Olympus

ESA

Spacecraft nº:

ESA spacecraft nº: 28

Also called L SAT (Large SATellite)

Launch data:

Designation	20122 / 89053A
Launch date	12 Jul 1989
Launch site	Ko, ELA-1
Launch vehicle	Ariane-3 (V32)
Mission	Communications
Geostationary orbit:
Location	19°W

Specifications

Prime contractor	British Aerospace (now MMS)
Platform	Olympus
Mass at launch	2595 kg
Payload mass	359 kg
Dimension	2.9 x 2.7 x 5.6 m
Solar array	26 m span
DC power	EOL: 3600 W
Stabilization	3-axis
Design lifetime	7 years

End of life

Out of service	12 Aug 1993
Cause	Out of control

The control's satellite was lost on 29 May 1991 because of a stabilization problem that caused an electric interruption. The satellite then drifted over Pacific and Atlantic. It was found by radars and the control was taken over by the ESA's station in Darmstadt on 19 Jun 1992. It was then put back into service on 7 Aug 1992.
On 12 Aug 1993 it started rotating and fell in backup mode to try to stabilize (during the Perseid shower, because of a meteor impact). It consumed so much ergols that there was not enough left to bring it back in service. The spacecraft was send to the junk orbit.

Ku-band

Main transponders	2 (DBS) + 4
Backup transponders
Power	DBS: 2 transponders of 230 W (TWTA) others: 4 transponders of 30 W (TWTA)
Bandwidth	DBS: 27 MHz others: 18 & 36 MHz
Coverage	DBS: Italy and Europe (steerable) others: 5 spots
EIRP max	DBS: 63 dBW others: 33.3 dBW
Polarization
Frequencies	DBS: 12/18 GHz others: 12/14 GHz

Ka-band (20/30 GHz)

Main transponders	2
Backup transponders	1
Power	30 W (TWTA)
Bandwidth	40 & 700 MHz
Coverage	2 steerable spot beams
EIRP max	52.1 dBW
Polarization

Equipped with 5 steerable antennas for numerous experiments (direct TV and HDTV). Also equipped with 3 beacons at 12, 20 and 30 GHz for propagation measurements. Non Ku-band DBS transponders are designed for digital transmissions in AMRT with an on-board matrix commuter.

Ref: #15, #78a - update: 03.11.08