DirecTV satellite fleet

The DirecTV satellite fleet is a group of communications satellites located at various geostationary orbits for the DirecTV satellite broadcast service and HughesNet (formerly known as DirectWAY and DirectPC) internet service.

Contents

Satellites and their orbits

Defunct satellites are highlighted in gold.

Satellite Orbital slot Launch date* Launch vehicle Satellite type Separated mass Mass at BOL Mass at EOL
DirecTV-1 109.8°W 01993-12-17 December 17, 1993 Ariane 4 Hughes Electronics HS-601 2970 kg at GTO[1] 1680 kg 1300 kg
DirecTV-2[A] 100.8°W 01994-08-03 August 3, 1994 Atlas IIA[2] Hughes Electronics HS-601
DirecTV-3[B] 91.1°W 01995-06-10 June 10, 1995 Ariane 42-P Hughes Electronics HS-601
DirecTV-6[C] 109.5°W 01997-03-09 March 9, 1997 Atlas IIA[3] Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
DirecTV-1R 72.5°W 01999-10-10 October 10, 1999 Zenit-3SL Hughes Electronics HS-601HP
DirecTV-4S 101.2° W 02001-11-27 November 27, 2001 Ariane 4 Hughes Electronics HS-601HP
DirecTV-5 109.8° W 02002-05-07 May 7, 2002 Proton Space Systems/Loral LS-1300 3640 kg at TO[4]
Galaxy 3C[D] 95°W 02002-06-15 June 15, 2002 Zenit-3SL Boeing BSS-702
DirecTV-7S 119.0°W 02004-05-04 May 4, 2004 Zenit-3SL Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
DirecTV-8 100.8°W 02005-05-22 May 22, 2005 Proton M Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
SPACEWAY-1 102.8°W 02005-04-26 April 26, 2005 Zenit-3SL Boeing BSS-702
SPACEWAY-2 99.2°W 02005-11-16 November 16, 2005 Ariane 5 ECA Boeing BSS-702
DirecTV-9S 101.1°W 02006-10-13 October 13, 2006 Ariane 5 ECA Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
DirecTV-10 102.8°W 02007-07-07 July 7, 2007 Proton M Boeing BSS-702 5893 kg at GTO[5]
DirecTV-11 99.2°W 02008-03-19 March 19, 2008 Zenit-3SL Boeing BSS-702 6060 kg at GTO[6] 3700 kg[6]
DirecTV-12 102.8°W December 28, 2009 [7] Proton M Boeing BSS-702
DirecTV-14 [8] unknown 2013 unknown Space Systems/Loral LS-1300
DirecTV-15 [9] unknown 2014 unknown Astrium Eurostar E3000

*Default sort column

A DirecTV-2 having reached the end of its useful life span, on April 16, 2007, the FCC granted DirecTV's request to conduct operations to deorbit the satellite, it was subsequently removed from service in May 2007.
B DirecTV-3 was removed from service in Oct 2002 and sent to a storage orbit as an on-orbit backup. It returned to service in 2003 having been leased to Telesat, which used the satellite as backup for its troubled Nimiq-2 at 82 degrees West under the designation Nimiq-2i. In 2004 the satellite was moved to back up Nimiq-1 and is now operated under the name Nimiq-3.
C DirecTV-6 went out of service August 15, 2006 and sent to a graveyard orbit having suffered damage from a solar flare in April 1997 as well as other solar array and power fluctuation problems.[10]
D Galaxy 3C is operated by Intelsat. DirecTV leases non-DBS FSS transponders for international programming under the auspices of the DirecTV World Direct package.

Details of satellite fleet

Galaxy 3C

Galaxy 3C is a geostationary communications satellite located at 95° W. It was launched on June 15, 2002, with a Sea Launch vehicle, and is currently active on the C and Ku-bands, with 24 transponders for each. Owned by Intelsat, some of the satellite's users include DirecTV's Brazil and Latin America systems, the Racetrack TV Network DBS service, and HughesNet.

Rite-Aid, TJ Maxx, and Chevron use Galaxy 3C as a VSAT platform.

SPACEWAY 1 & SPACEWAY 2

The SPACEWAY satellites were originally designed for use by Hughes Electronics. The satellites were re-purposed for DirecTV after News Corporation purchased a controlling interest in Hughes.

DirecTV-10, DirecTV-11, and DirecTV-12

DirecTV satellites 10, 11, and 12 are Boeing model 702 satellites designed to deliver high definition television to the continental United States, Hawaii, and Alaska.

DirecTV successfully launched its newest satellite, DirecTV-12, on December 28, 2009. [7] It became fully operational on May 19, 2010.

See also

References

  1. ^ Rocket Thrust Equation and Launch Vehicles
  2. ^ "DIRECTV 2 (DBS 2)". N2YO.com. http://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=23192. Retrieved 2009-11-09. 
  3. ^ "DIRECTV 6 (TEMPO 2)". N2YO.com. http://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=24748. Retrieved 2009-11-09. 
  4. ^ Proton Launch Advisory: DIRECTV-5
  5. ^ ILS Proton to Launch DIRECTV 10
  6. ^ a b DIRECTV 10, 11 and 12
  7. ^ a b DirecTV Press Release December 29, 2009 DIRECTV HD and Movie Choices to Get a Lift With Successful Satellite Launch - DIRECTV 12 Boosts Satellite Fleet's Capacity to More Than 200 HD Channels; Begins Operation First Half of Next Year
  8. ^ Space Systems/Loral Selected to Provide High-Power Satellite to DIRECTV Space Systems/Loral Press Release June 11, 2010
  9. ^ Astrium contracted to build DIRECTV 15 communications satellite Astrium Press Release November 4, 2011
  10. ^ http://www.tbs-satellite.com/tse/online/sat_tempo_2.html DirecTV-6 details including move to junkyard orbit

External links