Intelsat VA F-15
Intelsat VA F-15 or Intelsat 515, then named Columbia 515, was a communications satellite operated by Intelsat and which was later sold to Columbia Communications Corporation. Launched in 1989, it was the fifteenth of fifteen Intelsat V satellites to be launched. The Intelsat V series was constructed by Ford Aerospace, based on the Intelsat VA satellite bus. Intelsat VA F-15 was part of an advanced series of satellites designed to provide greater telecommunications capacity for Intelsat's global network, from an orbital station at 60.0° East.
| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | Intelsat / Columbia Communications Corporation |
| COSPAR ID | 1989-006A [1] |
| SATCAT no. | 19772 |
| Mission duration | 7 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Intelsat VA |
| Manufacturer | Ford Aerospace |
| Launch mass | 1981 kg |
| Dry mass | 1098 kg [2] |
| Dimensions | 1.66 x 2.1 x 1.77 metres |
| Power | 1800 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 27 January 1989, 01:21:00 UTC[3] |
| Rocket | Ariane 2 V28 |
| Launch site | Kourou, ELA-1 |
| Contractor | Aérospatiale |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Graveyard orbit |
| Deactivated | November 2002 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 60.0° East (1989-1992), 18.0° West (1992-1996), 21.5° West (1996-1998), 37.8° West (1998-2002) |
| Epoch | 27 January 1989 |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 29 C-band 6 Ku-band |
Intelsat V | |
Satellite
The satellite was box-shaped, measuring 1.66 by 2.1 by 1.77 metres; solar arrays spanned 15.9 metres tip to tip. The arrays, supplemented by nickel-hydrogen batteries during eclipse, provided 1800 watts of power at mission onset, approximately 1280 watts at the end of its seven-year design life. The payload housed 29 C-band and 6 Ku-band transponders. It could accommodate 15,000 two-way voice circuits and two TV channels simultaneously. It also provided maritime communications for ships at sea.[1]
Launch
The satellite was successfully launched into space on 27 January 1989, at 01:21:00 UTC, by means of an Ariane 2 vehicle from the Crentre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, French Guiana. It had a launch mass of 1981 kg.[4]
Columbia 515
From 1 April 1998, the satellite is used by Columbia Communications Corporation and renamed Columbia 515. The Ku-band payload will not be used anymore. Columbia Communications was granted by FCC to operate a C-Band satellite as a replacement at this location, 37.8° West. The satellite was deactivated in November 2002.
References
- "Display: Intelsat 5A F-15 1989-086A". NASA. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - "Intelsat 5A". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- "INTELSAT 515". TSE. Retrieved 23 April 2017.