Program: Echostar. Objective: Communications. Overview: US communciation satellite project. Major Events:
- 1999 September 23 - Echostar 5. Spacecraft: FS-1300. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas.
The Centaur second stage put Echostar 5 into a supersynchronous transfer orbit of 131 km x 45526 km x 26.6 degrees. The satellite's own engine put it into the final geosynchronous orbit. Echostar 5 was a Ku-band satellite, part of the Dish Network. Stationed at 110 deg W. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 110 deg W in 1999. As of 5 September 2001 located at 110.01 deg W drifting at 0.003 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 128.86W drifting at 0.001E degrees per day.
- 2002 February 21 - Echostar 7. Spacecraft: LM 700. Mass: 690 kg (1,520 lb). Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V.
Direct Broasdcasting satellite. The first launch of the Atlas 3B, with the Common Centaur stretched two-engine upper stage. Launch delayed from December 19, 2001 and January 22. The Echostar 7 communications satellite was placed into geostationary transfer orbit. The first burn of the Centaur put the stack into a 185 x 193 km x 28.1 deg parking orbit. At 1305 UTC the Centaur burned again to achieve the final 245 x 57060 km x 22.6 deg transfer orbit and separated from Echostar. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 118.92W drifting at 0.006W degrees per day.
- 2002 August 22 - Echostar 8. Spacecraft: FS-1300. Mass: 4,660 kg (10,270 lb). Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton.
Launch delayed from June 16 and 22, July 18, August 2 and 20 due to payload problems. Echostar 8 was an American geostationary communication spacecraft. The 4.7-ton satellite was to provide digital TV broadcast to North America through its 16 spot beams and 41 transponders in the Ku-band after parking over 110° W longitude. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 110.01W drifting at 0.003W degrees per day.
- 2003 August 8 - Echostar 9 (Telstar 13). Spacecraft: FS-1300. Mass: 4,737 kg (10,443 lb). Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit.
Originally to have launched December 2002. Echostar 9 carried a Ku and Ka band communications payload for Echostar, and a C-band payload owned by Loral Skynet but about to be sold to Intelsat. Loral called the satellite Telstar 13. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 121.04W drifting at 0.007W degrees per day.
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© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.
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