Apstar 6

Apstar 6
Operator	APT Satellite
COSPAR ID	2005-012A
SATCAT no.	28638
Mission duration	15 years (planned); 19 years, 7 months, 11 days; (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Bus	Spacebus 4000C1
Manufacturer	Alcatel Space
Launch mass	5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	April 12, 2005
Rocket	Long March 3B
Launch site	Xichang LA-2
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Geostationary
Longitude	134° East 0°N 134°E / 0°N 134°E
Transponders
Band	38 C band; 12 Ku band
Bandwidth	36 MHz; 50 MHz
TWTA power	64W (C band); 145 (Ku band)
EIRP	at Peak: 42 decibel-watts ; 60 decibel-watts

Apstar 6 is a communications satellite built by Alcatel Space, a subsidiary of Alcatel, and was boosted into orbit on April 12, 2005, by Long March 3B launcher from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China. It provides APT Satellite, a satellite operator in the Asia Pacific region, with broadband media and television services. It is fitted with 38 C-band transponders and 12 K_u band transponders. China is covered with a dedicated high power K_u band beam for broadband multimedia transmission. It is the second model of the Spacebus 4000. The transponders have a reduced C-band receiving dish over a wide footprint, which extends across India, China and Australia.^{[citation needed]}

It is significant in enhancing cooperation between Alcatel Space and China as a - to the SINOSAT satellite.^{[citation needed]} Apstar 6 was built as an ITAR-free satellite, containing no restricted U.S. components.^[1] Under the U.S. ITAR regulations, U.S. satellite components may not be exported for launch on Chinese rockets. However, the U.S. Department of State did not accept the ITAR-free status of these satellites and fined the US company Aeroflex $8 million for selling ITAR components. In 2013, Thales Alenia discontinued its ITAR-free satellite line.^[2]

References

^ Harvey, Brian (2013). China in Space: The Great Leap Forward. New York: Springer. pp. 160–162. ISBN 9781461450436.
^ Ferster, Warren (5 September 2013). "U.S. Satellite Component Maker Fined $8 Million for ITAR Violations". SpaceNews.

External links

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[1] Harvey, Brian (2013). China in Space: The Great Leap Forward. New York: Springer. pp. 160–162. ISBN 9781461450436.

[2] Ferster, Warren (5 September 2013). "U.S. Satellite Component Maker Fined $8 Million for ITAR Violations". SpaceNews.

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v t e ← 2004 Orbital launches in 2005 2006 →
January	Deep Impact Kosmos 2414, Universitetsky-Tatyana
February	AMC-12 USA-181 XTAR-EUR, Maqsat-B2 (Sloshsat-FLEVO) Himawari 6 Progress M-52 (TNS-0)
March	XM-3 Inmarsat-4 F1 Ekspress AM-2
April	USA-165 Apstar 6 Soyuz TMA-6 DART Spaceway 1 USA-182
May	Cartosat-1, HAMSAT NOAA-18 DirecTV-8 Foton-M No.2
June	Progress-M 53 Molniya-3K No.12 Cosmos 1 Intelsat Americas 8 Ekspress AM-3
July	Shijian 7 Suzaku STS-114 (Raffaello MPLM)
August	FSW-4 2 Thaicom 4 MRO Kirari, Reimei Monitor-E FSW-3 3
September	Kosmos 2415 Progress-M 54 (RadioSkaf) Anik F1R USA-183 USA-185
October	Soyuz TMA-7 CryoSat Shenzhou 6 Syracuse 3A, Galaxy 15 USA-186 Beijing-1, TopSat, Sina-1, SSETI Express (CubeSat Xi-V, UWE-1, nCUBE-2), Mozhaets-5, Rubin-5
November	Inmarsat-4 F2 Venus Express Spaceway-2, Telkom-2
December	Progress-M 55 Gonets-M No.1, Kosmos 2416 Meteosat 9, INSAT-4A Kosmos 2417, Kosmos 2418, Kosmos 2419 GIOVE-A AMC-23
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).