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OSC → Orbital ATK → Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS): StarBus → Star-2 → GeoStar-2

Optus D2 [OSC]

Orbital's StarBus satellite platform, which is designed for 15-year missions in geosynchronous orbit, is compatible with the Delta II, Ariane, Proton and Long March launch vehicles. The structure consists of a rectangular body with a central composite thrust tube housing the apogee kick motor. Payload equipment is mounted on the north and south side panels and on the nadir-facing deck providing excellent fields of view for Earth-viewing instruments and for thermal radiators. Articulated sun tracking solar arrays are deployed in two wings from the north and south faces of the spacecraft.

Originally designed for geosynchronous telecommunications applications, StarBus can be adapted to technology demonstrations and Earth and space science programs such as GOES. For ten-year missions launched on a Delta, payloads up to 200 kg and 555 W can be accommodated, with growth possible for shorter missions. Standard interfaces and protocols such as MIL-STD-1553, CCSDS and 28 V power simplify integration.

StarBus is ideal for geosynchronous missions since it is capable of withstanding the severe environments of high altitude orbits and providing the large impulse required to attain geosynchronous orbit. Several available options augment the basic bus to provide improved pointing, more payload power, secure communications, higher downlink data rates or enhanced payload computing power.

StarBus is designed for missions up to 15 years in duration. The propulsion system is sized for ten years of stationkeeping in geosynchronous orbit. Built-in radiation hardness for the severe geosynchronous environment is achieved through conservative selection of electronic parts.

Designed to be compatible with vehicles such as Ariane, which commonly launch multiple payloads, the StarBus design offers frequent, cost-effective launch-sharing opportunities.

Customers can purchase the StarBus spacecraft bus alone, or as part of a turn-key service that includes an integrated payload, operations and data delivery as well.

Designed and developed as a standard bus for commercial telecommunications and direct broadcast missions, StarBus fills a market niche for small, high power geosynchronous communications spacecraft. Orbital's first application of the StarBus design, IndoStar 1, was successfully launched in November 1997 along with another satellite on an Ariane rocket.

Reliability

Following failures of Star-2 models have occured:

  • New Dawn: has been unable to deploy its C-band reflector antenna because the antenna’s spring-loaded deployment mechanism got caught in the billows of its sun shield
  • Amazonas 4A sufferd a power-subsystem malfunction shortly after launch, which resulted in a permanent reduction in the satellite’s capacity
Satellite Ordered Date Launcher Weight (kg) Remarks
Launch BOL
AMC 21 2006 14.08.2008 Ariane-5ECA 2473
Amazonas 4A → Amazonas 4 → Hispasat 74W-1 2012 22.03.2014 Ariane-5ECA 2938
Amazonas 4B 2012 2015 possibly GeoStar-3 bus / cancelled
Azerspace/Africasat 1a 2010 07.02.2013 Ariane-5ECA 3275
Eutelsat 5 West B 2016 09.10.2019 Proton-M Briz-M (Ph.4) ~3000 2e
Galaxy 12 2001 09.04.2003 Ariane-5G 1760
Galaxy 14 (ex Galaxy 5R) 2001 13.08.2005 Soyuz-FG Fregat 2087
Galaxy 15 (ex Galaxy 1RR) 2001 13.10.2005 Ariane-5GS 2033
Galaxy 30 2018 15.08.2020 Ariane-5ECA+ 3298 4E
Horizons 2 2005 21.12.2007 Ariane-5GS 2350
HYLAS 2 2009 02.08.2012 Ariane-5ECA 3311 2.4
Intelsat 11 (ex PAS 11) 2005 05.10.2007 Ariane-5GS 2491 2.4
Intelsat 15 2007 30.11.2009 Zenit-3SLB 2484 2.4
Intelsat 16 (ex PAS 11R) 2006 12.02.2010 Proton-M Briz-M (Ph.1 mod 1) 2056 2.4
Intelsat 18 2008 05.10.2011 Zenit-3SLB 3200 2.4
Intelsat 23 2009 14.10.2012 Proton-M Briz-M (Ph.3) 3200 2.4
Koreasat 6 (Olleh 1) 2008 29.12.2010 Ariane-5ECA 2622
MEASAT 3a (ex MEASAT 1R) 2005 21.06.2009 Zenit-3SLB 2367
MEXSAT 3 (Bicentenario) 2010 19.12.2012 Ariane-5ECA 3050 2.4
N-Star c 2000 05.07.2002 Ariane-5G 1620
New Dawn → Intelsat 28 2008 22.04.2011 Ariane-5ECA 3000 2.4 / reflector failed to deploy
NSS 9 2006 12.02.2009 Ariane-5ECA 2230
OHO 1 2009 2012 Ariane-5ECA 3200 2.3 / cancelled
Optus D1 2003 13.10.2006 Ariane-5ECA 2299 2.4
Optus D2 2003 05.10.2007 Ariane-5GS 2401 2.4
Optus D3 2007 21.08.2009 Ariane-5ECA 2501 2.4
Palapa E 2013 2.4 / cancelled
SES 1 (ex AMC 4R ex AMC 1R ex AMC 5RR) 2007 24.04.2010 Proton-M Briz-M (Ph.2) 3170 2.4
SES 2 (ex AMC 5R) 2007 29.09.2011 Ariane-5ECA 3200 2.4
SES 3 (ex AMC ground spare) 2008 15.07.2011 Proton-M Briz-M (Ph.3) 3170 2.4
SES 8 2011 03.12.2013 Falcon-9 v1.1(ex) 3170 2.4
Sky-Mexico 1 (SKYM 1) 2013 27.05.2015 Ariane-5ECA 3182
Star One C3 2010 10.11.2012 Ariane-5ECA 3200 2.4
Telkom 2 2002 16.11.2005 Ariane-5ECA 1930
Thaicom 6 (AfriCom 1) 2011 06.01.2014 Falcon-9 v1.1(ex) 3016 2.3
Thaicom 8 2014 27.05.2016 Falcon-9 v1.2 3025 2.3
Thor 5 (ex Thor 2R) 2005 11.02.2008 Proton-M Briz-M (Ph.1) 1960 1960
Unknown 2015

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