Orbital AMC-21 User Manual

GEO

Communications

AMC-21

Ku-band Commercial Communications Satellite

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Mission Description

Built for SES, the AMC-21 satellite provides Ku-band xed communications and television distribution

services over the Continental United States (CONUS), Alaska, Hawaii, as well as the Gulf of Mexico,

Caribbean and Central American region. The satellite is located at 125 degrees West Longitude, a new

location for SES, supplementing its eet of satellites over the United States, Asia and Europe. SES is

part of the SES Global family of satellite operating companies. It has been operating satellites for more

than 30 years over the United States.

The GEOStar™ Advantage

Orbital’s highly successful Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) communications satellites are based on

the company’s GEOStar spacecraft platform, which is able to accommodate all types of commercial

communications payloads and is compatible with all major commercial launchers. The company’s

GEOStar product line includes the GEOStar-2 design, which is optimized for smaller satellite missions

that can support up to 5.0 kilowatts of payload power. Orbital has also developed the higher-power

GEOStar-3 spacecraft design, delivering the next increment of payload power for applications between

5.0 and 8.0 kilowatts, allowing Orbital to offer its innovative and reliable satellite design to the

medium-class of communications satellites.

Coverage:

CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii and the

Caribbean

Mission:

Ku-band satellite service

Customer:

SES

(Thales Alenia Space – Prime Contractor)

AMC-21 in Orbital's Dulles, Virginia satellite
manufacturing facility

AMC-21

Specications

Spacecraft

Launch Mass: 2,500 kg (5,511 lb.)

Solar Arrays: Four panels per array

Stabilization: 3-axis stabilized; zero momentum system

Propulsion: 12 0.9N REA thrusters, IMPEHTs for NSSK

Batteries: Li-Ion 9680 W-Hr total capacity at EOL

Mission Life: 15 years

Orbit: 125° West Longitude

Payload

Ku-band

Repeater: 32-for-24 Ku-band TWTAs

(of which 24 are active)

TWTA Power: 4.4 kW

Antenna: Two 2.3 m dual grid shaped reectors

Launch

Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5

Site: Kourou, French Guiana

Date: August 14, 2008

Mission Partners

SES

A leading U.S.-based satellite operator providing a broad range of

communication services

Orbital Sciences Corporation

Provided STAR-2 spacecraft bus and nal integration, assembly

and test

Thales Alenia Space

Prime contractor and payload supplier

Arianespace

Launch provider

Coverage Contour Maps

EIRP Contours

Orbital Sciences Corporation

45101 Warp Drive

•

Dulles, Virginia 20166

GT Contours

•

www.orbital.com

©2014 Orbital Sciences Corporation FS009_06_2998