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USA: Telstar 18 Satellite Begins Full Commercial Service Over Asia

Posted on: Tuesday, 24 August 2004, 06:00 CDT

Excerpt from press release by Loral Space & Communications on 23 July

New York, 23 August: Loral Space & Communications today announced that Telstar 18, a powerful and flexible satellite designed to provide communication services across Asia, has completed its in- orbit testing and is now fully operational. "With Telstar 18 joining Telstar 10 over Asia, Loral now operates two of the most powerful and strategically placed satellites in that region," said Patrick Brant, president, Loral Skynet. "Telstar 18 covers a large area that stretches from Central Asia, through the Indian sub-continent, China, Korea, Japan, South East Asia, Australia and Hawaii. It offers our customers a strong footprint for intra-regional applications, as well as the ability to directly connect with the US."

Built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) and operated by Loral Skynet, Telstar 18 was 28 June 2004, aboard a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket. During the launch, the rocket's upper stage shut down early and placed the satellite in a lower than expected orbit. Engineers from SS/L, however, were able to raise the satellite to its proper orbital position at 138 degrees East longitude. The satellite still has sufficient on-board fuel to exceed its specified 13-year life.

Telstar 18's users include well-known regional video and data providers, such as Smart Digital Communications Bhd, of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and PSVN, Inc, which is based at the Hawaii Pacific Teleport.

Loral's other satellite over Asia, Telstar 10/APSTAR-IIR, hosts one of the largest video communities in Asia at 76.5 degrees East longitude.

In addition to transmitting innovative new applications, cable programming and direct-to-home broadcasting services, Telstar 18 is scheduled to begin hosting Skynet's SkyReach (SM) two-way IP-based networking solution in 2005. SkyReach is already available and in use by customers throughout the Americas, allowing organizations to create an instant infrastructure using a VSAT network, connecting offices between cities or around the globe.

Telstar 18 carries a total of 54 active transponders, of which 16 are high-power Ku-band transponders and 38 are C-band transponders. In consideration for funding a portion of the satellite project's cost, APT Satellite Company Limited, Hong Kong, will initially use 68.5 per cent of Telstar 18's transponder capacity for APSTAR-V services. The number of transponders used by APT will be reduced over time, ultimately to 54 per cent of the satellite's capacity. [Passage omitted]

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