Rascom QAF 1
| Rascom-QAF 1 / Rascom 1 | |
|---|---|
| Start date | December 21, 2007 |
| Launcher | Ariane 5 GS |
| Launch site | ELA-3 , Guyana Space Center |
| Takeoff mass | 3600 kg |
| Manufacturer | Thales Alenia Space |
| model | Spacebus 4000 B3 |
| lifespan | 2 instead of the planned 15 years |
| operator | RASCOM |
| Playback information | |
| Transponder | 12 Ku band 8 C band |
| Others | |
| Electrical power | 6400 W |
| position | |
| First position | 2.85 ° East |
| Actual position | Cemetery orbit |
| List of geostationary satellites | |
Rascom-QAF 1 (also Rascom 1) is a defective communications satellite , which on 21 December 2007 along with Horizons-2 with an Ariane 5GS rocket from Kourou into a geostationary orbit was launched. It was supposed to be the first satellite to network all of Africa and was operated by Rascom (Regional African Satellite Communication Organization).
Rascom-QAF 1 is based on the Spacebus4000B3 platform from Thales Alenia Space and has twelve Ku-band and eight C-band transponders. These were intended to offer various telecommunications services (television, telephone, Internet) for all of Africa.
Rascom-QAF 1 suffered a helium leak in the propulsion system after take-off, which meant that the satellite was initially left in geostationary transfer orbit for over a month. By the time it finally reached geostationary orbit in late January 2008, the satellite's lifespan had dropped from fifteen to just two years. After the start-up of the replacement satellite RASCOM-QAF 1R , it was relocated to a cemetery orbit in October 2010 .
Web links
- Data sheet on Gunter's Space Page (English)
- Alcatel signs a contract with RascomStar-QAF to provide a rural telephony network covering the whole African continent by satellite ( Memento of March 18, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), June 20, 2005
- Rascom website (English / French)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Thales-Finmeccanica JV says Rascom-QAF1 satellite to last 2 yrs instead of 15 press release on finanznachrichten.de, February 4, 2008.
- ↑ RASCOM-QAF1 in cemetery orbit . Raumfahrer.net, October 28, 2010, accessed October 31, 2010