Túpac Katari 1 or TKSat-1 is a
telecommunications satellite that the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
of
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
outsourced to
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
(PRC) to serve
telecommunication
Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...
s in Bolivia, such as
mobile,
television
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
and
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
use.
It was launched into orbit on 20 December 2013 from the
Satellite Launch Center in
Xichang, China, with a trial period of a little over three months, and commercial operation starting in March 2014.
It was built on behalf of the
Bolivian Space Agency. The China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a subsidiary of the
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), was responsible for the construction (using French, German and USA technology), launch and orbit of the satellite.
The satellite is named after 18th century
Bolivian independence activist
Túpac Katari.
Technical issues
The satellite is geostationary and parked at 87.2° W, at a distance of 36,000 kilometers from equator; two-way voice communications are subject to
latency.
The estimated useful life is 15 years; having been launched in 2013, it should be deactivated in 2028.
Cost and revenue
The satellite had a cost of around $300 million, of which $251 million was a loan from the
China Development Bank (CDB) to the government of Bolivia, and the rest was paid by the government of Bolivia.
From launch to August 2017, the satellite generated revenue of $60 million. The Bolivian Space Agency said the satellite was not a business, but instead its purpose was to increase access to communications. Running expenses were not disclosed.
See also
*
2013 in spaceflight
*
Bolivia-People's Republic of China relations
References
2013 in Bolivia
2013 in China
Communications satellites
Science and technology in Bolivia
Spacecraft launched in 2013
First artificial satellites of a country
{{Satellite-stub