SES-2

Spacecraft n°:

USA spacecraft n°:

Launch data: Designation  37809 / 11049A Launch date  21 Sep 2011 - 21:38 UT Launch site  Ko, ELA-3 Launch vehicle  Ariane-5ECA (561) Mission  Commercial: Communication Geostationary orbit: Perigee / Apogee  35788 x 35798 km Eccentricity  2,37E-04 Inclination  0.01 deg Period  1436.2 min

SES 2 (with CHIRP experiment)

Description:

• SES 2 is one of three virtually identical satellites built by Orbital for SES and launched in 2010 and 2011. The satellite target position is at 87 degrees west longitude, where its 48 C-band and Ku-band transponders will reach customers across North America. The U.S. Air Force's Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload, or CHIRP, is a piggyback instrument aboard SES 2. It will demonstrate infrared detection technologies from geosynchronous orbit for missile warning applications. The Air Force plans to activate the CHIRP experiment about 30 days after launch, then begin an experimentation phase. It features a wide field-of-view staring sensor to pick up infrared signatures of missile plumes, explosions and fires.
• 24 active C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders; provides comprehensive coverage of North America and the Caribbean. Also features the Commercially Hosted InfraRed Payload (CHIRP) for U.S. Air Force--wide-field of view sensor to validate space-based infrared technologies from geosynchronous orbit.

Mission details:

• The Arabsat 5C and SES-2 satellites were launched on Sep 21, 2011 by vehicle 561. SES-2 is an Orbital Star-2.4 satellite for SES World Skies. The satellite carries a communications payload with 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders, and a US Air Force infrared surveillance sensor experiment. The satellites were deployed into a 250 x 35700 km x 1.9 deg transfer orbit.