Spacebus is a
satellite bus
A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held.
Bus-derived satellites are opposed to specially produced satellites. Bus-d ...
produced at the
Cannes Mandelieu Space Center
The Cannes Mandelieu Space Center is an industrial plant dedicated to spacecraft manufacturing, located in both the towns of Cannes and Mandelieu in France. After a long history in aircraft manufacturing, starting in 1929, the center became incre ...
in France by
Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. A joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%), the company is the largest satellite manufacture ...
. Spacebuses are typically used for
geostationary
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 altitude ...
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, and seventy-four have been launched since development started in the 1980s. Spacebus was originally produced by
Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale (), sometimes styled Aerospatiale, was a French state-owned aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société nationale industrielle aérospatiale ( ...
and later passed to
Alcatel Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. A joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%), the company is the largest satellite manufacturer ...
. In 2006, it was sold to
Thales Group
Thales Group () is a French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures electrical systems as well as devices and equipment for the aerospace, defence, transportation and security sectors. The company is headquartered in Paris' ...
as Thales Alenia Space.
The first Spacebus satellite,
Arabsat-1A
Arabsat-1A ( ar, عربسات-A1) was a Saudi Arabian communications satellite which was operated by Arab Satellite Communications Organization. It was used to provide communication services to the Arab States. It was constructed by Aérospatial ...
, was launched in 1985. Since then, seventy-four have been launched, with one more completed, and six outstanding orders. The launch of the 50th Spacebus satellite,
Star One C1
Star One C1 is a Brazilian communications satellite. It was launched on 14 November 2007 by an Ariane 5ECA carrier rocket, as part of a dual-payload launch with Skynet 5B. It was built by Thales Alenia Space, based on the Spacebus-3000B3 satellit ...
, occurred in November 2007.
[Christian Lardier, « Ariane-5 : un tir de l'industrie européenne – le 50e Spacebus », dans ''Air & Cosmos'', N° 2100, du 16 novembre 2007] It was a Spacebus 3000B3, launched by 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 flying from the
Guiana Space Centre
The Guiana Space Centre (french: links=no, Centre spatial guyanais; CSG), also called Europe's Spaceport, is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Kourou is located approximatel ...
in
Kourou
Kourou () is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Kourou is famous for being the location of the Guiana Space Centre, the main spaceport of France and the European Space Agency (ESA). It i ...
, French Guiana.
Several variants have been built: the early
Spacebus 100
Spacebus is a satellite bus produced at the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center in France by Thales Alenia Space. Spacebuses are typically used for geostationary communications satellites, and seventy-four have been launched since development started ...
and
Spacebus 300
Spacebus is a satellite bus produced at the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center in France by Thales Alenia Space. Spacebuses are typically used for geostationary communications satellites, and seventy-four have been launched since development started ...
; followed by the
Spacebus 2000
Spacebus is a satellite bus produced at the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center in France by Thales Alenia Space. Spacebuses are typically used for geostationary communications satellites, and seventy-four have been launched since development start ...
, optimised for launch on the
Ariane 4
The Ariane 4 was a European expendable space launch system, developed by the '' Centre national d'études spatiales'' (CNES), the French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was manufactured by ArianeGroup and marketed by Ari ...
carrier rocket; and the subsequent modular
Spacebus 3000
Spacebus is a satellite bus produced at the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center in France by Thales Alenia Space. Spacebuses are typically used for geostationary communications satellites, and seventy-four have been launched since development started ...
and
4000 series, designed for use with the Ariane 5 rocket.
History
Aérospatiale had produced a number of satellites, including
Symphonie
The Symphonie satellites (2 satellites orbited) were the first communications satellites built by France and Germany (and the first to use three-axis stabilization in geostationary orbit with a bipropellant propulsion system) to provide geost ...
, with the German company
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG () was a German share-ownership limited, aircraft manufacturing corporation named after its chief designer Willy Messerschmitt from mid-July 1938 onwards, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, in partic ...
. On 9 December 1983, the two companies signed the ''Franco-German Spacebus Agreement''. The Spacebus designation was first applied to satellites which were under construction by Aérospatiale when the programme started. These included three satellites for
Arabsat
The Arab Satellite Communications Organization (often abbreviated as Arabsat) is a communications satellite operator in the Arab World, headquartered in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Arabsat was created to deliver satellite-based, public and ...
, which became the
Spacebus 100
Spacebus is a satellite bus produced at the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center in France by Thales Alenia Space. Spacebuses are typically used for geostationary communications satellites, and seventy-four have been launched since development started ...
series, and five further satellites: two for
Deutsche Bundespost
The Deutsche Bundespost (German federal post office) was a German state-run postal service and telecommunications business founded in 1947. It was initially the second largest federal employer during its time. After staff reductions in the 19 ...
, two for
TéléDiffusion de France
TDF (which stands for ''Télédiffusion de France'' officially renamed ''TDF'' in 2004) is a French company which provides radio and television transmission services, services for telecommunications operators, and other multimedia services ...
, and the
Swedish Space Corporation's
Tele-X
Tele-X was the first communications satellite serving the Nordic countries. It was launched with an Ariane 2 launch vehicle from Kourou, French Guiana, on 2 April 1989. On 16 January 1998, its fuel was exhausted and it was moved into graveyar ...
, which became the
Spacebus 300
Spacebus is a satellite bus produced at the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center in France by Thales Alenia Space. Spacebuses are typically used for geostationary communications satellites, and seventy-four have been launched since development started ...
series. Later series' names were followed by a number indicating the approximate mass of the bus in kilograms. Spacebus designations were not applied retrospectively to satellites which had already been launched.
Architecture
Spacebus satellites consist of a satellite bus, which provides power, propulsion, and other subsystems necessary for the satellite's operation, and a payload which is customisable according to the customer's requirements. The bus was designed to be adaptable to perform various missions; however, as of 2009, only communications satellites have been ordered. It was also designed to be adaptable when the capacity of launch systems increased.
The bus is made of
carbon fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
with a
composite honeycomb
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials
...
structure. It contains fuel tanks, equipment to interface with a carrier rocket, and other critical systems. External panels contain equipment such as solar panels, payload, and engine. The payload, developed separately from the bus, takes up three panels. Once it has been outfitted with
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 ...
or other equipment, it is transported to Cannes-Mandelieu, where it is integrated onto the bus.
The satellites are powered by rigid
solar panels
A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a phot ...
. Several configurations are used depending on the amount of power the satellite requires.
Batteries to store this power are produced by the
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
company
ETCA
Thales Alenia Space () is a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. A joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%), the company is the largest satellite manufacturer ...
. Early satellites used
nickel-hydrogen batteries, while later spacecraft use
lithium-ion batteries
A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...
.
Spacebus satellites use bipropellant,
liquid-fuelled chemical engines to achieve orbit and subsequently perform
station-keeping.
Electric propulsion
Spacecraft electric propulsion (or just electric propulsion) is a type of spacecraft propulsion technique that uses electrostatic or electromagnetic fields to accelerate mass to high speed and thus generate thrust to modify the velocity of a sp ...
was used on the
Stentor
In Greek mythology, Stentor (Ancient Greek: Στέντωρ; ''gen''.: Στέντορος) was a herald of the Greek forces during the Trojan War.
Mythology
Stentor is mentioned briefly in Homer's ''Iliad'' in which Hera in the guise of Stent ...
and
Astra 1K
Astra 1K was a communications satellite manufactured by Alcatel Space for SES. When it was launched on 25 November 2002, it was the largest civilian communications satellite ever launched, with a mass of . Intended to replace the Astra 1B sat ...
satellites, both of which were subsequently involved in launch failures. Spacebus Neo will be an electric propulsion satellite. A
three-axis stabilisation system is used for attitude control.
Models
Spacebus satellites are compatible with a large number of carrier rockets, particularly the
Ariane family. As the Ariane's performance has increased, the satellites' capacities have increased accordingly.
[ Guy Lebègue, (trad. Robert J. Amral), « Spacebus 3000: A Platform for 'Satellite Alliance' », in Revue aerospatiale, n°99, June 1993]
Spacebus 100
![STS-51-G Arabsat 1-B deployment](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/STS-51-G_Arabsat_1-B_deployment.jpg)
Three Spacebus 100 satellites were produced for
Arabsat
The Arab Satellite Communications Organization (often abbreviated as Arabsat) is a communications satellite operator in the Arab World, headquartered in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Arabsat was created to deliver satellite-based, public and ...
to serve the 22 members of the
Arab League
The Arab League ( ar, الجامعة العربية, ' ), formally the League of Arab States ( ar, جامعة الدول العربية, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world, which is located in Northern Africa, Western Africa, E ...
.
One of the solar panels on the first satellite,
Arabsat-1A
Arabsat-1A ( ar, عربسات-A1) was a Saudi Arabian communications satellite which was operated by Arab Satellite Communications Organization. It was used to provide communication services to the Arab States. It was constructed by Aérospatial ...
, failed to deploy, resulting in reduced power. This, combined with gyroscope issues, caused it to spend most of its operational lifespan as a reserve satellite.
Spacebus 300
Five
direct-to-home television satellites were built using the Spacebus 300 bus, which provided of power.
Spacebus 2000
![Spacebus 2000](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Spacebus_2000.JPG)
The Spacebus 2000 series was developed to use additional capacity provided by the Ariane 4. Its solar panels generated .
Spacebus 3000
The Spacebus 3000 was introduced around the time the
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 ...
entered service. Spacebus 3000 satellites have masses from and produce between . Increasingly larger
payload fairings allowed larger spacecraft to be produced. In 1991,
Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale (), sometimes styled Aerospatiale, was a French state-owned aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société nationale industrielle aérospatiale ( ...
,
Alenia and
Space Systems/Loral
SSL, formerly Space Systems/Loral, LLC (SS/L), of Palo Alto, California, is a wholly owned manufacturing subsidiary of Maxar Technologies.
SSL designs and builds satellites and space systems for a wide variety of government and commercial cust ...
joined to form the Satellite Alliance.
The first version of the Spacebus 3000 was the Spacebus 3000A, originally developed for Arabsat. They were also ordered by
Shin Satellite
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 ...
of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
and China's
Sino Satellite Communications Company.
[Spacebus 3000 chronology](_blank)
Twelve 3000B2 satellites were ordered, five of them by
Eutelsat
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 ...
for their
W Series, one of which later became
Eutelsat 28A
Eutelsat 133 West A (formerly Eurobird 1, Eutelsat 28A, and Eutelsat 33C) is a Eutelsat operated Eurobird satellite, used primarily for digital television. It was launched in March 2001, and after a short period testing at 33°E, joined Eutelsat ...
. A sixth order from Eutelsat was for
Eutelsat 8 West A
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 satellite ...
.
Nordic Satellite AB
SES Sirius, formerly called Nordic Satellite AB (NSAB) was the owner and operator of the two Sirius satellites, which provide the Nordic countries and the Baltic states, with TV, radio, data and communications solutions. The company is today entir ...
, a
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
n company that later became
SES Sirius
SES Sirius, formerly called Nordic Satellite AB (NSAB) was the owner and operator of the two Sirius satellites, which provide the Nordic countries and the Baltic states, with TV, radio, data and communications solutions. The company is today entir ...
, ordered
Sirius 2
Astra 5A was one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES at the Astra 31.5°E. Launched in 1997 to the 5° East position by NSAB (Nordiska Satelit AB) (later SES Sirius, and now a non-autonomous part of SES) as Sir ...
, a replacement for the Spacebus 300-based TeleX satellite. Spanish satellite operator
Hispasat ordered two satellites, and Arabsat ordered one satellite,
Arabsat-3A
The Arab Satellite Communications Organization (often abbreviated as Arabsat) is a communications satellite operator in the Arab World, headquartered in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Arabsat was created to deliver satellite-based, public and ...
. The final two were ordered by the German
Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
and were launched on 1 October 2009, and in May 2010, respectively.
Nine B3 satellites were ordered, three for Eutelsat, two for
Star One
Star One was an Indian pay television network based in Mumbai. It was launched on 1 November 2004 and was it owned by Star TV and distributed worldwide by Fox International Channels. In November 2006, Star One was launched in the UK on Sky.
...
of Brazil,
GE-12 for GE Americom,
Turksat 2A for Turksat, and the
Stentor
In Greek mythology, Stentor (Ancient Greek: Στέντωρ; ''gen''.: Στέντορος) was a herald of the Greek forces during the Trojan War.
Mythology
Stentor is mentioned briefly in Homer's ''Iliad'' in which Hera in the guise of Stent ...
experimental communications satellite for
CNES
The (CNES; French: ''Centre national d'études spatiales'') is the French government space agency (administratively, a "public administration with industrial and commercial purpose"). Its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is und ...
. Stentor was lost in a launch failure on the maiden flight of the
Ariane 5ECA. Galaxy 17 was successfully launched in 2007 for INTELSAT.
Spacebus 4000
![Apstar 6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Apstar_6.JPG)
The Spacebus 4000 series was derived from the 3000 series
[Spacebus 4000](_blank)
/ref> but featured upgraded avionics
Avionics (a blend word, blend of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, ...
. The voltage
Voltage, also known as electric pressure, electric tension, or (electric) potential difference, is the difference in electric potential between two points. In a static electric field, it corresponds to the work needed per unit of charge to m ...
of the electrical system was increased from 50 volts to 100 volts, and an integrated onboard computer, designed to be more flexible than previous versions, was added. It was also the first satellite bus to be equipped with an attitude and orbit control system with star tracker
A star tracker is an optical device that measures the positions of stars using photocells or a camera.
As the positions of many stars have been measured by astronomers to a high degree of accuracy, a star tracker on a satellite or spacecraft may ...
s designed for use in geostationary orbit.
The B series used the same basic structure as the 3000 series. The C version had a base measuring .
Eight Spacebus 4000B2 satellites have been ordered: Bangabandhu-1
The Bangabandhu Satellite-1 (''Bangabandhu-1'') is the first Bangladeshi geostationary communications and broadcasting satellite. It is named after the father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It was manufactured by Thales Aleni ...
for Bangabandhu-1 of Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
, Turksat 3A Turksat may refer to:
* Türksat (company)
Türksat Satellite Communications Cable TV and Operations Incorporated ( tr, Türksat Uydu Haberleşme Kablo TV ve İşletme A.Ş.) is the sole communications satellite operator in Turkey. It was esta ...
for Turksat, Thor 6
Thor (previously known as Marcopolo) is a family of satellites designed, launched and tested by Hughes Space and Communications (now part of Boeing Satellite Systems) for British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB), and were used for Britain's Direct ...
for Telenor
Telenor ASA ( or ) is a Norwegian majority state-owned multinational telecommunications company headquartered at Fornebu in Bærum, close to Oslo. It is one of the world's largest mobile telecommunications companies with operations worldwide, ...
of Norway, Nilesat 201
Nilesat 201, is an Egyptian communications satellite, which was launched on 4 August 2010.
Nilesat 201 will enable the Egyptian satellite operator Nilesat to deliver digital Direct to Home (DTH) TV and radio broadcasting and high-speed data trans ...
for Nilesat
Nilesat (; , ''or'' ) is an Egyptian company and the name of a series of Egyptian communications satellites. It was established in 1996 with the purpose of operating Egyptian satellites and their associated mission control center and ground st ...
of Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
,[Thales Alenia Space wins Nilesat-201 satellite contract, 3 June 2008]
online www.thalesgroup.com
/ref> Athena-Fidus for the French and Italian space agencies CNES and ASI, and Sicral-2 for the Italian Ministry of Defence and the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), a contract worth about €295m in total, Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7 for KTSAT and Telkom-3S for PT Telkom Indonesia.
Spacebus 4000B3 satellites are in height and generate 8.5 kilowatts of power. So far, five have been ordered, including two for the French Délégation Générale pour l'Armement and two for RascomStar-QAF.
The fifth, Palapa D1
Palapa-D was an Indonesian geostationary communications satellite which was operated by Indosat Ooredoo. It was built by Thales Alenia Space, based on the Spacebus-4000B3 satellite bus, and carries 35 C-band and 5 Ku-band transponders. It was ...
for Indosat
PT Indosat Tbk, trading as Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, is a telecommunications provider in Indonesia which is owned by Ooredoo Hutchison Asia, a joint venture between Ooredoo and Hutchison Asia Telecom Group (a part of CK Hutchison Holdings) si ...
, uses the ITAR-free configuration, and was launched by a Long March 3B in September 2009, but was initially placed in a low orbit. Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. A joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%), the company is the largest satellite manufacture ...
made corrections allowing the satellite to reach the planned geostationary transfer orbit
A geosynchronous transfer orbit or geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a type of geocentric orbit. Satellite, Satellites that are destined for geosynchronous orbit, geosynchronous (GSO) or geostationary orbit (GEO) are (almost) always put into ...
on 3 September. It finally reached 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 ...
on 9 September. It is now undergoing on-orbit testing upon its arrival at 113° East about mid-September, where it will be used to provide communications to Asia and Australia. It has enough fuel for 10 years of service, according to Reynald Seznec, President of Thales Alenia Space, instead of the planned 15 years due to the orbit-raising maneuvers.
The first Rascom satellite, Rascom-QAF1
The Regional African Satellite Communication Organization (RASCOM) will provide telecommunication services, direct TV broadcast services and Internet access in rural areas of Africa. Under an agreement with RASCOM, RascomStar-QAF (a private compan ...
, suffered a propulsion system failure during its first apogee manoeuvre on 21 December 2007. It was confirmed to have reached its final geostationary orbit at a longitude of 2.85° east on 4 February 2008, but with only two years of expected operational life, compared to the fifteen expected prior to launch. On 9 September 2008, the Rascom-QAF1R satellite was ordered to replace it, also based on the 4000B3 bus.[Thales Alenia Space to supply RASCOMSTAR-QAF with a new telecommunication satellite, Cannes, 9 September 2008]
www.thalesgroup.com
The Spacebus 4000C1 has a height of , and is capable of generating 8.5 kilowatts of electricity. The only C1 to have been ordered so far is Koreasat 5
Koreasat 5 (also known as ANASIS-I (Army Navy Air Force Satellite Information System-I) and Mugunghwa 5 (무궁화 5호)) is a South Korean communications satellite operated by Koreasat Koreasat is a series of South Korean communications satellit ...
for Korea Telecom
KT Corporation ( Hangul: 주식회사 케이티), formerly Korea Telecom, is a South Korean telecommunications company. KT is the second-largest wireless carrier in South Korea, with 16.493 million subscribers as of Q4 2017.
The formerly full ...
of South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. It was launched by a Sea Launch
Sea Launch was a multinational—Norway, Russia, Ukraine, United States—spacecraft launch company founded in 1995 that provided orbital launch services from 1999–2014. The company used a mobile maritime launch platform for equatorial lau ...
Zenit-3SL
The Zenit-3SL is an expendable carrier rocket operated by Sea Launch. First flown in 1999, it has been launched 36 times, with three failures and one partial failure. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, and is built by the Yuzhnoye ...
from the Ocean Odyssey
LP ''Odyssey'' is a self-propelled semi-submersible mobile spacecraft launch platform converted from a mobile drilling rig in 1997.
The vessel was used by Sea Launch for equatorial Pacific Ocean launches. She works in concert with the assembly ...
platform on the equator, at 03:27 GMT on 22 August 2006.
The Spacebus 4000C2, which has a height of , generates 10.5 kilowatts of power. Five have been ordered, all using the ITAR-free option, by companies in the People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. Chinasat
ChinaSat () is the brand name of communications satellites operated by China Satellite Communications.
History
In 2007, a joint venture China Direct Broadcast Satellite was formed to run the brand ChinaSat. It was a joint venture of state- ...
, a state-owned company ordered two satellites, whilst the APT Satellite ordered three. All were launched by Long March 3B rockets from Launch Area 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre
The Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC), also known as the Xichang Space Center, is a spaceport of China. It is located in Zeyuan Town (), approximately northwest of Xichang, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan.
The facility beca ...
.
Eight Spacebus 4000C3 satellites, each of which has a height of and generates 13 kilowatts of power, have been ordered. SES Americom and Eutelsat ordered two spacecraft each.[Eutelsat W3C ordered, Paris, 12 March 2009]
on line on www.satellites.co.uk
/ref> The Eutelsat spacecraft are being built using ITAR-free parts, and one of the satellites, 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 ...
launched on an Ariane 5 on 2010-10-28 and was declared lost on 2010-10-30 due to a fuel leak. Eutelsat 21B was ordered by 9 June 2010.; and launched 10 November 2012;[Eutelsat 21B launched with success](_blank)
/ref> Eutelsat W3D ordered on 3 December 2010;, launched 2013-05-14; Russian satellite operator Gazprom
PJSC Gazprom ( rus, Газпром, , ɡɐzˈprom) is a Russian majority state-owned multinational energy corporation headquartered in the Lakhta Center in Saint Petersburg. As of 2019, with sales over $120 billion, it was ranked as the larges ...
also ordered two satellites for its Yamal (satellite constellation)
Yamal (russian: Яма́л) is a communication and broadcasting system developed and operated by Gazprom Space Systems. Born out of the connectivity needs of the natural gas extraction giant Gazprom, the system was spun off in its own company, ...
programme[Gazprom & Thales Alenia Space signed the contract for manufacturing 2 Yamal-400 comm. satellites, Cannes, 05 February 2009, Thales Alenia Space Press release]
on line www.thalesgroup.com
—the first time it had procured Yamal spacecraft that were not manufactured in Russia. Only one will be a Spacebus, the second one is based on an Express-2000 platform.
The Spacebus 4000C4 bus is high and can generate 16 kilowatts of power with its solar panels. Four have been ordered so far: Ciel 2
Ciel 2 (NORAD 33453) is a commercial broadcast communications satellite owned by Canadian Ciel Satellite Group. It was launched on December 10, 2008 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by an ILS Proton-M/ Breeze-M vehicle. The satellite is bu ...
for Ciel Satellite
Ciel (meaning ''heaven'' or ''sky'' in French) or CIEL may refer to:
People
* Ciel (Canadian DJ), a Canadian DJ and electronic musician
Companies and organizations
* Ciel (beverage) a bottled water brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company
* Ciel (c ...
of Canada, which was launched on 10 December 2008,[Successful launch for Ciel II satellite built by Thales Alenia Space, Thales Alenia Space Press release, 10 December 2008]
on line www.thalesonline.com
and three spacecraft for Eutelsat, W2A,[Eutelsat-W2]
On line space.skyrocket.de
/ref> W7, launched by Proton
A proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol , H+, or 1H+ with a positive electric charge of +1 ''e'' elementary charge. Its mass is slightly less than that of a neutron and 1,836 times the mass of an electron (the proton–electron mass ...
on 23 November 2009. and Eutelsat-8 West B, ordered on 11 October 2012.
Ekspress-4000
On 6 December 2007, Thales Alenia Space signed an agreement with NPO PM
JSC Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev (russian: Информационные спутниковые системы имени академика М. Ф. Решетнёва, Informatsionnye sputnikovye systemy imeny akademika M. F. Reshetnyov ...
of Russia to jointly develop the Ekspress-4000 bus, based on the Spacebus 4000. The Ekspress-4000 is designed for direct injection into geostationary orbit by a Proton-M
The Proton-M, (Протон-М) GRAU index 8K82M or , is an expendable Russian heavy-lift launch vehicle derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Ka ...
rocket.
Spacebus NEO
In 2014, Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space () is a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. A joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%), the company is the largest satellite manufacture ...
started the development of a new family - Spacebus NEO. These new platforms will be available in various propulsion versions, including an all-electric one. The all-electric Spacebus NEO, capable of carrying payloads weighing over 1,400 kg, and with power exceeding 16 kW, will be available starting in mid-2015.[''Thales Alenia Space This Spacebus Has Terrific Options...Variety of Versions'', in Satnews Daily, 9 September 2014]
Thales Alenia Space This Spacebus Has Terrific Options...Variety Of Versions
/ref>
See also
* List of Spacebus satellites
Satellite orders Spacebus-300
, -
! Satellite
! Country
! Operator
! Type
! Coverage
! Launch date ( UTC)
! Rocket
! width="200pt", Changes
! Status
, -
, TDF 1
, France
, TDF Group
, Television broadcasting
, 5 Ku-band
,
, Ar ...
* Comparison of satellite buses
This page includes a list of satellite buses, of which multiple similar artificial satellites have been, or are being, built to the same model of structural frame, propulsion, spacecraft power and intra-spacecraft communication. Only commercially ...
References
External links
Encyclopedia Astronautica
particularly the permanent following of satellite orbital positions
Gunter’s Space Page
and its exhaustive lists of platforms, satellites and chronologies for all launchers
and its chronological list of all satellites launched with detailed information
The Thales Alenia Space website
Manufacturer documentation and press releases
Spacemart
press releases
Space Newsfeed
press releases
Watch an Ariane 5 launch
{{Use British English, date=January 2014
Satellite buses
European space programmes