BSAT-2a

BSAT-2a, was a geostationary communications satellite operated by B-SAT which was designed and manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation on the STAR-1 platform. It was stationed on the 110° East orbital slot along its companion BSAT-2c from where they provided redundant high definition direct television broadcastin g across Japan.

Satellite description
BSAT-2a was designed and manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation on the STAR-1 satellite bus for B-SAT. It had a launch mass of 1317 kg, a dry mass of 535 kg, and a 10-year design life. As all four STAR-1 satellites, it had a solid rocket Star 30CBP apogee kick motor for orbit raising, plus 200 kg of propellant for its liquid propellant station keeping thrusters.

It measured 3.76 x when stowed for launch. Its dual wing solar panels can generate 2.6 kW of power at the beginning of its design life, and span 16.10 m when fully deployed.

It has a single Ku band payload with four active transponders plus four spares with a TWTA output power of 130 Watts.

History
In March 1999, B-SAT ordered from Orbital Sciences Corporation two satellites based on the STAR-1 platform: BSAT-2a and BSAT-2b. This was the second order of the bus and the first since Orbital had acquired CTA Space Systems, the original developer.

BSAT-2a was launched aboard an Ariane 5G at 22:51 UTC, March 8, 2001, from Guiana Space Center ELA-3. It rode on the lower berth below Eurobird. On April 26, BSAT-2a was commissioned into service starting the broadcast of digital signals.

B-SAT ended the broadcast of analog television in July 2011. During January 2013, BSAT-2a was sent to a graveyard orbit and decommissioned.