AngoSat 1

Last updated

AngoSat 1
Mission type Communications
OperatorAngola Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology
COSPAR ID 2017-086A OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. 43087
Website http://www.mtti.gov.ao/
Mission duration15 years (planned)
(contact lost permanently
after 3 days in orbit)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftAngoSat 1
Bus USP Bus
Manufacturer RKK Energia
Launch mass1647 kg
Start of mission
Launch date26 December 2017
19:00:00 UTC [1]
Rocket Zenit-3F / Fregat-SB
Launch site Baikonur, Site 45/1
Contractor Roscosmos
Entered serviceNever (failure in orbit)
End of mission
DisposalDerelict (loss of contact)
Last contact29 December 2017 [2]
Orbital parameters
Reference system GEO
Longitude14° E (planned)
Transponders
Frequency7 Ku band and 16 C band
AngoSat 2  →
 

AngoSat 1 was a geostationary communications satellite operated by Angosat and built by the Russian company RKK Energia. It was the first communications satellite of Angola, designed for a 15-year mission to deliver television, internet, and radio services to Angola and other territories. [2] The satellite suffered a power problem in its first hours on orbit and lost contact with its ground control. After the power problem was resolved, contact was reestablished with the satellite, but ultimately it did not recover, and contact was permanently lost 3 days into the mission. After repeated failures to establish contact in the following weeks and months, the satellite was declared lost. Russia financed, built and launched a replacement satellite named AngoSat 2.

Contents

History

The project was born out of a 2009 agreement between the governments of Angola and Russia, and work started in 2012. The spacecraft was originally supposed to be launched along the Energia 100 satellite on a Zenit-3SL with SeaLaunch in 2016, but political tensions following the annexation of Crimea and SeaLaunch legal issues made the use of the Ukrainian launcher uncertain. Consequently, the launch was first moved to an Angara A5 / Blok DM-03 configuration, and finally back to a Zenit-3F version which was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 26 December 2017, 19:00:00 UTC. [1] [3] The satellite was financed by Rosoboronexport with a 286.2 million euro loan. [4]

Payload

AngoSat 1 is based on RKK Energia's USP Bus of Gazprom Space Systems' Yamal-heritage. Airbus Defence and Space (formerly Astrium) provided the payload. The satellite is designed for direct insertion into the geostationary orbit by the launch vehicle upper stage and therefore does not feature an apogee engine. [5] The AngoSat 1 payload is composed of 16 C band and 6 Ku band transponders supplied by Airbus Defence and Space. [6]

Demise and replacement

On 26 December 2017, RKK Energia announced contact with AngoSat 1 was lost while the satellite was moving to its geostationary orbit due to low onboard batteries. [7] [8] On 27 December 2017, communications had been restored with the satellite after the satellite was properly aligned with the sun to allow the onboard batteries to recharge. [7] [9] On 29 December 2017, Roscosmos and satellite manufacturer RKK Energia confirmed that its onboard systems were in good health. [10]

In the days after the contact was regained with AngoSat-1, the satellite continued drifting westward, according to NORAD data. But independent observers became alarmed, when by mid January, the Angosat had passed over its operational point without any visible attempt to slow down and stop its drift. RKK Energia issued a press release on 15 January 2018, disclosing that the telemetry from the satellite had revealed a problem in the Angosat's power supply system. The company stated that the spacecraft would leave the range of ground control stations before any additional troubleshooting tasks could be attempted. [11] [7] Since the satellite left the communications range of the mission control center in Korolev, the next attempt to contact the satellite and correct the problem took place in April 2018. The satellite failed to respond to signals, and was therefore considered lost. [12]

AngoSat 2

The Russian government and RKK Energia agreed to finance and provide a replacement satellite called AngoSat 2, with upgraded capabilities. The new satellite was expected to be completed within 18 months and delivered towards the end of 2019. In the meantime, Russia loaned Angola equivalent communications relay capacity on its existing satellite fleet. [12]

In January 2020, the Angosat-2 project's readiness status was unclear; rumors were published that the construction of the satellite had been taken away from RKK Energia and given to ISS Reshetnev. At the same time, Angolan press reported the satellite being 50% ready. [13] Angosat 2 was launched aboard a Proton-M on 12 October 2022. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] Angosat-2 has been operational since 23 December 2022. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energia (rocket)</span> Soviet launch vehicle

Energia was a 1980s super-heavy lift launch vehicle. It was designed by NPO Energia of the Soviet Union as part of the Buran program for a variety of payloads including the Buran spacecraft. Control system main developer enterprise was the Khartron NPO "Electropribor". The Energia used four strap-on boosters each powered by a four-chamber RD-170 engine burning kerosene/LOX, and a central core stage with four single-chamber RD-0120 (11D122) engines fueled by liquid hydrogen/LOX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energia (corporation)</span> Russian spacecraft manufacturer

PAO S. P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, also known as RSC Energia, is a Russian manufacturer of spacecraft and space station components. The company is the prime developer and contractor of the Russian crewed spaceflight program; it also owns a majority of Sea Launch. Its name is derived from Sergei Korolev, the first chief of its design bureau, and the Russian word for energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zenit (rocket family)</span> Soviet (now Ukrainian) RP-1/LOX fueled rocket, for satellite launch

Zenit is a family of space launch vehicles designed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau in Dnipro, Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union. Zenit was originally built in the 1980s for two purposes: as a liquid rocket booster for the Energia rocket and, equipped with a second stage, as a stand-alone middle-weight launcher with a payload greater than the 7 tonnes of the Soyuz but smaller than the 20 tonnes payload of the Proton. The last rocket family developed in the USSR, the Zenit was intended as an eventual replacement for the dated Soyuz and Proton families, and it would employ propellants which were safer and less toxic than the Proton's nitrogen tetroxide/UDMH mix. Zenit was planned to take over crewed spaceship launches from Soyuz, but these plans were abandoned after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PA Pivdenmash</span> Ukrainian rocket manufacturer

The State Factory "Production Union Pivdennyi Machine-Building Plant named after O.M. Makarov", officially abbreviated as Pivdenmash and previously as Yuzhmash, meaning Southern Engineering is a Ukrainian state-owned aerospace manufacturer. It was formerly a Soviet state-owned factory prior to 1991.

The Zenit-3SL was an expendable carrier rocket operated by Sea Launch. First flown in 1999, it was launched 36 times, with three failures and one partial failure. It was a member of the Zenit family of rockets, and is built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. RKK Energia produced the Block DM-SL upper stage, whilst the payload fairing was produced by Boeing. Launches were conducted from the Ocean Odyssey platform anchored on the equator in the Pacific Ocean, at a point with 154°W longitude, about 370 kilometres east of Kiritimati.

AsiaSat 5 is a Hong Kong communications satellite, which is operated by the Hong Kong based Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company (AsiaSat). It is positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 100.5° East of the Greenwich Meridian, where it replaced the AsiaSat 2 satellite. It is used to provide fixed satellite services, including broadcasting, telephone and broadband very small aperture terminal (VSAT) communications, to Asia and the Pacific Ocean region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gonets</span> Russian civilian low Earth orbit communication satellite system

Gonets is a Russian civilian low Earth orbit communications satellite system. It consists of a number of satellites, derived from Strela military communications satellites. The first two satellites, which were used to test and validate the system, were launched by a Tsyklon-3 launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on 13 July 1992, and were designated Gonets-D. The first operational satellites, designated Gonets-D1, were launched on 19 February 1996. After launch, the first three satellites were given military Kosmos designations, a practice which was not continued with the other satellites.

Galaxy 11 is an American geostationary communications satellite which is operated by Intelsat. It is located in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 32.8 degrees east, where it serves as a backup to the Intelsat 802 spacecraft. It was originally operated at 99° West and later spent most of its operational life at 91° West, from where it was used to provide communications services to Brazil and North America.

Intelsat 15, also known as IS-15, is a communications satellite owned by Intelsat. Intelsat 15 was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, on a Star-2.4. It is located at 85° E longitude on the geostationary orbit. It was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome to a geosynchronous transfer orbit on 30 November 2009 by a Zenit-3SLB launch vehicle. It has 22 active Ku band transponders, plus eight spares. Five of those transponders are owned and operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Group under the name JCSAT-85.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elektro–L</span>

Elektro–L is a series of meteorological satellites developed for the Russian Federal Space Agency by NPO Lavochkin. The first satellite, Elektro-L No.1, was launched on 2 January 2011. It is the first Russian weather satellite that successfully operates in geostationary orbit, and is currently the second operational Russian weather satellite. The satellites have a mass of about 1620 kg and are designed to operate for 10 years each. They are capable of producing images of the Earth's whole hemisphere in both visible and infrared frequencies, providing data for climate change and ocean monitoring in addition to their primary weather forecasting role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elektro-L No.2</span> Russian geostationary weather satellite

Elektro-L No.2 is a Russian geostationary weather satellite which launched on 11 December 2015. It is the second Elektro-L spacecraft to fly, after Elektro-L No.1 launched in 2011. The Elektro-L No. 2 satellite system was developed by Lavockhin and is part of the second generation of Russian geosynchronous weather satellites. The space platform has an upgrade in star trackers and radio complex. The MSU-GS camera also passed additional tests to improve performance in infrared channels.

The USP, for Universal Space Platform, also known as Viktoria (Виктория), is a highly flexible satellite bus designed and manufactured by RSC Energia. It is called universal because it has been designed to be operated from LEO to GEO. It is a three axis stabilized platform with electric propulsion for station keeping, but chemical propellant is offered as an option. The bus can offer up to 3000 W of power and a payload capacity up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) for Low Earth orbit or HEO an up to 300 kg (660 lb) for geostationary orbit.

Yamal-101 was an intended geostationary communications satellite that was lost after launch. It was built by RSC Energia and operated by Gazprom Space Systems. It was, along with Yamal-102 the first communications satellite of the Yamal programme and the first iteration of the USP Bus. It was a 1,360 kg (3,000 lb) satellite with 2200 watts of power on an unpressurized bus. It had eight SPT-70 electric thrusters by OKB Fakel for station keeping. Its payload was 12 C-band equivalent transponders supplied by Space Systems/Loral.

Yamal-102 was a geostationary communications satellite operated by Gazkom and built by RSC Energia. It was, along with Yamal-101 the first communications satellite of the Yamal programme and the first iteration of the USP Bus. It was a 1,360 kg (3,000 lb) satellite with 2200 watts of power on an unpressurized bus. It had eight SPT-70 electric thrusters by OKB Fakel for station keeping. Its payload was 12 C-band equivalent transponders supplied by Space Systems/Loral.

Yamal-201 was a geostationary communications satellite operated by Gazprom Space Systems and built by RSC Energia. It was, along with Yamal-202 the second dual launch of the Yamal programme and the second iteration of the USP Bus. It was a 1,360 kg (3,000 lb) satellite with 4,080 watts of power on an unpressurized bus. It had eight SPT-70 electric thrusters by OKB Fakel for station keeping. Its payload was 9 C-band and 6 Ku-band transponders supplied by Space Systems/Loral.

Yamal is a communication and broadcasting system developed and operated by Gazprom Space Systems. Born out of the connectivity needs of the natural gas extraction giant Gazprom, the system was spun off in its own company, and opened the network to third parties and even went into the public broadcasting industry. Yamal and Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC)'s Ekspress constellation are the only two national satellite operators in Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irtysh (rocket)</span> Russian rocket, in development

Irtysh, also named Soyuz-5, formerly codenamed Fenix in Russian and Sunkar in Kazakh, is a planned Russian rocket that is being developed by JSC SRC Progress within the "Project Feniks". Initially it will replace the capability of Zenit-2 and Proton Medium, and in the future will serve as the base of a super heavy-lift launch vehicle rocket (Yenisei) to match the Energia/Buran capabilities. As of August 2023, Irtysh is expected to launch from the Baikonur Baiterek, the ex Zenit-2 launch site, in a partnership with the government of Kazakhstan, with a planned debut in December 2025.

The National Space Program Management Office (GGPEN) is an Angolan government agency responsible for promoting the peaceful use of space and conducting technical space studies. GGPEN was established through the Angola Presidential Decree 154/13, page 2673. The agency's mission is to conduct strategic studies aimed at establishing cooperation agreements with technical and scientific institutions in the space domain and ensuring the creation of national technological and human competencies and the transfer of technology and know-how within the scope of the National Space Program. The Angola National Space Strategy plan for 2016-2025 was approved by the presidential decree n. º 85/17, 10 of May, the strategy is based in the following 5 main pillars:

AngoSat 2 is an Angolan geostationary Communications satellite that is designed to provide telecommunications and broadcasting services to Angola and the surrounding regions. It is the successor to the AngoSat 1 satellite, which was launched in 2017 but experienced technical difficulties and was declared dead and a total loss. AngoSat-2 was developed to replace AngoSat-1 and to enhance Angola's communication infrastructure.

References

  1. 1 2 Graham, William (26 December 2017). "Zenit rocket launches with AngoSat-1" . Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 Clark, Stephen (2 December 2017). "Communications restored with newly-launched Angolan satellite". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  3. ↑ Krebs, Gunter Dirk. "AngoSat 1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  4. ↑ "Angola: U.S.$300 Million Invested in Angosat-1 Project". Angola PRESS. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "AngoSat 1".
  6. ↑ "Angosat 1". Satbeams. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Zak, Anatoly. "Zenit successfully delivers Angosat-1". www.russianspaceweb.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  8. ↑ Henry, Caleb (27 December 2017). "Contact Lost with Angosat-1, Manufacturer Says". Space.com. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  9. ↑ "Russian Space Agency Says Contact Regained With Angolan Satellite". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  10. ↑ Henry, Caleb (29 December 2017). "Angosat-1 communications restored after post-launch glitch - SpaceNews.com". SpaceNews.com. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  11. ↑ "No Signs of Life from Russian-built AngoSat, Troubleshooting to Resume in April". Spaceflight101. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  12. 1 2 Blau, Patrick (27 April 2018). "Russia gives up on Silent AngoSat-1, Promises Replacement Satellite to Angola". Spaceflight 101. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  13. ↑ "The Angosat-2 communications satellite".
  14. ↑ "Proton launches Angosat-2 communications satellite".
  15. ↑ "AngoSat 2".
  16. ↑ "ANGOSAT - 2 | VIDEO NA ÍNTEGRA |Lançamento a partir da estação espacial de Baikonur". YouTube .
  17. ↑ "Вывоз РКН "Протон" с КА Angosat-2 на стартовый комплекс". YouTube .
  18. ↑ "Подготовка к пуску ракеты-носителя "Протон-М"". YouTube .
  19. ↑ "Technical details for satellite ANGOSAT 2".
  20. ↑ "Angola's Angosat-2 satellite put in operation in orbit - Russia's Roscosmos".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.