AMC-21

infobox spacecraft
Organisation = SES Americom
Carrier_Rocket = Ariane 5ECA
Orbit_regime = Geosynchronous
Launch_Site = ELA-3, Guiana Space Centre
Launch = 20:44, 14 August 2008
Major_Contractors = Thales Alenia Space
Orbital
Arianespace (LSP)
Bus = STAR-2 [http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc_sdat/amc-21.htm Gunter's Space Page - AMC-21] ]
Longitude = 125° West [http://www.ses-americom.com/americom_2008/siteSections/technical/plannedsatellites/amc21/index.php SES Americom - AMC-21] ]
Mass = 2,500kg
Mission_Type = Communication
Mission_Duration = 16 years
Orbital_Period = 24 hours

AMC-21, or Americom-21, is a communications satellite, which will be operated by SES Americom. It is was launched, along with the Superbird 7 satellite, by an Ariane 5ECA carrier rocket at 20:44 on 14 August 2008. The satellite will separate from the carrier rocket in a geosynchronous transfer orbit. It will then be raised to an operational geosynchronous orbit, and placed at a longitude of 125° West of the Greenwich Meridian, by an onboard IHI-500N engine.

AMC-21 was constructed by Thales Alenia Space, based on a STAR-2 bus subcontracted to Orbital Sciences Corporation. It carries 24 J band (IEEE Ku band) transponders, which will be used to broadcast television signals to Canada the Caribbean, Mexico, and the United States.

ee also

*SES Americom

References