Mission type Communication COSPAR ID 2009-044B Mission duration 15 years Inclination 0.05° Launch date 21 August 2009 Bus GEOStar-2 | Operator Optus SATCAT no. 35756 Inclination 0.05° Period 24 hours Rocket Ariane 5 | |
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Similar NSS‑9, Superbird‑C2, Superbird‑B2, JCSAT‑2A, JCSAT‑5A | ||
Sky news au optus d3 satellite launch live
Optus D3 is an Australian geostationary communications satellite, which is operated by Optus and provides communications services to Australasia. D3 was the third Optus-D satellite to be launched. It is a 2,401-kilogram (5,293 lb) satellite, which was constructed by Orbital Sciences Corporation based on the Star-2.4 satellite bus, with the same configuration as the earlier Optus D2 satellite.
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It was launched, along with the Japanese JCSAT-12 satellite, by Arianespace. An Ariane 5ECA rocket was used for the launch, which occurred from ELA-3 at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch took place at 22:09 GMT on 21 August 2009, at the start of a 60-minute launch window.
Optus D3 separated from its carrier rocket into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, from which it raised itself to geostationary orbit using an IHI -500-N apogee motor. It has a design life of fifteen years, and carries thirty two J band transponders (US IEEE Ku band).