GEO
Communications
Horizons-2
Ku-band Commercial Communications Satellite
FACTS AT A GLANCE
Mission Description
Orbital manufactured the Horizons-2 satellite for Horizons Satellite Holdings, LLC, a joint venture
between Intelsat of Luxembourg and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation of Japan. The spacecraft was
launched into an Intelsat-licensed orbital slot at 74 degrees West Longitude to help meet the growing
demand for Ku-band satellite communications services in North America. The satellite features both a
Continental United States (CONUS) beam and an East beam which extends the spacecraft’s coverage
to include the Caribbean and parts of Canada.
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:
United States and parts of the
Caribbean and Canada
Mission:
Ku-band communications
Customer:
Horizons Satellite Holdings, LLC
Horizons-2 in Orbital's Dulles, Virginia satellite
manufacturing facility
Horizons-2
Specications
Spacecraft
Launch Mass: 2,350 kg (5,181 lb.)
Solar Arrays: Three panels per array, UTJ Gallium
Arsenide cells
Stabilization: 3-axis stabilized; zero momentum system
Propulsion: Liquid bi-propellant transfer orbit system;
monopropellant (hydrazine) on-orbit system
Batteries: Two >3850 W-Hr capacity Li-Ion batteries
Mission Life: 15 years
Orbit: 74° West Longitude
Payload
Ku-band
Repeater: 16 active transponders with 22-for-16
redundant TWTAs; 4 active transponders
with 6-for-4 redudant TWTAs
Antenna: Two 2.3 m dual grid shaped reectors
Launch
Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5
Site: Kourou, French Guiana
Date: December 21, 2007
Mission Partners
Horizons Satellite Holdings, LLC
A joint venture between Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT
Orbital Sciences Corporation
Prime contractor for Galaxy 12, 14 and 15; Intelsat 11, 15, 16, 18,
23 and 28; and Horizons-2 for an Intelsat/SKY Perfect JSAT joint
venture
Arianespace
Launch provider
Coverage Contour Maps
CONUS Coverage Area
East Coast Coverage Area
Orbital Sciences Corporation
45101 Warp Drive
©2014 Orbital Sciences Corporation FS004_05_2998
•
Dulles, Virginia 20166
•
www.orbital.com
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