Galaxy 7

USA

Launch data:

Designation:	22205 / 92072A
Launch date	28 Oct 1992
Launch site	Ko, ELA-2
Launch vehicle	Ariane-42P (V54)
Mission	Telecommunications
Geostationary orbit on:
Perigee / Apogee	km
Eccentricity
Inclination	deg
Period	min

Location:

Begin	End	Position
L: 28 Oct 19992	Oct 2000	91°W
Nov 2000	Nov 2000	125°W

End of life

Out of service	22 Nov 2000
Cause	The second control processor failed and the satellite was lost. The primary control processor failed in June 1998. Panamsat should fill a $130 million claim for insurance.

Problems with SCPs in 601 satellites are electrical shorts caused by internal tin-plated relay latching switches that act as on/off switches within the processors. Investigators have found that under certain conditions, a tiny, crystalline structure, less than the width of a human hair, can grow and bridge a relay terminal to its case, causing an electrical short.

The spacecraft was launched using the PVA (Perigee Velocity Augmentation) technic. The transfert orbit was 200/27975 km and then the apogee was upped to 35975 km with the satellite's kick motor and then gradually circularized.

Vertically polarized transponders are theoretically the only transponders that can be made into half transponders. Cross-strapping: C-band transponders 18 and 24 can cross-strap to Ku-band transponders 17 and 23.

Ref: #15 - update: 16.11.08