Arianespace To Launch Satellite
Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT] will build a communications satellite for a Japanese firm, and Arianespace will launch it into orbit.
Lockheed will provide JCSAT-13 for SKY Perfect JSAT Corp., to be launched in 2013.
SKY Perfect also chose Arianespace to launch the spacecraft.
The JCSAT-13 contract is the 27th that Arianespace has won in Japan out of 36 commercial contracts open to competition, according to Arianespace.
JCSAT-13 will be launched by an Ariane 5 heavy lifter rocket from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s Spaceport, in French Guiana, South America.
The satellite will weigh about 4,500 kg (9,921 pounds) at launch and has a design life of 15 years. JCSAT-13 will provide broadcasting/telecommunications services for Japan and the Asia-Pacific region in general.
JCSAT-13 will feature an all Ku-band payload incorporating 44 fixed high-power communication channels that will provide uplink and downlink coverage over Japan, Asia and Oceania.
Additionally, two steerable antennas provide coverage for new and emerging markets as well as quick response coverage, spanning the visible Earth from the orbital slot to cover a geographic area upon short notice and, depending on capacity requirements, providing multiple transponders in each steerable beam.
On-board switching allows for payload reconfiguration capability on orbit, allowing efficient use of the frequency plan.
The spacecraft will be located at 124 degrees East longitude. JCSAT-13 is required to meet a 15-year service life and will be use the Lockheed A2100AX platform.
JCSAT-13 is the seventh satellite order SKY Perfect JSAT has awarded to Lockheed, which built JCSAT-9 through JCSAT-11 and is currently manufacturing JCSAT-12 for launch in the July-September quarter.
As well, Lockheed is working on JCSAT-110R, scheduled to launch in 2011. The company also built and launched N-SAT-110.
The A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft includes Ka-band broadband and broadcast services, fixed satellite services in C-band and Ku-band, high-power direct broadcast services using the Ku-band frequency spectrum and mobile satellite services using UHF, L-band, and S-band payloads.
The A2100 also is used with the Advanced Extremely High Frequency program and the Mobile User Objective System, and is the foundation for the company’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series-R (GOES-R) offering. The A2100 also serves as the spacecraft platform for Lockheed Martin’s GPS III program.