| Names | JCSAT-14 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communication |
| Operator | SKY Perfect JSAT Group |
| COSPAR ID | JCSAT-14[1] |
| SATCATno. | 41471[2] |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | JCSAT-14 |
| Bus | SSL 1300 |
| Manufacturer | SSL |
| Launch mass | 4,696.2 kg (10,353 lb)[3] |
| Dry mass | 2,194.2 kg (4,837 lb) |
| Dimensions | 25.5 m (84 ft) (solar arrays span) |
| Power | 9.9 kW |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 05:21, May 6, 2016 (UTC) (2016-05-06T05:21:00Z) |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Full Thrust |
| Launch site | Cape CanaveralSLC-40 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Longitude | 154°East |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 26C band and 18Ku band |
| Bandwidth | 2,853 MHz |
JCSAT-2B, known asJCSAT-14 before commissioning, is ageostationarycommunications satellite operated bySKY Perfect JSAT Group and designed and manufactured bySSL on theSSL 1300 platform.[4][5] It had a launch weight of 4,696.2 kg (10,353 lb), a power production capacity of 9 to 9.9 kW at end of life and a 15-year design life.[3] Its payload is composed of 26C band and 18Ku bandtransponders with a total bandwidth of 2,853 MHz.[3]
SKY Perfect JSAT Group will use JCSAT-2B as a replacement forJCSAT-2A to provide communications services to Japan, Asia, Russia, Oceania, and the Pacific Islands.[5]
On June 11, 2013,SSL announced that it had been awarded a contract bySKY Perfect JSAT Group to manufactureJCSAT-14. It would be a 10 kW satellite with 26C band and 18Ku band transponders with a 15 years of expected life. It was scheduled for launch in 2015.[6]
On January 10, 2014, JSAT announced that it had signed a launch service contract withSpaceX for the launch of JCSAT-14 aboard aFalcon 9 rocket. The expected launch date was the second half of 2015.[7] But the failure ofFalcon 9 Flight 19 meant a delay of at least six months on the launch.[3]
On March 14, 2016, SSL delivered JCSAT-14 to the launch site, atCape Canaveral Air Force Station, for launch processing and integration.[8]JCSAT-14 was launched on May 6, 2016, at 05:21 UTC by aFalcon 9 rocket.[3] The next day, SSL announced that the satellite had deployed the solar arrays, was in full control and was performing orbital maneuvers to reach its operational position.[9]
Since July 2016, the rechristened JCSAT-2B is commissioned and operational at the154° East orbital slot.[10]
JCSAT-14 was launched togeostationary transfer orbit on May 6, 2016, at 05:21 UTC, as the 24th mission of aFalcon 9 Full Thrust rocket.[3] The rocket's first stage subsequently landed on theautonomous spaceport drone shipOf Course I Still Love You in the Atlantic Ocean.[11]
The first stage of the rocket encountered "extreme temperatures during its reentry into Earth atmosphere" and was subsequently identified as a candidate for reflight, and as a "reference vehicle" for further testing. It was subjected to a series of tests, including a 150-second full-duration engine firing completed on 28 July 2016. Additional tests were planned before SpaceX determines the stage's suitability for reuse on a subsequent launch.[12] SpaceX has since completed at least 7 more full-duration firings of the core, and has indicated that this stage will be used solely for ground testing purposes.[citation needed]
