Spacebus

Spacebus® is the name given to the family of geostationary telecommunications satellites developed as from the years 1980 by aerospatiale, become now Thalès Alenia Space, in the Space center of Cannes Mandelieu.

History

At that time, aerospatiale is allied with the German firm MBB for the realization of satellites, of which the Franco-German program Symphonie. Following a contest with ideas launched within the two firms, it is Guy Lebègue, engineer at the department marketing of aerospatiale/Satellites, which invents this name on August 23rd, 1983, by reference to the aeronautic program Airbus.

A Franco-German agreement Spacebus , is signed on December 9th, 1983 between Henri Martre, chairman of aerospatiale, and Hans Vogels, president of MBB. The mark Spacebus is deposited with INPI.

The name becomes that of a produced which will be sold with tens of specimens, all exported, a large contribution of currency S for the countries of the companies taking part, a reference for their commercial Balance taking into account the price of one which is close to that of a Airbus A320.

A sequence number follows the name, representative of the class of weight of the satellites: 1000, for the ton, 2000, etc

The name was also allotted to the satellites under development at the time of the deposit of mark, although of different architecture (but absolutely not with the Symphonie satellites which had been already launched for several years, and are thus not):

  • Spacebus 100 for the Arabsat satellites of first generation

  • Spacebus 300 for the satellites of direct television of the Franco-German program TDF 1 & 2, and of the Swedish program.

Structure

A satellite is generally composed of two parts: the Payload specific to the mission (telecommunication, observation of the Earth, navigation, scientific expedition, etc) and the platform (or modulates service) intended to bring all the functions necessary to him.

See also: Module of service

The idea was to develop a generic platform, making it possible to adapt to the various future missions and the evolutions of the capacities of the launchers, to reduce the manufacturing costs of them, profiting, if possible, of an effect of series.

And, indeed, more than one about sixty were carried out, since the SB100 of the Arabsat satellites of the class of a ton, in 1981, until the SB4000 of more than five tons of the years 2000.

The architecture of the platform is based on:

  • a modular concept with a module of U-shaped payload allowing an integration in parallel of the Module of service, by aerospatiale, and of the equipment of the payload, by a specialist in this discipline, before final integration and tests at the Space center of Cannes.
  • a central tube in composite materials containing sandwich honeycomb and carbon fibers, true spinal column of the satellite, interfaces with the launcher, sheltering the two tanks of Ergol S.Y are hung various panels comprising all the equipment of constraint. Come to cling to it, finally, three panels supporting the equipment of the Payload of communication, of which two (in sandwich honeycomb to faces aluminum, to let forward the calories) will play the part of Radiateur S thermics making it possible to dissipate towards the space cold, by Rayonnement, the calories dissipated by this payload. At the beginning, the structural elements were produced in the establishment of the Mureaux of aerospatiale. After separation of its Satellites activity, the Space center of Cannes Mandelieu starts to manufacture composite material elements and, in particular, the production of all the plane structures. The central tube, requiring tools very specialized remaining in Mureaux, become EADS. A second source of supply starts at SAAB in Sweden.
  • a thermal control calling upon the most sophisticated the technology and calculation programmes developed in Cannes since the program Symphony: dissipative radiators, electric superisolations, heaters, Heat pipe S.
  • Of the solar generating rigid, with various combinations of panels, according to the necessary electric outputs.
  • an electric architecture developed by ETCA in Belgium, with batteries of technologies evolving/moving since theHydrogen one with the Lithium-Ion.
  • a chemical Propulsion containing Biergol S developed by MBB in Germany. The electric propulsion is also studied, developed and introduced on two satellites: Lost stentor and Astra-1K, both, unfortunately, at the time of failures of launching.
  • a Control system of attitude and orbit three-axes developed initially by MBB.
  • Various Mechanism S for the openings of the solar panels and the antennas, developed and produced in Cannes.

Versions

The evolution of to the top follows that of the capacities of the launchers since ARIANE 1 until ARIANE 5. But it should be also noted that them were always conceived to adapt to all the launchers available on the produce market: not only various versions of ARIANE, but also the Thor Delta, Atlas, Soyuz, Proton, Long walk and even, exceptionally, for a launching by the Space shuttle Discovery for one of the models of Arabsat launched on mission STS-51-G.

These versions are declined in the following headings. The tables quote the " end of mission" , i.e. end of operational use; after which, the satellite is often except control, perhaps slightly desorbity (operation strongly recommended to the " Opérateur" satellite), will derive for eternity, its " end of vie" not wanting to say large thing.

Certain satellites changed operator, before their launching, or at the time of their orbital life. They even can, in this case, to change orbital position.

Spacebus 100

It is the first appearance of final architecture, in 1981, with the realization of the first three satellites Arabsat for the 22 country of the Arab Ligue, with an electric output of 2 KW. A little later during the program, the name Spacebus 1000 was used, for comparison with Spacebus 2000.

; Launchers

  • two of the satellites were launched by of the ARIANE, in version ARIANE 3 and ARIANE 4
  • Arabsat-1B was launched by the Space shuttle, mission STS-51G in which took part Patrick Baudry. Require an additional rocket motor to transfer the satellite since the low Terrestrial orbit from the Shuttle towards the Orbite from transfer geostationary: the PAM-D.

Spacebus 300

As mentioned in the history, this name was allotted to the 5 satellites of direct television of the Franco-German program and Swedish for customer (SC), with an electric output of 4,3 KW. For the French satellites the customer is Télédiffusion of France.

; Launchers They all were launched by ARIANE

Spacebus 2000

Architecture evolves/moves upwards with the availability of new versions of ARIANE 4. The electric output is 3,5 KW.

The customers diversify. Appear:

  • Eutelsat . He becomes the first customer of the family, ordering 6 satellites.
  • Nahuelsat, Argentinian company , whose company ITS TOTAL becomes shareholder.
  • , and its series of Türksat, first delivered “turn-key” for the Turkey.
  • , which takes again the Nahuel-1B satellite, becoming GE-5 for the the United States, which will become AMC 5, during the recovery by ITS TOTAL.

; Launchers

  • ten of the eleven satellites called upon ARIANE with, unfortunately, the loss of two of them because of failure of V63 launching of the 1/24/1994. Become the first customers of the company Arianespace.
  • the last fact call to a new launcher: Atlas.

Spacebus 3000

With the prospect for launchings by ARIANE 5, appears the family going Spacebus 3000 with masses from 2 to 6 tons and the electric outputs from 5 to 16 kw. She will decline herself in several versions, benefitting from increasingly large caps.

In 1991 the co-operation with DASA extends to Alcatel Espace, Alenia and, taking the name of Alliance Satellites .

Spacebus 3000A

First version developed for the second generation for Arabsat . It will be adopted by two new customers:
  • , customer deprived in Thailand, and its satellites Thaicom, first Spacebus to cover the Asia, which will become during the ordering of Thaicom 5
  • Sinosat for the China, and the Sinosat-1 satellite. The customer is EuraSpace, joint venture with 50/50 between DASA and Clouded Aerospace Corporation (CASC).

; Launchers

  • Still of the ARIANE 4
  • the first launching of Spacebus with a ARIANE 5: Thaïcom 5.
  • a new launcher used, obviously, to launch the Chinese satellite Sinosat: Long walk (LM).

Spacebus 3000B2

For the versions B, the basic dimension of the satellite is 2,3 X 1,8 Mr. For the B2 version, the height of the body of the platform east 2,8 m, making it possible to adapt a radiative surface and an electric output going until 6,5 kw.

An important customer: Eutelsat, order 6 satellites

New customers:

  • Satellite Nordic AB (NSAB), Scandinavian operator , become on December 1st, 2005 in astronautics
  • Hispasat, Spanish operator for civil and governmental telecommunications
  • Bundeswehr, the German army.

; Launchers

  • Still a majority of ARIANE 4
  • an ARIANE 5
  • Three other Atlases
  • Appearance of a new launcher: Delta 4

Spacebus 3000B3

For this category, the height of the body is increased to 3,7 m, authorizing an electric output of 8,5 kw. Six new customers:
  • , American private operator
  • (Monaco) resulting from an agreement between Alcatel Space (25%) and Türk Telekom (75%), become Satellite Turksat Communication and Cable TV Operation ACE
  • the National center of space studies (CNES) for the experimental satellite STENTOR.
  • PanAmSat
  • , operator brésilen
  • the Stellat company, created in 2001 by France Telecom to 70% and Europe*Star with 30% (subsidiary company of Alcatel Space and of). The head office is in France. In September 2002, participation FT passes to 100%. In August 2002 FT yields the company to Eutelsat. Stellat 5 takes the orbital name of Atlantic Bird 3.

; Launchers

  • a last ARIANE 4
  • an Atlas 5
  • ARIANE 5 becomes majority
  • Apparaît the Russian launcher Proton

Spacebus 3000B3S

A new customer: ITS Astra. Only one satellite in this class: Astra-1K. At that time, it was the largest commercial communications satellite ever produced, with a power of 13 KW. Unfortunately, it was lost during its launching because of a failure of the Russian launcher Proton.

Spacebus 4000

Family 4000 appears with, mainly, a modification of the avionics ( Avionics 4000 ):
  • electric architecture of the platform passing from 50 to 100 Volts.
  • trip computer, very integrated, flexible and modular
  • AOCS with Star-tracker for use in geostationary orbit (first world).
It is declined, as for the series B, according to the height of the satellite, in 4000B2, 4000B3. And a new version C appears, whose basic dimensions are 2,2 X 2,0 Mr.

Spacebus 4000B2

Still a new customer: Telenor, Norway

Spacebus 4000B3

For this B3 version, the height of the satellite is 3,7 m, with a power of 8,5 kw. Three new customers:

; Launchers

  • four of the five satellites are or will be launched by ARIANE 5
  • Palapa will be launched by a Long walk.

Spacebus 4000C1

For C1, the height is 4 m and the electric output 8,5 kw. A new customer: , for the Korea.

A new type of launcher is used: Zenit on mobile launching base on Ecuador, Sea Launch.

Spacebus 4000C2

With a 4,5 m height, the working installed capacity is 10,5 kw. Three Chinese customers order this version:
    Satellite
  • APT Company Ltd, Hongkong, China
  • ChinaSatcom (Satellite Communication Corporation Clouded), Beijing, China
  • China Telecommunications Broadcast Satellite Corporation (Chinasat, Zhongxing).

; Launchers For all these satellites intended to cover China, it is naturally that Long walk was retained.

Spacebus 4000C3

With a 5,1 m height, this family can receive 13 kw of solar panels. An already known customer: ITS Americom . The two satellites are launched with Proton .

Spacebus 4000C4

With a 5,5 m height, this family can receive 16 kw of solar panels.

A new customer: Satellite sky, Canada.

; Launchers

  • two are envisaged with Zenith since Sea Launch
  • Ciel 2 will be launched by Proton .

Synthesis at November 15th, 2007

  • Ordered: 61

  • Delivered: 51
  • Launched successfully: 46
  • Lost with launching: 4
  • In construction: 10
; Launchers used
  • ARIANE 4 : 21
  • ARIANE 5 : 9
  • Atlas : 6
  • Proton : 4
  • ARIANE 1 to 3 : 4
  • Long walk : 3
  • Zenith : 1
  • Delta : 1
  • Shuttle : 1

Prize list

November 14th, 2007 in astronautics: launching of the 50e Spacebus (the satellite Star One C1, Spacebus 3000B3) by an ARIANE 5 in Kourou.

Notes and references of the article

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