APStar 5

Launch data: Designation  28364 / 04024A Launch date  29 Jun 2004 - 03:58:59 UT Launch site  Odyssey Launch vehicle  Zenit-3SL Mission  Telecommunication Geosynchronous orbit on 8 July: Perigee / Apogee  35690 x 35720 km Inclination  0.13° Period  1431.94 min

An artist's concept of Telstar 18. Credit: Loral

Description:

• APT Satellite Compagny initially uses 68.5% of the satellite's capacity, hence its designer APStar 5.
  Satellite planned for operations over 138 deg E
  
• Telstar 18 features 38 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders. The C-band coverage zone includes a broad area of China, southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific islands and Hawaii. The Ku-band footprint reaches China, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea.

Mission details:

• A Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket blasted off from its floating platform in the Pacific Ocean at 0359 GMT (11:59 p.m. EDT). The rocket's lower two stages, which are Ukrainian-made, fired during the first nine minutes of flight. The Russian-built Block DM-SL upper stage then performed an initial burn to reach a parking orbit around Earth.
• After a 36-minute coast, the Block DM-SL reignited for what was supposed to be a six-minute firing to reach an elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit stretching from 35,768 km at its high point to 760 km at its lowest point.
• About 65 minutes after liftoff, the 10,229-pound Telstar 18 satellite was released from the rocket as Sea Launch hailed the deployment mission a success.
• But a few hours later, Sea Launch acknowledged the orbit achieved was lower than planned. Russian media reports indicated the orbit's high point was only 21,000 km.
• Launch called for the third stage/satellite assembly to be placed into an initial 180-913 km orbit by the first Block DM-SL (third stage) burn and then the second burn should place the assembly into a 756-35929 km geosynchronous transfer orbit; satellite separation would be in a 760-35786 km orbit. The second Blok DM-SL burn resulted in an engine shutdown earlier than planned, leaving the satellite in a lower-apogee orbit than planned.
• Current data indicates the satellite has sufficient onboard fuel to bring it to its final orbital position and exceed its 13-year specified life. The satellite is using its own motor to reach geosynchronous orbit.
• Telstar 18 has deployed its solar arrays and all systems on the spacecraft are operating normally.