JCSAT-2 was a geostationary communications satellite designed and manufactured by Hughes (now Boeing) on the HS-393 satellite bus. It was originally ordered by Japan Communications Satellite Company (JCSAT), which later merged into the JSAT Corporation. It had a Ku-band payload and operated on the 154° East longitude until it was replaced by JCSAT-2A.[5]

JCSAT-2
Mission typeCommunications
OperatorJSAT Corporation
COSPAR ID1990-001B [1]
SATCAT no.20402
Mission duration8 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftJCSAT-2
Spacecraft typeJCSAT
BusHS-393
ManufacturerHughes
Launch mass2,280 kg (5,030 lb)
BOL mass1,364 kg (3,007 lb)
Dimensions3.7 m × 10 m × 2.3 m (12.1 ft × 32.8 ft × 7.5 ft) with solar panels and antennas deployed.
Power2.350 kW
Start of mission
Launch date1 January 1990, 00:07 UTC[2]
RocketCommercial Titan III (s/n CT-1) (maiden launch)
Launch siteCape Canaveral, SLC-40
ContractorMartin Marietta
End of mission
DisposalGraveyard orbit
Deactivated2002 [3]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit[4]
RegimeGeostationary orbit
Longitude154° East
Transponders
Band32 Ku-band × 27 Mhz[5]
Bandwidth864 MHz
Coverage areaJapan
TWTA power20 watts
← JCSAT-1
JCSAT-3 →

Satellite description

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The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications Company on the HS-393 satellite bus. It had a launch mass of 2,280 kg (5,030 lb), a mass of 1,364 kg (3,007 lb) after reaching geostationary orbit and an 8-year design life. When stowed for launch, its dimensions were 3.4 m (11 ft) long and 3.7 m (12 ft) in diameter.[6] With its solar panels fully extended it spanned 10 m (33 ft).[5] Its power system generated approximately 2350 watts of power thanks to two cylindrical solar panels.[5] It also had a two 38 Ah NiH2 batteries.[5] It would serve as the main satellite on the 150° East longitude position of the JSAT fleet.[5]

Its propulsion system was composed of two R-4d-12 liquid apogee engine (LAE) with a thrust of 490 N (110 lbf). It also used two axial and four radial 22 N (4.9 lbf) bipropellant thrusters for station keeping and attitude control.[6] It included enough propellant for orbit circularization and 8 years of operation.[5] Its payload was composed of a 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) antenna fed by thirty-two 27 MHz Ku-band transponders for a total bandwidth of 864 MHz.[5] The Ku-band transponders had a Traveling-wave tube#Traveling-wave-tube amplifier (TWTA) output power of 20 watts.[5]

History

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With the opening of the Japanese satellite communications market to private investment, Japan Communications Satellite Company (JCSAT) was founded in 1985.[7][8] In June of the same year, JCSAT awarded an order to Hughes Space and Communications for two identical satellites, JCSAT-1 and JCSAT-2, based on the spin-stabilized HS-393 satellite bus.[5] JCSAT-2 was successfully launched aboard a Commercial Titan III (maiden launch) along Skynet 4A on 1 January 1990 at 00:07 UTC.[1][5] Originally expected to be retired in 2000, it was finally sent to a graveyard orbit on 2002.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Display: JCSAT 2 1990-001B". NASA. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "Trajectory: JCSAT 2 1990-001B". NASA. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Yanagisawa, Toshifumi (9 March 2016). "Lightcurve observations of LEO objects in JAXA" (PDF). JAXA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  4. ^ "JCSAT 2". N2YO.com. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Krebs, Gunter (21 April 2016). "JCSat 1, 2". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  6. ^ a b "JCSAT 1, 2". Boeing. Archived from the original on 7 February 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  7. ^ "History". SKY Perfect JSAT. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  8. ^ "JCSAT". Global Security. Retrieved 4 August 2016.