BSAT-2b

BSAT-2b, was a geostationary communications satellite ordered by B-SAT which was designed and manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation on the STAR-1 platform. It was designed to be stationed on the 110° East orbital slot along its companion BSAT-2a where it would provide redundant high definition direct television broadcasting across Japan.

But the Ariane 5G rocket had an anomaly during its July 12, 2001 launch. It left BSAT-2b stranded in an orbit too low for its propulsion system to compensate and the spacecraft was written off. BSAT ordered BSAT-2c immediately to replace it. It decayed and burned in the atmosphere on January 28, 2014.

Satellite description
BSAT-2b 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 927 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-2b was launched aboard an Ariane 5G at 23:58 UTC, July 12, 2001, from Guiana Space Center ELA-3. It rode on the lower berth below Artemis. But the EPS upper stage had an anomaly and left the satellites on a 17,528 km × 592 km × 2.9° orbit, short of the planned 35,853 km × 858 km × 2.0°. While Artemis used its electric propulsion to make up for the difference. But BSAT-2b Star 30CBP apogee kick motor could not make up for the orbital energy short fall and was written off.

On January 28, 2014, BSAT-2b decayed from its orbit and burned in the atmosphere.