Palapa
Program: Palapa. Objective: Communications. Overview: Indonesia's domestic communications satellite system. Palapas, stationed in geosynchronous orbit, provide voice circuits and television to the country's 6000+ inhabited islands.
Major Events:

  • 1976 July 8 - Palapa 1.  Spacecraft: HS 333. Mass: 300 kg (660 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta 2000.

    Palapa A1 and A2 were the initial elements of Indonesia's domestic communications satellite system. The spacecraft were identical to Canada's Anik and Western Union's Westars except for a modified parabolic reflector, enlarged to give maximum illumination of the Indonesian land mass. Operational lives for Palapa A1 and A2 ended June 1985 and January 1988, respectively. Spacecraft: Based on Hughes HS-333 design.1.5 m diameter parabolic reflector with 12 transponders working through 125 Earth stations. Spin stabilised with despun antenna and feeds. Payload: Both satellites carried 12 transponders that provided 4000 voice circuits or 12 simultaneous TV channels to the country's 6000+ inhabited islands. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean at 83 deg E in 1976-1986? As of 28 August 2001 located at 177.38 deg E drifting at 0.588 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 51.89W drifting at 0.649W degrees per day.

  • 1977 March 10 - Palapa 2.  Spacecraft: HS 333. Mass: 574 kg (1,265 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta 2000.

    Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean at 80 deg E in 1977-1986? As of 5 September 2001 located at 64.27 deg W drifting at 0.845 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 69.73E drifting at 0.893W degrees per day.

  • 1983 June 18 - Palapa B1.  Spacecraft: HS 376. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle.

    Deployed by STS-7 6/18/83. Palapa B satellites were four times as powerful and twice the size of their predecessors, the Palapa A series. While the A series was designed for domestic/regional communications within Indonesia, the new system also served the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Palapa B2 was originally placed into a useless orbit due to malfunctions of its PAM-D upper stage. The Indonesian government claimed $75 million insurance and ordered a replacement (B2P), which was successfully orbited 3 years later. The original B2 was recovered by the STS-51A mission on November 12, 1984 under an arrangement between the satellite's insurers, NASA and Hughes. The satellite was then sold by the insurers to an intermediary company, refurbished, and then resold back to Indonesia following its launch in 1990. Spacecraft: Based on Hughes HS-376 design. Cylindrical structure. Spin stabilised. Hydrazine propulsion system for attitude control, orbit maintenance. Body mounted solar cells provide 1060 W BOL. Despun antenna platform. Payload: Each carried 24 C-band transponders (+6 spares). Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 108 deg E in 1983-1990; 118 deg E in 1990-1992; 134 deg E in 1992-1995 As of 1 September 2001 located at 156.84 deg E drifting at 0.192 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 169.93W drifting at 0.283W degrees per day.

  • 1984 February 3 - Palapa B2.  Spacecraft: HS 376. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle.

    Deployed from STS 41B 4 February 1984; failed to reach proper orbit; recovered by STS-51A.

  • 1987 March 20 - Palapa B2P.  Spacecraft: HS 376. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta 3000.

    Stationed at 113 deg W. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 113 deg E in 1987-1996; 144 deg E in 1996-1998 As of 28 August 2001 located at 130.30 deg W drifting at 1.327 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 3 located at 141.38E drifting at 1.274W degrees per day.

  • 1990 April 13 - Palapa B2R.  Spacecraft: HS 376. Mass: 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta 6000.

    Refurbished Palapa B2 retrieved by STS-51A; 107.7 deg E. Communication services for Indonesia, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Papua New Guinea. Launch time 2227:59.719 Z. Launch complex 17, ETR. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 108 deg E in 1990-1999 As of 29 August 2001 located at 42.49 deg E drifting at 0.002 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 163.55E drifting at 2.663W degrees per day.

  • 1992 May 14 - Palapa B4.  Spacecraft: HS 376. Mass: 1,254 kg (2,764 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7000.

    Stationed at 118 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 118 deg E in 1992-1999 As of 2 September 2001 located at 118.02 deg E drifting at 0.020 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 164.88E drifting at 1.157W degrees per day.

  • 1996 February 1 - Palapa C-1.  Spacecraft: HS 601. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas IIAS.

    30 C-band, 6 Ku-band transponders. Geostationary at 150.4E. Launch vehicle put payload into supersynchronous earth orbit with IFR/MRS trajectory option. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 113 deg E in 1996; 150 deg E in 1996-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 50.03 deg E drifting at 0.006 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 38.04E drifting at 0.007E degrees per day.

  • 1996 May 16 - Palapa C2.  Spacecraft: HS 601. Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 44L.

    34 transponders; Geostationary at 113.0E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 113 deg E in 1996-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 112.95 deg E drifting at 0.018 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 112.97E drifting at 0.011W degrees per day.

  • 1999 August 12 - Telkom 1.  Spacecraft: AS 2100. Mass: 2,763 kg (6,091 lb). Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 42P.

    The launch vehicle delivered its H-10-3 third stage and the Telkom 1 payload into a 221 km x 35687 km x 7.0 degree geosynchronous transfer orbit 21 minutes after launch. Telkom 1 was owned by PT Telkomunikasi of Indonesia and was a successor to the Palapa series of satellites. Mass of Telkom 1 was 1700 kg in geosynchronous orbit after its on-board engine made the apogee burn. Stationed at 108 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 108 deg E in 1999. As of 3 September 2001 located at 107.98 deg E drifting at 0.011 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 107.98E drifting at 0.014W degrees per day.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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