The troubled
history of Paksat 1.
(Its also been called Palapa C1, Hughes HGS 3, & Anatolia 1!)
Page updated 20th Novemberl 2004 with the latest corrected launch info
Whilst researching out some information for the tribute page for Astra 1A, I ran across some information about Anatolia 1. This satellite originally started life as Palapa C1, serving Indonesia!
Palapa C1 is a series 601 satellite, built by Boeing. It was launched on 31st January 1996 from Cape Canaveral using an Atlas 2AS booster, and was slotted at 150ºEast. (Palapa means "fruits of labour" in Indonesian).
A Palapa-C series launch.
Unfortunately, the 601 series satellites have proved to be rather unreliable in orbit, and several have failed with electrical related problems. At least three seem to have been total losses, and more are damaged...
Palapa C series satellite in orbit.
Electrical Problems.
On 24th November 1998, less than three years after launch, Palapa C1 experienced electrical problems. This problem was different from those afflicting some of the other satellites - in this case the Battery Charge Controller failed. This left the satellite with no way to recharge its onboard batteries after an eclipse period.
This is a major fault on a satellite because it means that no backup power is available during the eclipse periods which happen twice every year at the equinoxes. On undamaged satellites, the batteries provide the power needed to run the satellite for the few days every six months when the sun is in the wrong place to illuminate the solar cells. Due to the onboard failure, the transponders on Anatolia 1 now had to be switched off during this time.
lnsurance Claims.
Palapa C1 was declared unusable. Its mission to provide telecommunications links for the Indonesian islands was finished after less than three years. An insurance claim was settled, and the satellite ownership passed to the insurance company. January 1999, Hughes Global Services purchased the satellite from the insurers, the satellite was renamed HGS 3, and work started to develop procedures that would allow the satellite a useful working life. (Despite this, the satellite still does not generate sufficient power to keep it running through the eclipse periods. For 88 days a year there is a 3 hour slot between 11pm and 2am when there is insufficient power generated to power the payload. Despite this, the satellite availability is over 96%, and all transponders are reported as healthy).
A New Working Life.
Kalitel, which is a USA based company, leased HGS 3 from Hughes, and in December 2000, it was moved it to 50º East. Its name was changed again, to Anatolia 1. (50E is a Turkish registered orbital slot). Its expected life span is 10 years in geostationary orbit. It finally re-entered service on 12th February 2001.
August 2002 - On the move again, and a new name - Paksat 1
At the beginning of August 2002, it was announced that the Turkish lease had ended, and the satellite was to be leased to Pakistan for 5 years. It will be moved to 38E, a Pakistan registered orbital slot. Pakistan has to have a satellite occupy this orbital slot by April 2003, or it will lose the slot permanently. Apparently 4 other slots have been lost in this way already, and 38ºE is the final Pakistan slot. The satellite should be operational in it's new home by the end of December 2002. Pakistan will construct Paksat 2 to replace Paksat 1 by the end of the 5 year lease.
April 2004 - Operational again :-)
The satellite was moved to 38E, and geostationary on 20th December 2002. It sat at 38E out of use until April 2004, mid month it was fired up again. The first signals operating off it are C-band channels. According to the Paksat 1 web site the spacecraft is still fully operational apart from the eclipse period blackouts. (44 days twice a ayear). These range from a few minutes a day, to a couple of hours at the worst times.
Sadly, the footprints for this bird now mean it will be almost impossible for anyone without a very big dish to get any signals off Paksat 1 whilst it is at its new home..
Satellite specifications at launch.
30 C band transponders (plus 8 spare). (All still operational).
6 Ku band transponders (10950 - 11690MHz / 13750 - 14490 MHz). (All still operational).
4 transponders are available for normal band transmissions, and 2 are for use at higher frequencies for data transmission.
Average rated transmission power in Ku band: 50 dBW
Channel bandwidth: 72Mhz
Size: 21m (68 ft 10 inches) across extended solar panels.
Weight: 1775 kg (3905 lbs).
The 4 Ku band transponder frequencies to watch out for are:
10990 / 11150 / 11490 / 11650 Mhz
Palapa C series in orbit over Indonesia.
The pictures and some of the technical information are from the Hughes Global Services / Boeing web site.
If you arrived here from a search engine and dont see the frameset, click here to get to the front page.
The web site will not work properly if you dont.