The Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) is a Japanese corporation established in April 1993 to procure, manage and lease transponders on
communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth. C ...
s. Its largest stockholder, owning 49.9%, is
NHK
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.
NHK operates two terrestr ...
, the
Japan Broadcasting Corporation
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.
NHK operates two terrestri ...
.
In 1994, it was ranked by ''Space News'' as the world's 19th largest fixed satellite operator.
Satellite fleet
The B-SAT fleet has an extensive history. This is an overview of the satellites.
Former satellites
These satellites were managed by Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation but are now decommissioned.
[
]
BSAT-1a
BSAT-1a was an HS-376
The Boeing 376 (sometimes referred to as the BSS-376, and previously as the HS-376) is a communications satellite bus introduced in 1978 by Hughes Space and Communications Company. It was a spin-stabilized bus that the manufacturer claims was th ...
based satellite with 4 active plus 4 spares Ku-band transponders
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
. It was successfully launched on 16 April 1997 aboard an Ariane 44LP
The Ariane 4 was a European expendable rocket, expendable space launch system, developed by the ''CNES, Centre national d'études spatiales'' (CNES), the Government of France, French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was man ...
along Thaicom 3
Thaicom Public Company Limited is a Thai satellite operator and provider of satellite and telecommunication services since 1991. The company operates a fleet of currently four satellites covering Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Thaicom is a subsidiar ...
.[
]
BSAT-1b
BSAT-1b was an HS-376
The Boeing 376 (sometimes referred to as the BSS-376, and previously as the HS-376) is a communications satellite bus introduced in 1978 by Hughes Space and Communications Company. It was a spin-stabilized bus that the manufacturer claims was th ...
based satellite with 4 active plus 4 spares Ku-band transponders
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
. It was successfully launched on 28 April 1998 aboard an Ariane 44P along Nilesat 101
Nilesat 101 is an Egyptian owned geosynchronous communications satellite that was decommissioned in February 2013.
Launch
Nilesat 101 was launched by an Ariane 4 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana on 28 April 1998 at 22:53:00 UTC by Arianespac ...
.[
]
BSAT-2a
BSAT-2a was manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation
Orbital Sciences Corporation (commonly referred to as Orbital) was an American company specializing in the design, manufacture, and launch of small- and medium- class space and launch vehicle systems for commercial, military and other governmen ...
based on the Star Bus platform. It was launched aboard an Ariane 5G
Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It has been used to deliver payloads into ...
rocket on 8 March 2001. BSAT-2a serves as an on orbit backup to BSAT-2c. BSAT-2a was decommissioned in January 2013.[
]
BSAT-2b
BSAT-2b was a twin of BSAT-2a, also based on the Star Bus platform. Launched along Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
aboard an Ariane 5G, it was left on an unusable orbit and that it couldn't compensate for. The electric propulsion Artemis, could use its higher efficiency ion drives, to reach operational orbit.[
]
BSAT-2c
BSAT-2c was manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation
Orbital Sciences Corporation (commonly referred to as Orbital) was an American company specializing in the design, manufacture, and launch of small- and medium- class space and launch vehicle systems for commercial, military and other governmen ...
Based on the Star Bus platform. It was launched aboard an Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It has been used to deliver payloads int ...
rocket on 11 June 2003. In-orbit delivery to B-SAT took place 15 July 2003. BSAT-2c was decommissioned in August 2013.[
]
Current satellites
The current fleet of Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation as of August 2020 is composed of five spacecraft.[
]
BSAT-3a
Launched on 14 August 2007 by an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle
A launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket designed to carry a payload (spacecraft or satellites) from the Earth's surface to outer space. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad, launch pads, supported by a missile launch contro ...
. It was manufactured by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems based on the A2100A platform design, with a communications payload containing 12 Ku-band
The Ku band () is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies from 12 to 18 gigahertz (GHz). The symbol is short for "K-under" (originally german: Kurz-unten), because it is the lower part of the ori ...
channels, eight of which operate at one time. Located in geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitud ...
at 110.0° East longitude, it replaced BSAT-1a and BSAT-1b.[
]
BSAT-3b
B-SAT awarded Lockheed Martin the contract to build its next geostationary telecommunications satellite, BSAT-3b, which was launched by Arianespace
Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the operation and marketing of the Ariane programme. The company offers a number of different launch vehicles: the heavy ...
aboard an Ariane 5 ECA (along with the Eutelsat W3B
Eutelsat S.A. is a French satellite operator. Providing coverage over the entire European continent, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas, it is the world's third-largest satellite operator in terms of revenues.
Eutelsat's satellit ...
) on 28 October 2010.
BSAT-3c
BSAT-3c, also known as JCSAT-110R
BSAT-3c, also known as JCSAT-110R, is a geostationary orbit, geostationary communications satellite operated by Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) and SKY Perfect JSAT (JSAT) which was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin ...
, is a satellite co-owned with SKY Perfect JSAT
The SKY Perfect JSAT Group is a Japanese corporate group that claims to be Asia's largest satellite communication and multi-channel pay TV company. It owns the SKY PerfecTV! satellite broadcasting service and the SKY Perfect Well Think content s ...
with each operator owning a separate payload. It was built by Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
on its A2100A platform. It has two separate payloads with 12 Ku-band transponders
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
each. It was successfully launched on 7 August 2011 on an Ariane 5 ECA along Astra 1N.[
]
BSAT-4a
The first satellite of the fourth generation BSAT was built by SSL on its SSL 1300
The SSL 1300, previously the LS-1300 and the FS-1300, is a satellite bus produced by Maxar Technologies. Total broadcast power ranges from 5 to 25 kW, and the platform can accommodate from 12 to 150 transponders. The SSL 1300 is a modular platf ...
platform. It has 24 Ku-band transponders
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
and mass of . BSAT-4a launched on 29 September 2017 aboard an Ariane 5 ECA.[
]
BSAT-4b
The second satellite of the fourth generation BSAT was built by Maxar Technologies
Maxar Technologies Inc. is a space technology company headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, United States, specializing in manufacturing communication, Earth observation, radar, and on-orbit servicing satellites, satellite products, and relat ...
on its SSL 1300
The SSL 1300, previously the LS-1300 and the FS-1300, is a satellite bus produced by Maxar Technologies. Total broadcast power ranges from 5 to 25 kW, and the platform can accommodate from 12 to 150 transponders. The SSL 1300 is a modular platf ...
platform. It has 24 Ku-band transponders
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''.
In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...
and mass around . BSAT-4b was launched aboard an Ariane 5 ECA on 15 August 2020.B-SAT corporation
/ref>
Satellite list
References
{{Telecommunications
Communications satellite operators