ChinaSat 5C at 1.5°E

[Vipersan]

Hi freinds ..
Looks like this old bird has finally come a halt at 1.5E ..
Is this the next contender for the graveyard shift .
If so ..then I suspect it wont be long before it begins carrying feeds now that Astra 1D has moved on ..
Anyone got acces to a transponder list for this on ?
certainly would be a useful start to begin monitoring ...
and of course ...is it in an inclined/figure 8 orbit ?
any info appreciated.
VS

 

[Analoguesat]

Why the hell has Chinasat 5C arrived at 1.5E?? Shes almost new - launched as recently as 2007.

Astra 1D hasnt moved very far - currently at 2.9E

 

[Vipersan]

Dunno AS ...
Its a bit odd isn't it ..
I thought it was a little older that 4 years but certainly if only 2007 ...it does raise a few questions ..
Shes been parked at 1.5E for a few days ...and I would investigate futher if I had access to a transponder list..
curiouser and curiouser..
Time to quiz yer mate at SES again ?
VS

 

[Analoguesat]

Theres an old C-band frequency list here:

-http://www.tracksat.com/satellite243.html

 

[Vipersan]

Thanks for the list AS ..
That raises even more questions ..as it doesn't appear to carry any ku transponders ..
So unlikely ..tho not impossible to carry feeds ..
If it is destined for feeds ..then this could be to get around the obvious access ku gives to many users..which wouldn't be a problem to the intended feed recipients.
rgds

 

[Channel Hopper]

Thanks for the list AS ..
That raises even more questions ..as it doesn't appear to carry any ku transponders ..
So unlikely ..tho not impossible to carry feeds ..
If it is destined for feeds ..then this could be to get around the obvious access ku gives to many users..which wouldn't be a problem to the intended feed recipients.
rgds

It does have Ku transponders, 24 to be exact

Satellite Name: ChinaSat 5C
Other Name(s): XINNUO 3, Sinosat 3,
Norad: 31577
Cospar number: 2007-021A
Operator: Sino Satellite Communications Co. Ltd. (Sinosat)
Launch date: 31-May-07
Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center
Launch vehicle: Long March CZ-3A
Launch mass (kg): 2200
Dry mass (kg):
Manufacturer: China Academy of Space Technology (CAST)
Model (bus): DFH-3 Bus
Orbit: GEO
Expected lifetime: 8 yrs.
Call sign:
Beacon(s): 3700.08, 4196.34
Details:
24 Ku-band transponders to provide voice and video links to Eastern Asia.

 

[Vipersan]

Thanks for that CH ...
already scanned it in C band and found nowt..
looks like another scan is on the cards ...this time in ku
rgds
VS

 

[Gunes]

Chinasat 5C will be used primarily for Africa. It has 10 C band transponders. In next years one more Chinese satellite will be brought into service for Africa and Middle East.

 

[Vipersan]

Many thanks for the info Commander...
I personally love the idea that there will be more C-band transmissions ...and hopefully some of them will be receivable from the UK ..
Will Chinasat 5C remain at 1.5 East ...
Its awfully close to Rascom @2.8 E and Intelsat 10-02 @1 W ...
These are so close they will definately overlap and could cause co-channel interference ...unless great care is taken in the transponders selected for use on Chinasat.
rgds
VS

 

[Channel Hopper]

Only on a small dish.

If they park the bus at 0.8E they would retain a rough 2 degree spacing on either side, well within the limitations of a 2m receive system.

 

[Vipersan]

..Agreed CH ..
I guess if the target audience are futher afield ..the a larger dish with a tighter beam reception ..
..couples with a tighter spot footprint might indeed allow Chinasat to operate in relative isolation.

..but it certainly would have to move from 1.5 East ..

Here are 3x spectra taken at
C 2.8 East .. showing the active transponders ...no depolarisation (Horizontal selected) ...but still getting the muxes at 2.8E

B taken at 1.5 East ..
Not much change in the signal levels from Rascom @2.8E ..but the beginnings of a hump from the data transponder @ 0.8West.
A taken at 0.8W ...the data transponder hump has grown in amplitude ...but I guess there is a point somewhere between the 2 satellites where Chinasat could comfortably locate ..but certainly it would not do to operate where the bus is currently parked.
Too close to Rascom imo..
rgds
VS

 

[Gunes]

Eutelsat has leased this bird according to article below.

-http://www.spacenews.com/satellite_telecom/110513-eutelsat-leases-sat-protect-slot.html

Technical info is a bit confusing. China-Sat-Com says it has 10 C tps but Spacenews says 24 Ku tps. Looks like it is a hybrid satellite equipped with C and Ku tps.

 

[Analoguesat]

Nice find. Commander S

Presumably the original plan was to orbit W3B to 16E then move one or more of the 16E group (W2M / Sesat1 / Eurobird 16A) to 1.6E to protect the slot.That plant then fell apart when w3b failed at launch

 

[BombedOne]

Considering these crazy satellite movement, launch failures, damaged solar panels and so on, is there any statistics available, what % is success rate of these satellite launches? I mean like: total launched: XXX, partially entered into service: YYY, failed at startup: ZZZ and so on.

 

[Analoguesat]

These days the launch success rate is very high. Heres a list of the main launch failures for the last 20 odd years. Looks a lot but this includes all rocket launches - the broadcast sats make up a small fraction of the total:

-http://www.sat-index.co.uk/launchfailures/

 

[Vipersan]

Eutelsat has leased this bird according to article below.

-http://www.spacenews.com/satellite_telecom/110513-eutelsat-leases-sat-protect-slot.html

Technical info is a bit confusing. China-Sat-Com says it has 10 C tps but Spacenews says 24 Ku tps. Looks like it is a hybrid satellite equipped with C and Ku tps.

Yes indeed ...Nice find Commander..
This certainly makes a lot more sense now..
I still think that that area of the space will get a bit overcrowded fequency wise ..
Not so much in ku as orbital seperation is sufficient ..but certainly in C _if_ they fire up the Cb LF transponders..
I suspect this will be less likely though not impossible ..if they are selective about which frequencies they use...
rgds
VS