Names | GE-2i Worldsat-3 AMC-13 GE-23 Eutelsat-172A Eutelsat-174A |
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Mission type | Communications |
Operator | SES Americom (2005-2009) SES World Skies (2009-2011) SES S.A. (2011-2012) Eutelsat (2012-present) |
COSPAR ID | 2005-052A |
SATCAT no. | 28924 |
Mission duration | 16 years (planned) 18 years, 7 months, 3 days (elapsed) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | GE-23 [1] |
Spacecraft type | Spacebus 4000 |
Bus | Spacebus 4000C3 |
Manufacturer | Alcatel Space |
Launch mass | 4,981 kg (10,981 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 29 December 2005, 02:28:40 UTC |
Rocket | Proton-M / Briz-M |
Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Site 81/24 |
Contractor | Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center |
Entered service | Mars 2006 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
Regime | Geostationary orbit |
Longitude | 186° West |
Transponders | |
Band | 38 (+10) transponders: 18 (+4) C-band 20 (+6) Ku-band |
Coverage area | Asia-Pacific, West Coast of the United States |
AMC-23 (formerly GE-23) is an American geostationary communications satellite that was launched by a Proton-M / Briz-M launch vehicle at 02:28:40 UTC on 29 December 2005. The 4,981 kg (10,981 lb) satellite to provide services to the Asia-Pacific, West Coast of the United States through separate beams to each region, after parking over the Pacific Ocean through its 18 (+4) C-band and 20 (+6) Ku-band transponders, over 186° West longitude.[2][3]
AMC-13 was originally ordered as GE-2i. In early 2004, AMC-13 was transferred to Worldsat LLC, a new subsidiary of SES Americom as Worldsat 3. The original AMC-13 was to feature 60 C-Band transponders, but when transferred to Worldsat, it was ordered to be changed to the hybrid C-/Ku-band payload with 18 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders. In early 2005, it was renamed AMC-23.[1][3]
In 2007, the satellite was spun-off from SES Americom to GE-Satellite, when General Electric split off from SES. After this transaction, the satellite was renamed GE-23.[1]
Eutelsat has announced in June 2012 the acquisition of GE-23 satellite from GE-Satellite. The satellite is renamed to Eutelsat 172A and expands Eutelsat coverage to Asia-Pacific region and West Coast of United States of America. The satellite had at that time an estimated lifespan of 8.5 years.[1][3]
In 2017, after Eutelsat 172B had replaced it, Eutelsat 172A was moved to 174° East and renamed Eutelsat 174A.[1][3]
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Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses). |