Thor 5

Norway

Spacecraft n°:

Norwegian spacecraft n°: 5

Also referred as Thor 2B

Launch data:

Designation	32487 / 08006A
Launch date	11 Feb 2008 - 11:34 UT
Launch site	B, LC-200/39
Launch vehicle	Proton-M Briz-M
Mission	Commercial: Communications
Earth orbit on Feb 11.63:
Perigee / Apogee	517 x 36551 km
Inclination	49.04°
Period	652.19 min
Geostationary orbit on Feb 25.84:
Perigee / Apogee	35784 x 35791 km
Eccentricity	2.97E-04
Inclination	0.04°
Period	1436.13 min

Spacecraft data:

Prime contractor	Orbital Sciences Corp.
Operator	Telenor Satellite Broadcasting
Platform	Orbital Sciences STAR-2
Mass at launch	1960 (2024?)kg
Dry Mass	kg
Basic shape	box
Dimension (m)
Solar array	2 solar panels
Stabilization
DC power
Design lifetime	15 years

Location:

Begin	Position	Remarks
	343° E	initially located
28-29 Feb 2008		manoeuvred off-station
7 Mar 2008	359° E 0.72° W	approching its operational longitude

25 Ku-band transponders. Direct-to-home and Internet to Scandinavia, eastern Europe and Middle East.

Mission details:

THOR 5 is a communications satellite that delivers broadcast and interactive services across the Nordic region, Europe and the Middle East for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting of Norway.
THOR 5 is an Orbital STAR-2 light geostationary spacecraft, built by Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va.

Four manoeuvres by the Briz-M fourth stage took place to put Thor 5 into its separation orbit 
(MET is mission elapsed time):

Burn 1:  MET =     11m 19s  to     16m 56s      Parking orbit injection        51.5 deg,   173 -    173 km
Burn 2:  MET =  1h 08m 30s  to  1h 24m 56s      Intermediate orbit             50.3 deg,   298 -  5,000 km
Burn 3:  MET =  3h 23m 46s  to  3h 42m 57s      Depletion of Briz-M tank propellant
         MET =  3h 44m 18s                      Separation of Briz-M auxiliary propellant tank
                                                Transfer orbit                 49.1 deg,   296 – 36,821 km
Burn 4:  MET =  9h 00m 02s  to  9h 10m 46s      Target orbit                    0   deg,     36,797 km
         MET =  9h 22m 50s                      Satellite separation from Briz-M

Ref.: #7(JR591), #78a, #225, #226 - update: 07.06.08