 high resolution image available here |
| CLEAREST COMMUNICATIONS - A technician at Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS) is dwarfed by a 12.25-meter (40-foot) reflector designed for geostationary satellites BSS is building for regional mobile communications, known as the Boeing GEM spacecraft. The reflector transmits and receives signals from an L-band feed array, forming a large number of small spot beams that can be adjusted as phone traffic warrants. The reflector is made of composite materials and weighs 78 kilograms (170 pounds), and compresses into a compact package 1.3 meters (50 inches) diameter by 3.8 meters (150 inches) long for launch. The first Boeing GEM spacecraft will be the Thuraya-1 satellite, scheduled for launch on Oct. 18, 2000 from a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket on the equator.
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BOEING SATELLITE SYSTEMS, INC. Public Relations Department P.O. Box 92919 (S10/S323) Los Angeles, CA 90009 Media Relations (310) 364-6363 www.boeing.com |
97PR-00427c |