MEASAT-3a is a
communications satellite which
MEASAT Satellite Systems
MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd, formerly Binariang Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd is a Malaysian communications satellite operator, which owns and operates the MEASAT (Malaysia East Asia Satellite) and AFRICASAT spacecraft. The company provides sat ...
intends to operate in
geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbital ...
at 91.5 degrees East longitude. It was built by
Orbital Sciences Corporation, based on the
STAR-2 spacecraft platform.
History
Orbital completed the satellite and all of its contractual requirements, and shipped the satellite to its
Baikonur
Baikonur ( kk, Байқоңыр, ; russian: Байконур, translit=Baykonur), formerly known as Leninsk, is a city of republic significance in Kazakhstan on the northern bank of the Syr Darya river. It is currently leased and administered ...
,
Kazakhstan launch site in July 2008. The satellite was mated to the Block DM upper stage of the Zenit-3SLB rocket when it was struck by the operator cab of the overhead crane. The hazardous propellants were successfully offloaded and the spacecraft was decontaminated and returned to the United States for repair work and additional testing, with a projected launch date of Spring/Summer 2009.
[ ]
Launch
MEASAT-3a was successfully launched aboard a
Land Launch Zenit-3SLB carrier rocket flying from
Site 45/1 at the
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome ( kk, Байқоңыр ғарыш айлағы, translit=Baiqoñyr ğaryş ailağy, ; russian: Космодром Байконур, translit=Kosmodrom Baykonur, ) is a spaceport in an area of southern Kazakhstan leased to R ...
. The launch occurred at 21:50 GMT on 21 June 2009, with the spacecraft separating from the
Block DM-SLB upper stage of the rocket around six hours later.
References
External links
IMSOfficial provider's site
Spacecraft launched in 2009
Communications satellites in geostationary orbit
Spacecraft launched by Zenit and Energia rockets
Satellites using the GEOStar bus
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