Sky Muster

Last updated

NBN-Co 1A
Mission type Communication
Operator NBN
COSPAR ID 2015-054A OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. 40940 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Spacecraft properties
Bus SSL 1300
Manufacturer SSL
Launch mass6,440 kilograms (14,200 lb) [1]
Start of mission
Launch date30 September 2015
Rocket Ariane 5
Launch site Kourou ELA-3
Contractor Arianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Geostationary
Longitude140° E
Period 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4 seconds
Transponders
Band Ka band
FrequencyEarth to the satellite being transmitted at 27 GHz to 31 GHz, satellite to the Earth being transmitted at 17.7 GHz to 22 GHz
CapacityCurrently 135 Gbit/s combined (1A and 1B), final capacity 185 Gbit/s
Coverage areaAustralia mainland and some overseas territories

The Sky Muster satellites are two geostationary (GEO) communications satellites operated by NBN Co Limited and built by SSL. [2] [3] They were launched in 2015 and 2016 to provide fast broadband in areas where NBN didn't want to either lay fiber or install enough wireless antennas and offshore. The satellites are positioned 35,786 kilometres (22,236 mi) above the equator, north of Australia. They provide download speeds to users of up to 100 Mbit/s, [4] and upload speeds of 10 Mbit/s in a best-case scenario.

Contents

Each Sky Muster has 101 spot beams, [5] [6] which are focused satellite signals which are specially concentrated in power and cover a specific geographic area. The electromagnetic Ka band spot beams are used to carry information from the end users' equipment on the ground to the satellites. Each satellite offers 80 gigabits per second of bandwidth. [7] [8] The two satellites will provide high-speed broadband service to 400,000 Australian homes and businesses in rural and remote Australia. [9] The two satellites were designed to provide service for at least 15 years. [10]

Sky Muster I (NBN-Co 1A) was launched on 1 October 2015 [11] from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana, South America, alongside Argentina's ARSAT-2, on an Ariane 5ECA rocket.

Sky Muster I operates in geostationary orbit of 140° East. [11] Sky Muster I became operational in April 2016. [12]

Sky Muster II (NBN-Co 1B) was launched on 5 October 2016, and operates in geostationary orbit of 145° East. [13] [14]

Initial services were offered on the service to end users commencing in January, 2016. [15]

As of June 2020, there are over 100,000 active customers connected to a Sky Muster service, [16] with the largest single Retail Service Provider of Sky Muster services being SkyMesh with over 40,000 active Sky Muster connections. [17]

Background

The two NBN satellites, Sky Muster (NBN-Co 1A) and Sky Muster II (NBN-Co 1B), were conceived in 2012 under the Gillard Labor government, as part of the original National Broadband Network scheme and NBN Co contracted Space Systems/Loral (SSL) to build and launch the two satellites as part of a total investment costing A$2 billion. [18] The launch was conducted in accordance with the Space Activities Act 1998, which requires Ministerial approval for the launch of a space object from Australia or the launch of a space object by an Australian entity from an overseas location. [9]

Bailey Brooks, a six-year old School of the Air student who lives on a cattle station 400 kilometres (250 mi) from Alice Springs, won a competition to draw a picture of how the satellite benefits rural Australians. Her drawing of the rocket was printed on the payload fairing, [19] and her class named NBN-Co 1A "Sky Muster" as it would bring Australians together like a cattle muster. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guiana Space Centre</span> French and European spaceport in French Guiana

The Guiana Space Centre, also called Europe's Spaceport, is a spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a overseas region of France in South America. Kourou is located approximately 500 kilometres north of the equator at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its near equatorial location and open sea to the east and north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satellite Internet access</span> Satellite-provided Internet

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Hispasat is the operating company for a number of Spanish communications satellites that cover the Americas, Europe and North Africa from orbital positions 30.0° West and 61.0° West. It was formed in 1989 and its activities include provision of communication services in the commercial and government sectors. Hispasat's fleet of satellites broadcast more than 1250 television channels and radio stations to more than 30 million homes, as well as providing services such as broadband to mobile telephones and landlines.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab Satellite Communications Organization</span> Arab satellite operator

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBN Co</span> Australian government broadband network provider

NBN Co Limited, known as simply nbn, is a state-owned corporation of the Australian Government, tasked to design, build and operate Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN) as the nation's wholesale broadband provider. The corporation reports to two shareholder ministers: the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Broadband Network</span> Telecommunications network in Australia

The National Broadband Network (NBN) is an Australian national wholesale open-access data network. It includes wired and radio communication components rolled out and operated by NBN Co, a government-owned corporation. Internet service providers, known under NBN as retail service providers or RSPs, contract with NBN to access the data network and sell fixed Internet access to end users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARSAT-1</span> Argentine geostationary communications satellite

ARSAT-1 is a geostationary communications satellite operated by AR-SAT and built by the Argentine company INVAP. ARSAT-1 was launched into orbit on October 16, 2014, from French Guiana alongside Intelsat-30 satellite using an Ariane 5 rocket. It is expected to be located at 72° West longitude geostationary slot. ARSAT-1 is the first geostationary satellite built in Latin America. Total cost of the satellite is 270 million US dollars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARSAT-2</span> Argentine geostationary communications satellite

ARSAT-2 is a geostationary communications satellite operated by ARSAT and built by the Argentine company INVAP. It was launched from French Guiana alongside Sky Muster satellite using an Ariane 5ECA rocket on September 30, 2015 at 20:30hs UTC, becoming the 400th satellite to be launched by Arianespace. It is licensed to be located at 81° West longitude geostationary slot. ARSAT-2 is the second geostationary satellite built in Argentina, after ARSAT-1. Structurally and mechanically it is a copy of the ARSAT-1, the only difference being the payload and thus it has different antenna configuration.

BSAT-4a is a geostationary communications satellite ordered by Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (BSAT) and designed and manufactured by SSL on the SSL 1300 platform, to be stationed on the 110.0° East orbital slot for direct television broadcasting of 4K and 8K Ultra HD resolutions. It was launched on 29 September 2017.

JCSAT-15 is a communications satellite designed and manufactured for SKY Perfect JSAT Group by SSL on the SSL 1300 platform. It has a launch weight of 3,400 kg (7,500 lb), a power production capacity of 10 kW and a 15-year design life. Its payload is composed of Ku band and Ka band transponders.

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References

  1. "Assembly is completed for the Ariane 5 to orbit Sky Muster and ARSAT-2 on September 30". arianespace.com. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  2. "SSL Delivers High Performance Broadband Satellite To Launch Base, Demonstrates Leadership in Satellites For Fast Internet With Satellite For Australia's Broadband Network". sslmda.com.
  3. "Lift-off for first nbn satellite". nbnco.com.au.
  4. "NBN Co trials unlimited 100Mbps satellite service". Information Age. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  5. "NBN-Co 1A – Ariane 5 VA226". spaceflight101.com.
  6. "What are Sky Muster spot beams?". birrraus.com.
  7. Hutchinson, James (30 March 2011), "NBN Co seeks solid satellite speeds", Computerworld , retrieved 27 April 2011
  8. Bingemann, Mitchell (1 June 2010), "Satellite operators shortlisted for national broadband network", The Australian , retrieved 27 April 2011
  9. 1 2 "Key Highlights – nbn successfully launches Sky Muster". nbnco.com.au.
  10. Sky Muster and NBN Co 1B
  11. 1 2 Tim Biggs (1 October 2015). "NBN's first satellite, Sky Muster, launches successfully into orbit". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  12. "NBN Has Launched Its Sky Muster Broadband Service For Regional Areas". gizmodo.com.au.
  13. Francis, Hannah. "Ten cool facts about NBN's forthcoming Sky Muster satellite service" . Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  14. "Liftoff for second NBN satellite after delay". sbs.com.au.
  15. "the countdown to commercial nbn skymuster satellite services in 2016". activ8me.net.au.
  16. "nbn Sky Muster reaches 100,000 connections". crn.com.au. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  17. "Market Indicators Report September 2023". accc.gov.au. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  18. Computerworld , 8 February 2012: NBN Co and Space Systems/Loral team up for communications satellites
  19. "Ariane 5 is "signed" and ready for launch on Arianespace's fifth heavy-lift flight of 2015". arianespace.com. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  20. "Outback glory: meet our competition winner Bailey Brooks". nbnco.com.au.