EchoStar 23

Launch data: Designation  42070 / 17014A Launch date  16 Mar 2017 - 06:00 UT Launch site  CCK,LC-39A Launch vehicle  Falcon-9v1.2 (F31) Mission  Com: Communication (Direct Broadcasting) Geostationary orbit: Perigee / Apogee  35786 x 35803 km Eccentricity  2,02E-04 Inclination   0.0° Period  1436.1 min

Description:

• ECHOSTAR 23 was constructed by Space Systems Loral (SSL), based on the SSL-1300 bus. The satellite was originally designed as EchoStar XIII, or CMBStar, which was intended to be used under a partnership between EchoStar and the Chinese government to provide S-band mobile video broadcasting during the 2008 Summer Olympics. The program was abandoned in April 2008, after construction was complete, when it became clear the satellite would not launch in time for the Olympics – although the reason stated for the cancellation was that performance specifications had not been met. The EchoStar XXIII satellite was ordered in 2014, to reuse the spacecraft which had been constructed for the earlier mission. The large antenna which would have served mobile users of the EchoStar XIII satellite has been replaced with four Ku-band antennae with thirty-two transponders, while the satellite is also able to offer S-band and Ka-band communications. The satellite has a design life of fifteen years and will begin its service life in an orbital slot at a longitude of 45 degrees West. However, it is able to operate in any of EchoStar′s eight geosynchronous slots allotted to Ku-band broadcasting satellites.

Mission details:

• The Echostar 23 communications sat will provide television services to Brazil and Latin America for Echostar Corp. It was launched by Falcon 9 F31; the first stage on this mission did not have landing legs and no recovery was attempted.

External links:

• Satellite tracking (n2ya.com): Real time satellite tracking