Venesat-1
| Venesat-1 / Simón Bolívar | |
|---|---|
| Start date | October 29, 2008, 16:53 UTC |
| Launcher | Long march 3B |
| Launch site | Xichang Cosmodrome |
| COSPAR-ID : | 2008-055A |
| Mass in orbit | 5100 kg |
| Manufacturer | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation |
| model | Dong Fang Hong 4 |
| lifespan | 11.5 years |
| operator | nb |
| Playback information | |
| Transponder | 12 C-band 14 Ku-band |
| position | |
| First position | 78 ° west |
| Actual position | unstable |
| List of geostationary satellites | |
Venesat-1 (also known as Simón Bolívar ) is Venezuela's first satellite . It was developed by the Chinese China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) on the basis of the Dong Fang Hong 4 satellite bus and is the first that China has built for a Latin American country. It is a communications satellite that operates in geosynchronous orbit and is intended to provide television and telecommunications services in Venezuela. The total price agreed with China was 325 million euros.
The launch took place on October 29, 2008 at 16:53 UTC with a Chinese LM-3B from launch site LA-2 of the Xichang cosmodrome .
Venesat-1 is operated by the Venezuelan Ministry of Science and Technology. It has twelve C and 14 Ku band transponders and has a mass of 5100 kg. Originally, the satellite had an expected lifespan of 15 years. In February 2020, however, a malfunction occurred in the drive mechanism of one of the two solar module wings, so that it was no longer able to align itself with the sun. At the beginning of March 2020, the second wing also fell out. The same problem occurred in 2008 with the communication satellite NigComSat-1 , which is also based on the DFH-4 bus . The original plan was to lift the satellite into cemetery orbit on March 13, 2020 . However, this did not succeed. The satellite entered an elliptical orbit whose lowest point is only 50 km from the 35,786 km geostationary orbit on which most communications satellites orbit . At that point the satellite was out of control and constantly overturning. Therefore, it officially ceased operations on March 13, 2020.
See also
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c Gunter Krebs: VENESAT 1 (Simon Bolivar 1). Gunter's Space Page, accessed October 28, 2008 .
- ↑ China sends satellites into space for Venezuela. RIA novosti, October 30, 2008, accessed October 31, 2008 .
- ^ Rui C. Barbosa: China launch VENESAT-1 - debut bird for Venezuela. NASASpaceflight.com, October 29, 2008, accessed October 29, 2008 .
- ↑ 委内瑞拉 唯一 一颗 国有 通信 卫星 在 轨道 上 出现 故障. In: spaceflightfans.cn. March 26, 2020, accessed March 26, 2020 (Chinese).
- ^ Caleb Henry: Venezuela's flagship communications satellite out of service and tumbling. In: spacenews.com. March 23, 2020, accessed on March 26, 2020 .
- ↑ 委内瑞拉 唯一 一颗 国有 通信 卫星 正在 轨道 上 翻滚. In: tech.sina.cn. March 26, 2020, accessed March 26, 2020 (Chinese).