Atlantic Bird 1

EUTELSAT

Spacecraft n°:

Eutelsat spececraft n°: 25

Also called Cesasat and Marconi (named after the Italian telecommunication pioneer Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937)

Launch data:

Designation	27508 / 02040A
Launch date	28 Aug 2002 - 22:45 UT
Launch site	Ko, ELA-3
Launch vehicle	Ariane-5G (V155 / #513)
Mission	Commercial: Communications
Geostationary orbit on:
Perigee / Apogee	35768 x 35805 km
Eccentricity	4.39E-04
Inclination	0.11 deg
Period	1436.1 min

Telecommunication satellite owned by the Czech company Satel Com (previously Cesa). It is leased to Eutelsat.
The satellite was initialy to be launched by Long March, but a US export to China could not be obtained.
Project worth $160 million (in-orbit delivery + ground station at Pardubice)

Spacecraft data:

Prime contractor	Alenia Aerospazio (Italy)
Platform	Italsat
Operator	EUTELSAT
Mass at launch	2700 kg
Dry Mass	1550 kg
Dimension	2.1 x 2 x 2.8 m (19 m span in orbit)
Solar array
Stabilization	3-axis
DC power	5100 W
Design lifetime	15 years

Location:

Date	Position	Remarks
	12.5° W
Oct 2009	12.43° W

Beacons: 11.4505 and 12.50015 GHz

Mission personnel prepare ATLANTIC BIRD 1 for its fueling process in the S5A hall. ATLANTIC BIRD 1 will ride in the upper payload position atop the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, and will be released first during the dual-spacecraft deployment sequence. The three-axis stabilized satellite was built by Alenia Spazio and will be operated by Eutelsat as part of its telecommunications spacecraft fleet.

The Ariane 5's payload fairing is ready to be lowered over Atlantic Bird 1 in the launcher final assembly building's preparation hall. Atlantic BirdTM 1 is in the lower portion of the photo, mounted atop the Sylda C deployment system, which subsequently will cover the MSG-1 satellite.

Description:

Atlantic BirdTM 1 is a three-axis stabilized telecommunications spacecraft for Eutelsat connectivity services from the eastern seaboard of the Americas into Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The spin-stabilized MSG-1 will be used by Eumetsat for improved weather observations.
Atlantic Bird 1 carries a 24-transponder Ku-band payload and will be positioned at 12.5 degrees West -- serving Eutelsat's Atlantic Gate for telecommunications that span the European and U.S. continents. The spacecraft weighed 2,700 kg. at liftoff.
The 2,000 kg. MSG-1 is the first of Europe's new generation weather satellites. Developed and co-financed by the European Space Agency, MSG-1 was built by Alcatel Space for operation by Eumetsat.

Mission details:

Lifting off from the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch complex, the Ariane 5 carried Atlantic Bird 1 for Italian manufacturer Alenia Spazio on behalf of telecom operator Eutelsat, along with the MSG-1 meteorological spacecraft for the Eumetsat weather organization.
Flight 155 demonstrated Ariane 5's capability to match up all types of satellites on a single, cost-effective launch.
Flight 155 had been delayed one day following a launch hold because of an indication of a computer dialog problem between the ground control network and Ariane 5's on-board computers.
On Flight 155, Atlantic BirdTM 1 rode in the upper payload position and was released approximately 28 minutes into the mission, followed eight minutes later by deployment of the MSG-1 spacecraft.

Ku-band

Main transponders	24
Backup transponders	6
Power
Bandwidth	6 x 36 MHz 8 x 54 MHz 6 x 72 MHz
Coverage	central europe, from Baltic countries to Greece, from Austria to Ukraine eastern north america south america
EIRP max	Europe: 49 dBW North America: 48 dBW South America: 45 dBW
G/T max
Polarization	linear H/V

The American coverage is provided by two antennas. When both are active, substract 3 dB for the G/T and 3.5 dB over North America and 2.5 dB over South America.

Transponder frequency chart (GHz)

Horizontal Uplink	Horizontal Downlink	Transponder	Vertical Downlink	Vertical Uplink	Bandwidth (MHz)	Uplink from	Downlink to
	10.99167	B1		14.29167	72	Europe or America	Europe
14.29167		B2	10.99167		72	Europe or America	Europe
	11.07500	B3		14.37500	72	Europe or America	Europe
14.37500		B4	11.07500		72	Europe or America	Europe or America
	11.15833	B5		14.45833	72	Europe or America	Europe
14.45833		B6	11.15833		72	Europe or America	Europe or America

	11.32450	C6		13.87450	36	Europe	Europe
13.89525		C7	11.34525		36	Europe	Europe
	11.36600	C8		13.91600	36	Europe	Europe
13.93675		C9	11.38675		36	Europe	Europe
	11.40750	C10		19.95750	36	Europe	Europe
13.97825		C11	11.42825		36	Europe	Europe

	11.60625	D5 / F5		14.15625	54	America	America
14.15625		D6 / F6	11.60625		54	America	America
	11.66875	D7 / F7		14.21875	54	America	America
14.21875		D8 / F8	11.66875		54	America	America

	12.53125	F1		14.03125	54	Europe	Europe
14.03125		F2	12.53125		54	Europe	Europe
	12.59375	F3		14.09375	54	Europe	Europe
14.09375		F4	12.59375		54	Europe	Europe
	12.65625	D5 / F5		14.15625	54	Europe	Europe
14.15625		D6 / F6	12.65625		54	Europe	Europe
	12.71875	D7 / F7		14.21875	54	Europe	Europe
14.21875		D8 / F8	12.71875		54	Europe	Europe

D5 to D8 are linked to F5 to F8 transponders.
Twenty channels, telecommunications services between Europe and the Americas.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Kourou

Headquarter cancel Paris

Credit covers: J.VdDr.

Ref.: #7, #15, #66a, #226, #415 - update: 06.11.19

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