Orbital Sciences Corporation has completed the final on-orbit delivery of the N-STAR c satellite has been made to NTT DoCoMo after the spacecraft successfully completed a comprehensive series of tests and performance check- out procedures.
Built by a Lockheed Martin/Orbital team, N-STAR c is the first spacecraft based on Orbital’s state-of-the-art STAR-2 small geosynchronous (GEO) communications satellite platform.
Since its launch aboard an Ariane 5 rocket on July 5, 2002, a team of Lockheed Martin and Orbital engineers conducted a thorough evaluation of the operating systems of the satellite platform, the onboard communications payload and the ground system. In late August, operational control of the satellite system was transferred to NTT DoCoMo.
“We are delighted with the performance of the first spacecraft based on our STAR-2 platform,” said Dr. Ali Atia, head of Orbital’s GEO communications satellite business unit.
“The performance check-out of the STAR-2 satellite platform went very smoothly, reflecting the confidence we have in our industry-leading small GEO satellite products.”
For the N-STAR c program, Lockheed Martin served as prime contractor, providing the entire payload, which was integrated onto Orbital’s STAR-2 small GEO platform. The satellite was assembled and integrated at Lockheed Martin facilities in Newtown, PA.
NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Japan’s premier mobile communications company, provides wireless voice and data communications to tens of millions of subscribers. NTT DoCoMo is the creator of W-CDMA air interface technology, the new de facto global industry standard, as well as the groundbreaking mobile i-mode service.
