| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | DirecTV |
| COSPAR ID | 2005-046A |
| SATCATno. | 28902 |
| Mission duration | 12 years (planned) 19 years, 11 months, 1 day (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | BSS-702 |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Launch mass | 6116 kg |
| Dry mass | 3800 kg |
| Power | 12.3 kW |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 November 2005, 23:46:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Ariane 5ECA |
| Launch site | Kourou,ELA-3 |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| Entered service | 19 April 2006 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 99.2° West |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 48Ka-bandtransponders |
| Frequency | 500 MHz |
| Coverage area | North America |
Spaceway-2[1] is part ofDirecTV's constellation of direct broadcast satellites. The satellite was launched via anArianespaceAriane 5 ECA rocket fromKourou,French Guiana on 16 November 2005. Its operational position is in geosynchronous orbit 35,800 kilometres (22,200 mi) above the equator at 99.2° West longitude. Spaceway-2 is aBoeing 702-model satellite with a 12-yearlife expectancy. It is expected to supporthigh-definition television toDirecTV customers with itsKa-band communications payload. Although Spaceway-2 was originally built by Boeing to be used forbroadband Internet access viaHughes Network Systems, it has been retrofitted to deliver HD local channels (NBC,ABC,CBS, andFox) to numerous markets nationwide.
On 19 April 2006, the satellite was delivered to DirecTV's control after successful on-orbit testing. Spaceway-2 immediately started broadcasting HD locals to DirecTV customers in eight more markets:Minneapolis, Minnesota;Sacramento andSan Diego, California;Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;Nashville, Tennessee;Kansas City, Missouri;Columbus, Ohio; andBirmingham, Alabama. Satellites namedT10 (launched in 2007) andT11 (launched in 2008), constructed by Boeing, also for use in high-definition television, are bent-pipe Ka-band satellites instead of regenerative satellites, and are being used to continue the expansion of DirecTV's HD services.
Spaceway-2 was originally envisioned as a global Ka-band communications system.
Boeing retrofitted the Spaceway-2 satellite for bent-pipe Ka-band communications for use inhigh-definition television and disabled the regenerative on-board processing of the original system that was to be used for theSpaceway broadband satellite communications.
T11 is co-located with Spaceway-2 satellites in order to use the 500 MHz of unused spectrum for HDTV broadcasting. This spectrum was originally intended for the broadband internet capabilities of the two Spaceway satellites which were disabled byHughes Network Systems at the request of DirecTV.
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