| Names | GE-12 AMC-9 (2003-present) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications |
| Operator | SES Americom (2003-2009) SES World Skies (2009-2011) SES S.A. (2011-2017) |
| COSPAR ID | 2003-024A |
| SATCATno. | 27820 |
| Website | AMC-9 |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) 14 years, 11 days (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | GE-12 |
| Spacecraft type | Spacebus |
| Bus | Spacebus-3000B3[1] |
| Manufacturer | Alcatel Space |
| Launch mass | 4,100 kg (9,000 lb)[2] |
| Dry mass | 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 6 June 2003, 22:15:15UTC |
| Rocket | Proton-K /Briz-M |
| Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Site 200/39 |
| Contractor | Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center |
| Entered service | August 2003 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Graveyard orbit |
| Last contact | 17 June 2017 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 83° West |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 48transpanders: 24C-band 24Ku-band |
| Frequency | 36MHz |
| Coverage area | Canada United States Caribbean |
AMC-9 (formerlyGE-12) is a commercial broadcastcommunications satellite owned bySES World Skies, part ofSES S.A. Launched on 6 June 2003, fromBaikonur Cosmodrome,Kazakhstan, on the 300th launch of aProton family rocket,[3] AMC-9 is a hybridC-band /Ku-band satellite located at 83° West, coveringCanada,United States,Mexico, andCaribbean. It is owned and operated by SES S.A.,[4] formerlySES Americom.
A Proton rocket successfully placed the AMC-9 satellite into orbit forAlcatel Space andSES AMERICOM. The launch was conducted by the U.S.-Russian joint ventureInternational Launch Services (ILS). This marks the 300th flight of a Proton vehicle, including 38 years ofRussian federal missions and seven years with commercial flights under the auspices of ILS. Today's mission was the first Proton rocket launch of the year for ILS. The vehicle used today was Proton vehicle with aBriz-Mupper stage, which lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 22:15 on 6 June 2003UTC. After 8 hours and 55 minutes, the AMC-9 satellite was separated from the Briz-M and placed into geostationary transfer orbit. Satellite builder Alcatel Space ofCannes,France, contracted for the launch as a delivery-in-orbit mission.[5]
The GEO communications spacecraft AMC-9, formerly known as GE-12, experienced an energetic event estimated to have occurred at approximately 07:10UTC on 17 June 2017, after approximately 14 years on-orbit. SES S.A., the spacecraftowner-operator, described this event as a "serious anomaly". Following this event, the spacecraft began a westward drift in the GEO belt. Debris fragments have been observed in the vicinity of the AMC-9 spacecraft. The NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) characterizes this episode as an anomalous event. The spacecraft bus is the popularThales Alenia Space (formerly Alcatel Space)Spacebus-3000B3satellite bus. Spacecraft dry mass is estimated to be on the order of 2000 kg. On-board stored energy sources include fuel and pressurized components, as well as the battery subsystem.[6] SES claims that it re-established contact with the satellite on 1 July 2017, that it poses no risk of a collision with other active satellites, and that by the end of the day following the anomaly, most of AMC-9's traffic had been transferred to other SES satellites.[7][8][1] SES regained control of the spacecraft and retired AMC-9 to the long-term super-synchronousgraveyard orbit.[9]
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