TheBroadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) is a Japanese corporation established in April 1993 to procure, manage and lease transponders oncommunications satellites. Its largest stockholder, owning 49.9%, isNHK, theJapan Broadcasting Corporation.[1] In 1994, it was ranked bySpace News as the world's 19th largest fixed satellite operator.[2]
The B-SAT fleet has an extensive history. This is an overview of the satellites.
These satellites were managed by Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation but are now decommissioned.[3]
BSAT-1a was anHS-376 based satellite with 4 active plus 4 sparesKu-bandtransponders. It was successfully launched on 16 April 1997 aboard anAriane 44LP alongThaicom 3.[4]
BSAT-1b was anHS-376 based satellite with 4 active plus 4 sparesKu-bandtransponders. It was successfully launched on 28 April 1998 aboard anAriane 44P alongNilesat 101.[4]
BSAT-2a was manufactured byOrbital Sciences Corporation based on theStar Bus platform. It was launched aboard anAriane 5G rocket on 8 March 2001. BSAT-2a serves as an on orbit backup to BSAT-2c. BSAT-2a was decommissioned in January 2013.[5]
BSAT-2b was a twin of BSAT-2a, also based on theStar Bus platform. Launched alongArtemis aboard an Ariane 5G, it was left on an unusable orbit and that it couldn't compensate for. The electric propulsion Artemis, could use its higher efficiency ion drives, to reach operational orbit.[6][7]
BSAT-2c was manufactured byOrbital Sciences Corporation Based on theStar Bus platform. It was launched aboard anAriane 5 rocket on 11 June 2003. In-orbit delivery to B-SAT took place 15 July 2003.[8] BSAT-2c was decommissioned in August 2013.[5]
The current fleet of Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation as of August 2020 is composed of five spacecraft.[3]
Launched on 14 August 2007 by anAriane 5 ECAlaunch vehicle.[9] It was manufactured byLockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems based on theA2100A platform design, with a communications payload containing 12Ku-band channels, eight of which operate at one time.[10] Located ingeostationary orbit at 110.0° East longitude, it replaced BSAT-1a and BSAT-1b.[1]
B-SAT awarded Lockheed Martin the contract to build its next geostationary telecommunications satellite, BSAT-3b, which was launched byArianespace aboard an Ariane 5 ECA (along with theEutelsat W3B) on 28 October 2010.[11][12][13]
BSAT-3c, also known asJCSAT-110R, is a satellite co-owned withSKY Perfect JSAT with each operator owning a separate payload. It was built byLockheed Martin on itsA2100A platform. It has two separate payloads with 12Ku-bandtransponders each. It was successfully launched on 7 August 2011 on anAriane 5 ECA alongAstra 1N.[14]
The first satellite of the fourth generation BSAT was built bySSL on itsSSL 1300 platform. It has 24Ku-bandtransponders and mass of 3,520 kilograms (7,760 lb). BSAT-4a launched on 29 September 2017 aboard anAriane 5 ECA.[15]
The second satellite of the fourth generation BSAT was built byMaxar Technologies on itsSSL 1300 platform. It has 24Ku-bandtransponders and mass around 3,530 kilograms (7,780 lb). BSAT-4b was launched aboard anAriane 5 ECA on 15 August 2020.[16]
| Name | Bus | Payload | Order | Launch | Launch Vehicle | Launch Result | Launch Weight | Status | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BS-3N | AS-3000 | 3Ku-band | — | 8 July 1994 | Ariane 44L | Success | 1,100 kilograms (2,400 lb) | Decommissioned in August 2011 | Launched withPAS 2.[17] Transferred to B-SAT in November 1998.[5][18] |
| BSAT-1a | HS-376 | 4Ku-band | 1993 | 16 April 1997 | Ariane 44LP | Success | 1,236 kilograms (2,725 lb) | Decommissioned in August 2010 | Launched withThaicom 3. |
| BSAT-1b | HS-376 | 4Ku-band | 1993 | 28 April 1998 | Ariane 44P | Success | 1,236 kilograms (2,725 lb) | Decommissioned in August 2011 | Launched withNilesat 101. |
| BSAT-2a | STAR-1 | 4Ku-band | 1999 | 8 March 2001 | Ariane 5G | Success | 1,292 kilograms (2,848 lb) | Decommissioned in January 2013 | Launched withEurobird 1.[6][5] |
| BSAT-2b | STAR-1 | 4Ku-band | 1999 | 12 July 2001 | Ariane 5G | Failure | 1,292 kilograms (2,848 lb) | Launch failure | Launched withArtemis. Launch failure left it in too low an orbit.[6][5] |
| BSAT-2c | STAR-1 | 4Ku-band | 2001 | 11 June 2003 | Ariane 5G | Success | 1,275 kilograms (2,811 lb) | Decommissioned in August 2013 | Launched withOptus C1.[5][19] |
| BSAT-3a | A2100A | 12Ku-band | 2005 | 14 August 2007 | Ariane 5 ECA | Success | 1,967 kilograms (4,336 lb) | Operational at 110.0° East | Launched alongSpaceway-3.[5][20] |
| BSAT-3b | A2100A | 12Ku-band | 2008 | 28 October 2010 | Ariane 5 ECA | Success | 2,060 kilograms (4,540 lb) | Operational at 110.0° East | Launched withEutelsat W3B.[5][20] |
| BSAT-3c | A2100A | 24Ku-band and 24C-band | 2008 | 6 August 2011 | Ariane 5 ECA | Success | 2,910 kilograms (6,420 lb) | Operational at 110.0° East | Launched withAstra 1N. Co-owned withSKY Perfect JSAT, named asJCSAT-110R. Backup ofN-SAT-110.[14][5] |
| BSAT-4a | SSL 1300 | 24Ku-band | 2015 | 29 September 2017 | Ariane 5 ECA | Success | 3,520 kilograms (7,760 lb) | Operational at 110.0° East | Launched withIntelsat 37e |
| BSAT-4b | SSL 1300 | 24Ku-band | 2018 | 15 August 2020 | Ariane 5 ECA | Success | 3,530 kilograms (7,780 lb) | Success at 110.0° East | Launched withGalaxy 30 andMEV-2 |
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