AMC-3
| Mission type | Communications[1] |
|---|---|
| Operator | GE Americom (1997-2001) SES Americom (2001-2009) SES World Skies (2009—) |
| COSPAR ID | 1997-050A |
| SATCAT no. | 24936 |
| Mission duration | 15 years (design life)[2] |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | A2100A[3] |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Launch mass | 2,845 kilograms (6,272 lb)[4] |
| Power | LEROS-1C[4] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | September 4, 1997, 12:03 UTC[1] |
| Rocket | Atlas IIAS[4] |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-36A[4] |
| Contractor | ILS |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary[5] |
| Longitude | 87.1° West[1] |
| Perigee altitude | 35,785.7 kilometers (22,236.2 mi)[5] |
| Apogee altitude | 35,801.4 kilometers (22,246.0 mi)[5] |
| Inclination | 0 degrees [5] |
| Period | 1436.1 minutes[5] |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 24 C band, 24 Ku band[2] |
| Frequency | 36 MHz |
| Coverage area | North America[2] |
AMC-3 (formerly GE 3) is a commercial broadcast communications satellite owned by SES World Skies, part of SES S.A. (and formerly GE Americom, then SES Americom). Launched on September 4, 1997, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, AMC-3 is a hybrid C band/Ku band satellite. It provides coverage to the continental United States, Canada, the Caribbean islands, southern Greenland, and Central America. Located in a geostationary orbit parallel to the Yucatán Peninsula and Great Lakes, AMC-3 provides service to commercial and government customers, with programming distribution, satellite news gathering and broadcast internet capabilities.[6][7]
In January 2017, the AMC-3 Ku-band payload was sold to Global Eagle Entertainment Inc (GEE), a provider of satellite-based connectivity and media to mobility markets, such as passenger aircraft. GEE purchased all the capacity on the satellite to support aeronautical customers, in particular Southwest Airlines, the company’s largest customer, and has rebranded the satellite as Eagle 1. The satellite is in an inclined orbit and will remain under the control of SES.[8]
References
- ^ a b c "NSSDC Master Catalog: GE 3". NASA.gov. November 23, 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
- ^ a b c "AMC-3 Data". SES-Worldskies.com. 2009. Archived from the original on June 4, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
- ^ "AMG 3". Satbeams.com. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Krebs, Gunter (September 27, 2009). "GE 1, 2, 3 / AMC 1, 2, 3". Skyrocket.de. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "AMC-3 (GE-3) Satellite details". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "AMC-3". SES-Worldskies.com. 2009. Archived from the original on June 4, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
- ^ "Turner Expands SNG Transponder Deal With SES AMERICOM" (Press release). Business Wire via Redorbit.com. April 12, 2007. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
{{cite press release}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Global Eagle’s mystery satellite purchase is SES’s AMC-3 Space News January 16, 2017. Accessed January 31, 2017
External links
- Satellite fleet details on SES website
- GEE website
- C-band Americas Beam footprint(s) at SatBeams
- Ku-band Americas Beam footprint(s) at SatBeams
- AMC-3 information at LyngSat
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