Powerhouse Coverage for Western Hemisphere

Telesat Canada ordered one of the world's most advanced communications satellites when it contracted for a Boeing 702 model from Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc., in early 1998. The powerful, 15-kilowatt spacecraft named Anik F1 inaugurates Telesat's next generation and sixth series of satellites. It was successfully launched on an Ariane 4 on Nov. 21, 2000.

The satellite carries 84 active transponders to provide general telecommunications services for North and South America, from Telesat's operating slot of 107.3 degrees West longitude.

Anik F1 takes full advantage of the technological advances Boeing incorporated into its new 702 model spacecraft. To generate such high power, the two solar wings employ high-efficiency, dual-junction gallium arsenide solar cells. The payload consists of 48 Ku-band transponders and 36 in C-band. To provide 15 years' service, Anik F1 carries flight-proven xenon ion propulsion system (XIPS) for all on-orbit maneuvering. Construction was carried out in the Boeing Integration and Test Complex factory near Los Angeles International Airport. Boeing also provided satellite control software for Telesat's headquarters in Gloucester, Ontario, and its primary ground station in Allan Park, Ontario.

Stowed (left); In Orbit (right)

Telesat is Canada's national satellite communications company. "Anik" means "little brother" in the Inuit language. Boeing Satellite Systems built Telesat's first satellites, the Anik A series, more than 25 years ago. It also built the Anik C series in the late 1970s and, along with Canada's Spar Aerospace, built the Anik D satellites in the early 1980s. Both series are Boeing 376 model satellites, which were state-of-the-art spacecraft at the time, with about 1 kilowatt of power and 16 to 24 active transponders. The Anik F1 satellite offers 15 times the power and almost four times the number of transponders.

The 702 model was first introduced in 1995, in response to customer requests for a high-power, high-capacity, multiple-payload satellite that could be delivered in minimum time and be launched on a variety of vehicles.

Boeing Satellite Systems is the world's leading manufacturer of commercial communications satellites and a major provider of space systems, satellites and payloads for national defense, science and environmental applications.