Under a unique arrangement among Hughes Global Services, PanAmSat Corp. and the Australian Defence Force, a Hughes-built communications satellite formerly used by the U.S. Navy is providing new communications services to the Australian Defence Force.
Last week, Leasat 5, under a multimillion-dollar contract to
Hughes Global Services Inc. from the Royal Australian Navy, began its
service from its new orbital location at 156 degrees East longitude.
Leasat 5 will provide ultrahigh-frequency satellite-communications
services to the Australian Defence Force for five years, if all
options are exercised.
To provide service to Australia, the satellite had to be
relocated from its original position over the Indian Ocean to its new
position of 156 degrees East longitude. Hughes led the effort, working
with a number of U.S. government and international agencies, as well
as the Australian Defence Force, to obtain the necessary approvals for
satellite relocation and frequency use.
Hughes has worked in conjunction with Leasat 5’s owner, PanAmSat,
to meet the ultrahigh-frequency satellite-communications needs of the
Australian Defence Force. PanAmSat owns and operates the satellite and
is providing satellite capacity to Hughes Global Services.
PanAmSat will monitor and control the spacecraft’s attitude and
orbital position via tracking, telemetry and control, and will also
monitor and control Leasat 5’s communications payload.
“This satellite was literally within days of being propelled into
useless orbit, since its service to the U.S. Department of Defense had
been completed,” said Ronald V. Swanson, president of Hughes Global
Services.
“The mission of Hughes Global Services is to provide local, state
and federal governments with access to space, enabling commercial
satellite owners to provide services quickly while following
government contracting procedures. Hughes was able to match the
capabilities of Leasat 5 to the requirements of the Australian Defence
Force.
“Because we have three decades of experience as a government
contractor, we were able to expedite the U.S. government approval for
the relocation and operation of Leasat 5 on behalf of our customer,
the Royal Australian Navy. It’s a win-win situation, and exemplifies
how Hughes Global Services operates,” Swanson said.
Leasat 5 began limited service to the Australian Defence Force on
Oct. 17, 1997. On March 4, the relocation began with the successful
execution of the first of a series of on-board thruster burns. Service
began on May 7. The PanAmSat Operations Center in Long Beach, Calif.,
provides the tracking, telemetry and control capability via its Guam
ground station, and also plans and executes all orbital maneuvers.
Leasat 5 was built by Hughes Space and Communications Co. The
14-foot-diameter spin-stabilized satellite was one of a new line of
wide-body spacecraft designed exclusively for launch from the Space
Shuttle.
As the last of a five-satellite constellation, Leasat 5 was
launched in January 1990 and leased to the U.S. Navy, acting on behalf
of the Department of Defense, to provide worldwide communications-
satellite service for an initial period of five years. The Leasat
satellites were used for mobile air, surface, subsurface and fixed
Earth stations of the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Army.
The communications payload of Leasat 5 consists of two large
helical UHF antennas, providing receive and transmit capability in the
UHF band (240 to 400 MHz). Telemetry, command and Fleet Broadcast
uplink and beacon are in the “exclusive” portions of the SHF band
(7250 to 7500 MHz and 7975 to 8025 MHz). Twelve UHF repeaters provide
the main communications capability.
Hughes Global Services is the same entity that is currently
performing an experimental mission to salvage a high-power
communications satellite, stranded in a useless orbit after a launch
failure on Christmas Day 1997.
The satellite, informally referred to as HGS-1, is being sent
around the moon, using lunar gravity to adjust the satellite’s
inclination and reposition it in a usable orbit. If successful, Hughes
will sell or lease the satellite.
