Focus on Tele X - a Scandanavian pioneer

Diagram of Tele-X

Tele-X was designed as the first stage of a telecommunications project that was originally to include Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark. However, as time progressed, it was eventually to become just a Swedish project.

Tele-X was based around the Aerospatiale Spacebus 300 spacecraft. Craft details are below:

On-orbit mass:    1300 kgs.

Size:    1.7m x 2.4m x 2.4m

Stabilisation:    3-axis.

Solar panels:    19m across / output more than 3000 W.

Antennas:    1 receive and 1 transmit.

Design lifetime:    6 to 8 years.

Operator:    NSAB

It was launched from Kourou in French Guiana by Ariane 2 flight V30 on 2nd April 1989. After shakedown, it went into service at 5 šE, providing communications across Scandanavia, and into eastern Europe. Despite having an 8 year expected lifespan, the end came for Tele-X after almost 9 years. On 16 January 1998, with its fuel just about exhausted, it was sent up off the main orbital plane into a graveyard orbit.

Tele-X had 3 TV transponders, 2 data, with 1 spare, all of which were pointed at the Nordic area. It carried both analogue and digital channels during its lifetime.

Channels carried on the satellite included:

Some of the technical info for this page has been taken from the NSAB website.

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