Telstar 6 --> Intelsat Americas 6 (IA 6)
--> Galaxy 26

Loral Skynet (US) --> Intelsat

Renamed: Galaxy-26 - Also called: Intelsat IA-6

Launch data:

Designation	25626 / 99005A
Launch date	15 Feb 1999
Launch site	Baikonur, LC-81/23
Launch vehicle	Proton-K/DM3 (#263)
Mission	Commercial: Communications
Geostationary orbit:
Perigee / Apogee	35778 x 35795 km
Eccentricity	2,02E-04
Inclination	0.01 deg
Period	1436.11 min

Specifications

Prime contractor	Space Systems/Loral
Platform	FS-1300
Operator	Loral Skynet --> Intelsat, Ltd.
Mass at launch	3765 kg
Mass in orbit	2421 kg
Dry mass	1469 kg
Dimension	5.45 x 3.14 x 2.96 m (31.09 m deployed)
Solararray	2 deployable solar arrays, 59.64 m²
Stabilization	3-axis
DC power	EOL: 8100 W
Propulsion	R-4D-11
Design lifetime	13 yrs - still active

Location:

Date	Position	Remarks
	267 °E
~19 Feb 2009	266 °E	manoeuvred off-station, drifting to E
~12 Mar 2009	~50 °E	relocated
July 2010	93.01°W

Started operational service on 15 March 1999.

C-band

Main transponders	24
Backup transponders	8
Power	20 W
Bandwidth	36 MHz
Coverage	CONUS + Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and parts of Canada and Latin America
EIRP max	CONUS: 38.5 dBW Alaska: 34 dBW Hawaii: 33.5 dBW Puerto Rico/US Virgin Islands: 34 dBW
G/T max	CONUS: +0.1 dB/K Alaska: -6.6 dB/K Hawaii: -5.6 dB/K Puerto Rico/US Virgin Islands: -4.1 dB/K
Polarization	linear

beacons: 4.1955 & 4.1965 GHz
Transponder frequency chart

Ku-band:

Main transponders	28
Backup transponders	4
Power	100 W (TWTA)
Bandwidth	4 x 54 MHz 24 x 27 MHz
Coverage	US (50 states) + Caribbean, Mexico and Southern Canada
EIRP max	CONUS: 47.2 dBW Alaska: 40.3 dBW Hawaii: 46.1 dBW Puerto Rico/US Virgin Island: 44.3 dBW Mexico: 42.8 dBW Southern Canada: 43.4 dBW
G/T max	CONUS: +0.7 dB/K Alaska: -2.3 dB/K Hawaii: +0.6 dB/K Puerto Rico/US Virgin Islands: +0.6 dB/K Mexico: -3.2 dB/K Southern Canada: -1.7 dB/K
Polarization	linear

Ku-band: No variable power nor cross-strapping like on the 40x series

The Ku TWTAs were changed just before launch, the satellite had to be flown back to California in Oct 1998. The replacement was completed in early Dec 1998. The original satellite's travelling wave tubes (TWTs) supplied by AEG of Germany were susceptible to thermally induced fatigue. Originally this replacement was planned to be made at launch site.

Ku-band Transponder frequency chart (GHz):

Horizontal Uplink	Horizontal Downlink	Transponder	Vertical Downlink	Vertical Uplink	Bandwidth
14.0285		1	11.7285		54 MHz
	11.7350	2		14.0350	54 MHz
14.0895		3	11.7895		54 MHz
	11.7960	4		14.0960	54 MHz
14.1360		5	11.8360		27 MHz
	11.8425	6		14.1425	27 MHz
14.1670		7	11.8670		27 MHz
	11.8735	8		14.1735	27 MHz
14.1980		9	11.8980		27 MHz
	11.9045	10		14.2045	27 MHz
14.2290		11	11.9290		27 MHz
	11.9355	12		14.2355	27 MHz
14.2600		13	11.9600		27 MHz
	11.9665	14		14.2665	27 MHz
14.2910		15	11.9910		27 MHz
	11.9975	16		14.2975	27 MHz
14.3220		17	12.0220		27 MHz
	12.0285	18		13.3285	27 MHz
14.3530		19	12.0530		27 MHz
	12.0595	20		14.3595	27 MHz
14.3840		21	12.0840		27 MHz
	12.0905	22		14.3905	27 MHz
14.4150		23	12.1150		27 MHz
	12.1215	24		14.4215	27 MHz
14.4460		25	12.1460		27 MHz
	12.1525	26		14.4525	27 MHz
14.4770		27	12.1770		27 MHz
	12.1835	28		14.4835	27 MHz

Description:

24 C-band, 28 Ku-band; U.S., southern Canada, Mexico, Caribbean; has experienced several anomalies and brief shutdowns.

Mission details:

Telstar 6 suffered a control processor failure in 2001, but no service loss occured.
Loral anounced in July 2003 a definite agreement to sell Telstar 5, 6 and 7 to Intelsat, who operates the satellites now as Intelsat Americas 5, 6 and 7. Intelsat changed the name of the Intelsat Americas satellites to Galaxy 25, 26 and 27 effective to 1. February 2007.

Ref: #14, #15, #225(09.02-09.03), #226 - update: 09.06.12

Telstar 6 --> Intelsat Americas 6 (IA 6) --> Galaxy 26