Spaceway-3

Mission type	Communication
Operator	Hughes Network Systems
COSPAR ID	2007-036A
SATCAT no.	32018
Mission duration	12 years (planned) 13 years (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Bus	BSS-702
Manufacturer	Boeing
Launch mass	6075 kg
Dry mass	3655 kg
Power	12800 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	14 August 2007, 23:44:00 UTC
Rocket	Ariane 5
Launch site	Kourou, ELA-3
Contractor	Arianespace
Entered service	October 2007
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Geostationary orbit
Longitude	95.0° West
Transponders
Band	Ka-band
Frequency	500 MHz
Bandwidth	10 Gbit/s
Coverage area	North America
Spaceway ← Spaceway-2

Spaceway-3 is a communications satellite which was launched in August 2007. The third satellite in the Spaceway series, it includes a K_a-band communications payload.^[1] It is used by Hughes Network Systems to provide broadband Internet Protocol network service.

History

In March 2007, shortly after the failure of a Sea Launch rocket launch in January 2007, Hughes Network Systems switched launch of Spaceway-3 from a Zenit-3SL rocket to an Ariane 5 launch vehicle.^[2][3]

Launch

Spaceway-3 was launched 14 August 2007 on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle with BSAT-3a.^[4] It lifted off at 23:44 UTC from ELA-3 of the Centre Spatial Guyanais. Five hours and 46 minutes later, signals from the spacecraft were successfully received at a ground station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa.^[5]