satellite. Built by Space Systems/Loral, the satellite provides the most powerful coverage in the Asia-Pacific region. Its control station is located at the Subic Space Center in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.[2] The spacecraft was launched by the Long March 3B in its first successful flight and currently orbits at 146°E longitude.[3]
ABS Satellite is currently drifting Agila 2 (ABS-5) to the 3°W orbital slot [4] and renaming it ABS-3.[5] It's expected to enter service in December of 2011.[6]
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It contains 30 C-band transponders at 27 watts and 24 Ku-band transponders at 110 watts, combinable to 12 high-power 220-watt transponders. Total dc power at End of Life (EOL) will be more than 8200 watts. The combination provides a power-to-mass ratio of 5-to-1, making Mabuhay one of the most efficient satellites in the industry.[7] A single Agila 2 satellite transmits more than 190 channels of high-fidelity digital programming to cable companies and home satellite dishes, along with the capability to handle more than 50,000 simultaneous two-way telephone conversations.[7]
Agila 2 is a joint venture of Mabuhay Satellite Corporation and various companies from the People's Republic of China, Indonesia and the Philippines, namely, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), High Rise Realty Development Corporation, Pilipino Telephone Corp. (Piltel), Beijing High Den Enterprises Limited, Walden Group of Companies, GMA Network, Inc., Philippine Satellite Corporation, Cable Entertainment Corporation, Siy Yap Group, and Philippine Communications Satellite Corporation. Its cost was estimated at US$ 243 million and has a design based on the Space Systems/Loral FS-1300 satellite bus. The satellite was deployed to orbit by a Chinese Long March 3B rocket in Sichuan province, on 20 August 1997. It is expected to achieve a mission lifetime of more than 15 years.[1][2]
The satellite's C-band coverage beam illuminates an area covering East, South, and Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific up to Hawaii. Meanwhile, the Ku-band coverage zone encompasses Taiwan, portions of mainland China and Vietnam, as well as the entire Philippines. The 24 Ku-band transponders of the satellite may also be commanded by ground control to combine into 12 high-powered transponders with 220-watt amplifiers for the purpose of broadcasting direct-to-home digital TV services.[2]
The C-band capacity permit Internet access with downlink capabilities of up to 15 Mbit/s. Moreover, Filipino broadcasters, such as ABS-CBN Corporation, use the satellite's C-band capacity for signal distribution and satellite news gathering activities. The Ku-band capacity delivers direct-to-home broadcast services to Filipinos in remote areas which allows rural dish owners to receive high-quality programming previously available only to certain parts of the country via wire and cable facilities.[2]