Orbital Galaxy 15 User Manual
GEO
Communications
Galaxy 12, 14 and 15
C-band Commercial Communications Satellites
FACTS AT A GLANCE
Mission Description
The three Galaxy C-band satellites were Orbital built for PanAmSat to distribute entertainment and
information to cable television systems, TV broadcast afliates, direct-to-home TV operators, Internet
service providers, telecommunications companies and corporations. In July 2006, PanAmSat merged
with Intelsat.
Spacecraft
The Galaxy satellites are based on Orbital’s highly successful Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO)
communications satellites which are able to accommodate all types of commercial communications
payloads and are 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 and Hawaii
Mission:
C-band communications
Customer:
Intelsat
Galaxy 12
Galaxy 12, 14 and 15
Specications
Spacecraft
Launch Mass: Galaxy 12 and 14: 1,730 kg (3,814 lb.)
Galaxy 15: 1,892 kg (4,171 lb.)
Solar Arrays: Two panels per array, multi-junction Gallium Arsenide cells
Stabilization: 3-axis stabilized; zero momentum system
Propulsion: Liquid bi-propellant transfer orbit system; Monopropellant
(hydrazine) on-orbit system
Mission Life: 15 years (fueled for over 15 years)
Orbit: Galaxy 12 and 14: 125
Galaxy 15: 133
Payload
C-band
Repeater: Two groups of 16-for-12 linearized TWTAs
Antenna: 2.0 m dual grid reector with corrugated feed horn assembly
Launch
Launch Vehicle: Galaxy 12: Ariane 5
Galaxy 14: Soyuz
Galaxy 15: Ariane 5
Site: Galaxy 12: Kourou, French Guiana
Galaxy 14: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Galaxy 15: Kourou, French Guiana
Date: Galaxy 12: April 9, 2003
Galaxy 14: August 14, 2005
Galaxy 15: October 13, 2005
°
°
West Longitude
West Longitude
Mission Partners
PanAmSat
PanAmSat, a premier global provider of satellite-
based communications services, merged with
Intelsat in July 2006
Orbital Sciences Corporation
Prime contractor for three PanAmSat C-band Galaxy
satellites
Arianespace
Launch provider
Galaxy 14
Galaxy 15 Hybrid Commercial/Government Payload Satellite
The Galaxy 15 satellite, which features a unique hybrid payload conguration, was
launched on October 13, 2005. In addition to C-band commercial communications,
the spacecraft also broadcasts Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation data using
L-band frequencies as part of the Geostationary Communications and Control Segment
(GCCS) implemented by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA).
GCCS is a GPS-based navigation and landing system for aviation use to provide
precision guidance to aircraft at thousands of airports and airstrips where there is
currently no precision landing capability. Orbital engineered the payload and integrated it
onto the existing Galaxy 15 satellite.
Orbital Sciences Corporation
45101 Warp Drive
©2014 Orbital Sciences Corporation FS012_01_2998
•
Dulles, Virginia 20166
•
www.orbital.com
Galaxy 15
Loading...