| Names | Westar 6 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications |
| Operator | AsiaSat |
| COSPAR ID | 1990-030A |
| SATCATno. | 20558 |
| Website | https://www.asiasat.com |
| Mission duration | 9 years (planned) 12.5 years (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | AsiaSat-1 |
| Bus | HS-376 |
| Manufacturer | Hughes Space and Communications |
| Launch mass | 1,244 kg (2,743 lb) |
| Dry mass | 620 kg (1,370 lb) |
| Dimensions | 2.16 m (7 ft 1 in) diameter 6.6 m (22 ft) height stowed: 2.84 m (9 ft 4 in) |
| Power | 850watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 7 April 1990, 13:30:02UTC |
| Rocket | Long March 3 |
| Launch site | Xichang,LA-3 |
| Contractor | CGWIC |
| Entered service | June 1990 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Graveyard orbit |
| Deactivated | January 2003 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 100.5° East (1990–1999) 122° East (1999–2003) |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 24C-band |
| Bandwidth | 36MHz |
| Coverage area | Asia,Pacific Ocean |
AsiaSat 1 was aHong Kongcommunications satellite, which was owned, and was operated, by the Hong Kong–basedAsia Satellite Telecommunications Company. It was originally launched in February 1984 asWestar 6, but following a booster motor failure it was retrieved and returned to Earth in November of that year bySpace Shuttle missionSTS-51-A. After being sold toAsiaSat and refurbished, it was relaunched in April 1990, and positioned ingeostationary orbit at alongitude of 100.5° East. It spent its operational life at 100.5° East,[1] from where it was used to providefixed satellite services, including broadcasting, audio and data transmission, toAsia and thePacific Ocean.[2]
As Westar 6, the satellite was built byHughes Space and Communications. It was based on theHS-376satellite bus. At launch it had a mass of 1,244 kg (2,743 lb),[2] and a design life of thirteen years. It carried twenty fourC-bandtransponders.[1] After launch from the Space Shuttle as part of missionSTS-41-B itsPAM-D booster rocket misfired, and the satellite was stranded in a useless low orbit. It was retrieved during another Shuttle mission (STS-51-A) in November 1984, and Hughes was contracted to refurbish it. Westar 6 was eventually sold, for US$58 million, to the AsiaSat consortium and renamed AsiaSat 1.[2]
The launch of AsiaSat 1 was contracted to theChina Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), and used aLong March 3launch vehicle. The launch was conducted fromXichang Launch Area 3 (LA-3) at theXichang Satellite Launch Centre at 13:30:02UTC on 7 April 1990.[3]
Asiasat 1 was replaced byAsiaSat 3S in May 1999. It remains in a graveyard orbit.
