Thaicom 6

Thaicom 6 is a communications satellite operated by Thaicom Public Company Limited, a leading Asian satellite operator, and was launched into geostationary orbit by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, United States. The satellite was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, now part of Northrop Grumman, and is based on the Star-2 satellite bus, which has been used for several other satellites, including Intelsat's Intelsat 16 and SES S.A.'s SES-1. Thaicom 6 provides C-band and Ku-band services to Thailand, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Madagascar, and is used for various applications, including television broadcasting, telecommunications, and data transmission, by companies such as True Corporation and Advanced Info Service.

Introduction

Thaicom 6 is part of the Thaicom series of satellites, which have been operated by Thaicom Public Company Limited since the launch of Thaicom 1 in 1993, and have played a significant role in the development of Thailand's space program, with support from organizations such as the Thai Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. The Thaicom satellites have been used for various purposes, including television broadcasting by Channel 3 (Thailand) and Channel 7 (Thailand), telecommunications by CAT Telecom, and data transmission by Thai Airways International and PTT Public Company Limited. Thaicom 6 was launched to replace the Thaicom 5 satellite, which was launched in 2006 and operated by Thaicom Public Company Limited until its retirement, and to provide additional capacity and services to the region, in partnership with companies such as Microsoft and Google.

Spacecraft Design

Thaicom 6 is based on the Star-2 satellite bus, which has been used for several other satellites, including Intelsat's Intelsat 16 and SES S.A.'s SES-1, and was designed and built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, now part of Northrop Grumman, with components from suppliers such as Honeywell International and General Dynamics. The satellite has a mass of approximately 3,000 kilograms and is equipped with two solar arrays, which provide power to the satellite's systems, including the communications payload and the propulsion system, which uses xenon gas and was developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne. The satellite's design and construction involved collaboration with several companies, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., and was overseen by Thaicom Public Company Limited and Orbital Sciences Corporation.

Launch and Orbit

Thaicom 6 was launched into geostationary orbit by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, United States, on January 6, 2014, at 22:06 UTC, and was placed into a geostationary transfer orbit with a perigee of 205 kilometers and an apogee of 35,786 kilometers, from where it used its apogee kick motor to reach its final orbit, with support from NASA's Deep Space Network and European Space Agency's European Space Operations Centre. The launch was the first commercial launch of the Falcon 9 rocket in 2014, and marked a significant milestone for SpaceX, which has since become a leading player in the launch services market, with clients such as Intelsat, SES S.A., and Eutelsat Communications. The satellite's orbit and launch trajectory were carefully planned and executed to ensure that it would reach its intended position in geostationary orbit, where it would provide services to Thailand, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Madagascar, in partnership with companies such as Vodafone and Orange S.A..

Payload and Services

Thaicom 6 is equipped with a communications payload that includes 18 C-band transponders and 8 Ku-band transponders, which provide services to Thailand, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Madagascar, and are used for various applications, including television broadcasting by BBC, CNN, and Al Jazeera, telecommunications by Singtel and Telstra, and data transmission by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. The satellite's payload was designed and built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, now part of Northrop Grumman, with components from suppliers such as Honeywell International and General Dynamics, and is capable of providing high-quality services to a wide range of customers, including broadcasters, telecommunications operators, and data service providers, such as Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica. The satellite's services are used by several major companies, including True Corporation and Advanced Info Service, and are an important part of the region's communications infrastructure, with support from organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union and the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity.

Operations and Status

Thaicom 6 has been operational since its launch in 2014, and has provided reliable services to its customers, with a high level of performance and availability, and has been used for various purposes, including television broadcasting, telecommunications, and data transmission, by companies such as Facebook and Google. The satellite is operated by Thaicom Public Company Limited, which is responsible for its day-to-day operations, including station-keeping, orbital maintenance, and payload management, with support from NASA's Deep Space Network and European Space Agency's European Space Operations Centre. The satellite's status is continuously monitored by Thaicom Public Company Limited and its partners, including Orbital Sciences Corporation, now part of Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX, to ensure that it continues to provide high-quality services to its customers, and to plan for its eventual replacement, in partnership with companies such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Category:Communications satellites