Galaxy IVR to Serve North America and Provide Back-up Service to South America
| Customer | PanAmSat Corporation, United States |
|---|---|
| Spacecraft | Hughes 601HP |
| Launch Date Vehicle Site |
April 18, 2000 Ariane 42L Kourou, French Guiana |
| Orbital Slot | 99 degrees W Longitude |
| Contract life | 15 years |
In Oct. 1998, PanAmSat Corporation returned to Hughes Space and Communications Company, now Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc., of El Segundo, Calif. for three new satellites. One of these is Galaxy IVR, a replacement satellite for Galaxy IV, but with increased capability.
Galaxy IVR, Hughes 601HP or "high power" spacecraft, will provide broadcast and telecommunications service to North America, with the capability to provide back-up services to Latin America. The satellite was built on an expedited basis. Hughes, recognizing the importance of being prepared to quickly launch replacement satellites for its customers, had ordered many of the long-lead items. This, coupled with the increased production capacity in the Integrated Satellite Factory, the world's largest, made it possible for Hughes to provide Galaxy IVR to PanAmSat in such a short time period.
Galaxy IVR was originally scheduled for a Proton launch, but because of a launch failure Pan Am Sat shifted to an Ariane 4 launch vehicle. Hughes and Arianespace worked together to make the change in near record time. Galaxy IVR was successfully launched on April 18, 2000.
PanAmSat has ordered 14 Hughes 601 satellites. Galaxy IVR features such innovations as dual-junction gallium arsenide solar cells, which have the ability to convert nearly 22% of the sun's rays into electrical power, and XIPS, a xenon ion propulsion system that is 10 times more efficient than the conventional bipropellant systems. With XIPS TM, a 90% reduction of propellant mass is possible, enabling the customer to opt for more payload, reduced launch costs, longer satellite life, or any combination of the above.
PanAmSat Corporation (NASDAQ:SPOT), based in Greenwich, Conn., is a leading provider of global video and data broadcasting services via satellite. The company builds, owns and operates networks that deliver entertainment and information to cable television systems, TV broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home TV operators, Internet service providers, telecommunications companies and corporations. With 20 spacecraft in orbit today, PanAmSat has the world's largest commercial geostationary satellite network. The company will expand its global fleet to 24 spacecraft by mid-2001.
SATELLITE SPECIFICATIONS
| Solar Beginning of life End of life Panels |
8.8 kw 8.0 kw 2 wings, each w/4 panels of dual-junction gallium arsenide solar cells |
|---|---|
| Batteries | 29-cell NiH, 350-Ahr |
| C-band | 24 active 40-w TWTAs |
|---|---|
| Ku-band | 24 active 108-w TWTAs |
| Liquid apogee motor |
110 lbf (490 N) |
|---|---|
| Stationkeeping thrusters N-S Primary (xenon ion) N-S Backup (bipropellant) E-W (bipropellant) Aft (bipropellant) |
13 cm (0.017 N) 4 x 2 lbf (10 N) 4 x 2 lbf (10 N) 4 x 2 lbf (10 N) |
| In orbit | L, solar arrays: 86 ft (26 m) W, antennas: 23 ft (7 m) |
|---|---|
| Stowed | H: 13 ft 3 in (4 m) W: 8 ft 10 in x 11 ft 9 in (2.7 m x 3.6 m) |
| Weights Launch In orbit (beginning of life) |
8088 lb (3668 kg) 4886 lb (2216 kg) |