| Customer | PanAmSat Corporation Greenwich, CT |
|---|---|
| Spacecraft | 4 Hughes 601 |
| Launch | PAS-2, July 8, 1994, Ariane 44L, Kourou, French Guiana (PAS-3, Dec. 1, 1994, Ariane 42P, Kourou, launch vehicle failure) PAS-3, Jan. 12, 1996, Ariane 44L, Kourou PAS-4, Aug. 3, 1995, Ariane 42L, Kourou |
| Orbital Slot | PAS-2, 169 ° E PAS-3, 43 ° W PAS-4, 68.5 ° E |
| Contract life | 15 years |
In November 1991, PanAmSat Corporation ordered three Hughes 601 model satellites from Hughes Space and Communications Company, now Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc. The satellites provide video services for program distribution and syndication; data services for business applications; and services for video, radio, data and telephone transmission. They were placed over the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, respectively. In August 1993, PanAmSat ordered a fourth satellite, to be used as a spare. The spare was pressed into service to replace the first PAS-3 spacecraft, which was lost during a launch vehicle failure.
The PAS spacecraft were the first in the Hughes 601 line to use Hughes' patented advanced shaped reflector antennas. These lightweight reflectors have an intricately contoured surface that shapes the signal to the targeted land area, eliminating the need for a heavy feedhorn array.
The Hughes 601-now Boeing 601-satellites are three-axis, body-stabilized models. The series was introduced in 1987 to meet anticipated requirements for high-power, multiple-payload satellites for such applications as direct-to-home television broadcasting, private business networks, and mobile communications. The spacecraft body is composed of two modules: the primary structure that carries all launch vehicle loads and contains the propulsion subsystem, bus electronics, and battery packs; and a honeycomb structure that houses communications equipment, electronics, and isothermal heat pipes. Reflectors, antenna feeds, and solar arrays are mounted directly to the payload module, and antenna configurations can be placed on three faces of the bus. Such a modular approach allows work to proceed in parallel on the two structures, thereby shortening the manufacturing schedule and test time.
PanAmSat Corporation is the world's leading commercial provider of satellite-based communications services. PanAmSat maintains two operations centers, one in Long Beach, Calif., and the other in Ellenwood, Ga., outside Atlanta. The operations center near Atlanta is also a full-service teleport along with PanAmSat facilities in Fillmore and Napa, Calif.; Castle Rock, Colo.; Homestead, Fla.; and Spring Creek, N.Y.
Boeing Satellite Systems is the world's leading manufacturer of commercial geostationary communications satellites. It is also a major supplier of spacecraft for communications and space exploration to the U.S. government, and builds weather satellites for the United States and Japan.
PAS-2, 3, 4 SPECIFICATIONS
| PAS-2,3 C-band |
16 active (4 spare) 34-w SSPAs |
|---|---|
| Ku-band | 16 active (4 spare) 63-w TWTAs |
| PAS-4 C-band |
16 active (4 spare) 30-w SSPAs |
| Ku-band | 24 active (6 spare) 60-w TWTAs |
| Solar Beginning of life End of life Panels |
4.7 kw 4.3 kw 2 wings, each w/4 panels of K-4 3/4 silicon cells |
|---|---|
| Batteries | 32-cell NiH |
| Liquid apogee motor | 110 lbf (490 N) |
|---|---|
| Stationkeeping thrusters | 12 x 5 lbf (22 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) |
| Weight Launch In orbit (beginning of life) |
6439 lb (2920 kg) 3800 lb (1727 kg) |