Mission type | Communications |
---|---|
Operator | SKY Perfect JSAT |
Website | https://www.spacex.com/ |
Mission duration | 15 years (planned) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | Superbird-9 |
Spacecraft type | Superbird |
Bus | OneSat |
Manufacturer | Airbus Defence and Space |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 2027 (planned) [1] |
Rocket | Starship [2] |
Contractor | SpaceX |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit (planned) |
Regime | Geostationary orbit |
Transponders | |
Band | Ku-band, Ka-band |
Coverage area | Japan, East Asia |
Superbird-9, will be a geostationary communications satellite operated by SKY Perfect JSAT and designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. Superbird-9 will be based on Airbus's reconfigurable payload satellite bus OneSat, which can steer and reassign beams for different customers and services. It will be offering Ku-band and Ka-band communication services to the Japanese market. [3] SKY Perfect JSAT, the main satellite operator in Japan, has selected Airbus to build Superbird-9 [4] and contracted SpaceX to launch it on Starship.
JSAT Corporation (JSAT) was the first private Japanese satellite operator, which owned the JSAT satellites, as well as operated and partially owned the N-Star with NTT DoCoMo. Its origins can be traced to the funding of Japan Communications Satellite Company (JCSAT) and Satellite Japan Corporation in 1985. Both companies merged into Japan Satellite Systems Inc. in 1993. In 2000 the company was renamed as JSAT Corporation and was listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. On September 1, 2008, the company was merged into the SKY Perfect JSAT Group.
The SKY Perfect JSAT Group is a Japanese corporate group that claims to be Asia's largest satellite communication and multi-channel pay TV company. It owns the SKY PerfecTV! satellite broadcasting service and the SKY Perfect Well Think content studio, among other businesses.
Superbird-C2, known as Superbird-7 before launch, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by JSAT Corporation and designed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric on the DS2000 satellite bus. It had a launch weight of 4,820 kg (10,630 lb), a 15-year design life and was the first commercial communications satellite built in Japan. Its payload is composed of 28 Ku-band transponders with a total bandwidth of 828 MHz.
Superbird-B2, also known by its pre-launch designation Superbird-4, is a Japanese communications satellite which is operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Group. It was originally built and launched for the Space Communications Corporation (SCC), which merged with JSAT Corporation (JSAT) in October 2008. It was constructed by Hughes Space and Communications and is based on the HS-601 HP satellite bus.
Superbird-A, also identified as Superbird-1 before launch, was a geostationary communications satellite designed and manufactured by Ford Aerospace) on the SSL 1300 satellite bus. It was originally ordered by Space Communications Corporation (SCC), which later merged into the SKY Perfect JSAT Group. It had a mixed Ku-band, Ka-band and X-band payload and operated on the 158° East longitude.
JCSAT-110, also known as N-SAT 110, JCSAT-7, Superbird-5 and Superbird-D, is a Japanese geostationary communications satellite which was operated by JSAT Corporation and Space Communications Corporation until both companies merged into SKY Perfect JSAT Group in 2008. It is positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 110° East, from where it is used to provide communications services to Japan.
JCSAT-16 is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Group and designed and manufactured by SSL on the SSL 1300 platform. It has a launch weight of 4,600 kg (10,100 lb), a power production capacity of 8.5 kW and a 15-year design life. Its payload is composed of Ku band and Ka band transponders. SKY Perfect JSAT Group plans to use JCSAT-16 as an in-orbit backup satellite for the Ku- and Ka-band satellites serving the Japanese market.
JCSAT-4B, known as JCSAT-13 before launch, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Group (JSAT) which was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin on the A2100 platform.
Superbird-A2, known as Superbird-6 before launch, was a geostationary communications satellite ordered and operated by Space Communications Corporation (SCC) that was designed and manufactured by Hughes on the BSS-601 satellite bus. It had a mixed Ku-band and Ka-band payload and was expected replace Superbird-A at the position at 158° East longitude. It was expected to provided television signals and business communications services throughout Japan, South Asia, East Asia, and Hawaii.
JCSAT-2B, known as JCSAT-14 before commissioning, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Group and designed and manufactured by SSL on the SSL 1300 platform. It had a launch weight of 4,696.2 kg (10,353 lb), a power production capacity of 9 to 9.9 kW at end of life and a 15-year design life. Its payload is composed of 26 C band and 18 Ku band transponders with a total bandwidth of 2,853 MHz.
DSN-2, also known as Kirameki-2 (きらめき), is a geostationary communications satellite to be operated by DSN Corporation, a subsidiary of SKY Perfect JSAT Group. Its payload is a pure X-band and will be used for military communications by the Japanese military. It was launched and successfully deployed on 24 January 2017 using a H-IIA rocket flying in its heaviest configuration, the H-IIA 204. It is Japan's first dedicated military communication satellite and is designed for at least fifteen years of service.
The JSAT constellation is a communication and broadcasting satellite constellation formerly operated by JSAT Corporation and currently by SKY Perfect JSAT Group. It has become the most important commercial constellation in Japan, and fifth in the world. It has practically amalgamated all private satellite operators in Japan, with only B-SAT left as a local competitor.
JCSAT-17 is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Group. The satellite was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin Space on the LM-2100 platform, and was launched on 18 February 2020 on an Ariane 5. The satellite mainly provides service to Japan and the surrounding regions. Utilizing several S-band transponders with a flexible processor, the satellite has the capability to redirect communications capacity to concentrate on disaster relief efforts or other high-volume events.
DSN Corporation Japanese: 株式会社ディー・エス・エヌ is a corporation owned by SKY Perfect JSAT Group, NEC and NTT Com. It was founded on December 19, 2012 for the sole purpose of acting as an investment vehicle in the private finance initiative that would handle the Japanese military X-band DSN satellite network from 2015 to 2031.
Superbird-2, also identified as Superbird-B after launch if successful, was a geostationary communications satellite designed and manufactured by Ford Aerospace on the SSL 1300 satellite bus. It was originally ordered by Space Communications Corporation (SCC), which later merged into the SKY Perfect JSAT Group. It had a mixed Ku-band, Ka-band and X-band payload and was lost at launch.
Superbird-B1, sometimes identified as Superbird-1B, was a geostationary communications satellite designed and manufactured by Ford Aerospace on the SSL 1300 satellite bus. It was originally ordered by Space Communications Corporation (SCC), which later merged into the SKY Perfect JSAT Group. It had a mixed Ku-band, Ka-band and X-band payload and was rushed into launch at the 162° East longitude due to the launch failure of Superbird-B.
Superbird-A1, also identified as Superbird-1A before launch, was a geostationary communications satellite designed and manufactured by Ford Aerospace on the SSL 1300 satellite bus. It was originally ordered by Space Communications Corporation (SCC), which later merged into the SKY Perfect JSAT Group. It had a mixed Ku-band and Ka-band payload and operated on the 158° East longitude.
Superbird-C, also known as Superbird-3 or Superbird-A3, was a geostationary communications satellite ordered and operated by Space Communications Corporation (SCC) that was designed and manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications Company on the HS-601 satellite bus. It has a pure Ku-band payload and was used to fill the position at 144° East longitude. It provided television signals and business communications services throughout Japan, South Asia, East Asia, and Hawaii.
Superbird-B3, known as Superbird-8 before launch, and DSN-1 (Kirameki-1) for its military payload, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Group and designed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric on the DS2000 satellite bus.
This article documents expected notable spaceflight events during the year 2027.