Space Systems/Loral said Monday that the Optus C1 communications satellite has completed passive intermodulation (PIM) testing – the last major milestone prior to launch. SS/L has performed system level integration and testing of Optus C1 under contract from Mitsubishi Electric of Japan for SingTel Optus of Australia.
PIM testing evaluates a satellite’s ability to avoid interference between operating frequency bands, ensuring that the communications payload will operate as designed.
The test is important for Optus C1 because its communications payload operates in four different frequency bands – commercial services at Ku-band for Optus, and military communications at UHF, X- and Ka-bands for the Australian Department of Defence. The test was conducted at the David Florida Laboratory in Ottawa, Canada.
Optus C1 will be one of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, carrying a total of 16 antennas that will provide 18 beams across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as global beams covering from India to Hawaii. Optus C1 is scheduled for launch aboard an Ariane rocket in early 2003.
