Cosmic Penguin
Geek Penguin in GTO
The Chinese has got quite a few interesting contracts from various countries for buying Chinese built satellites and launch services for the past few years, and Nigeria was one of the first to sign a contract for building a communication satellite for use over Africa. Nigcomsat-1, the second satellite of China's aerospace industry's next-generation communication satellite platform, the DFH-4 bus, was launched in May 2007 to start a 15 years life in GEO.
Or so it was planned. The satellite had numerous problems with its power supply system, and in November 2008 (only 18 months after launch) the spacecraft failed. It was a major set-back for the spacecraft division of CASC (the largest spaceflight related state-owned enterprise of China), since the first DFH-4 bus satellite (named Sinosat-2) failed to deploy its solar panels after launch. Luckily the next five comsats launched has been performing rather well, and today China is to launch the replacement satellite, Nigcomsat-1R. It will be stationed at 42.5 degrees East to serve the African and Middle East markets.
Launch location:
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xichang_Satellite_Launch_Center"]Xichang Satellite Launch Center[/ame] Launch pad no. 2 28° 14'43.8"N, 102° 1'37.2"E
Launch dates and times:
{colsp=6}Launch times
Time Zone |
{colsp=6}
Live Coverage Of The Launch:
PAYLOAD
Nigcomsat-1R communication satellite:
Mission Summary
NigComSat-1R is built on DFH-4 satellite bus developed by CAST, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), with 28 transponders on board, including 4 C-band, 14 Ku-band, 8 Ka-band, 2 L-band. The satellite will be launched and positioned at 42.5°East Longitude with a lift-off mass of 5100 kg and a service lifespan of 15-years.
The satellite, covering Central Western and Southern Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and some Central Asia area, will be mainly applied to communications, broadcasting, Tele-education, broad band multimedia service, navigation service and so on, which will improve the national infrastructure and benefit the people in rural areas.
To further extend the operation and marketing of NigComSat-1R, Ku Kashi Beam was added to NigComSat-1R. The Satellite will supply the communications between Nigeria and China. Moreover, the utilization of satellite capacity will be enhanced without any extra cost.
{colsp=2}Summary
Parameter | Value
Characteristics|
Launch Vehicle:
{colsp=2}Characteristics
|
{colsp=2}
The vehicle's reliability statistics according to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/log2011.html#rate:
Nigcomsat-1R Ascent Profile
The first two stages and the four boosters pushes the third stage, adapter system and the payload into a 28.5° inclination suborbital trajectory.
Immediately after the separation of the second stage booster, the third stage follows a two-burn injection profile, first to a low Earth orbit, then to the final Geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Nigcomsat-1R Ascent Timeline
Event|Time rel lift-off|Time Beijing|Time UTC|Comment
Lift-off|00:00:00|00:41:00|16:41:00|
Pitch-over|00:00:11|00:41:11|16:41:11|
Boosters Separation|00:02:21|00:43:21|16:43:21|
1st/2nd Stage Separation|00:02:39|00:43:39|16:43:39|
Payload Fairing Separation|00:03:56|00:44:56|16:44:56|
2nd/3rd Stage Separation|00:05:44|00:46:44|16:46:44|
1st Burn Shutdown|00:10:13|00:51:13|16:51:13|1st Burn's Duration 00:04:29
2nd Burn Ignition|00:20:56|01:01:56|17:01:56|
2nd Burn Shutdown|00:24:02|01:05:02|17:05:02|2nd Burn's Duration 00:03:06
Attitude adjustment|00:24:22|01:05:22|17:05:22|
Separation of Nigcomsat-1R|00:25:42|01:06:42|17:06:42|
Photos of the preparations for the launch
Coming soon...
References
http://cn.cgwic.com/NigComSat-1R/
http://www.9ifly.cn/thread-1024-1-1.html
http://www.cgwic.com/LaunchServices/Download/manual/
http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/nigcomsat-1.htm
http://www.nigcomsat.net
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1112/18longmarch/
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
Or so it was planned. The satellite had numerous problems with its power supply system, and in November 2008 (only 18 months after launch) the spacecraft failed. It was a major set-back for the spacecraft division of CASC (the largest spaceflight related state-owned enterprise of China), since the first DFH-4 bus satellite (named Sinosat-2) failed to deploy its solar panels after launch. Luckily the next five comsats launched has been performing rather well, and today China is to launch the replacement satellite, Nigcomsat-1R. It will be stationed at 42.5 degrees East to serve the African and Middle East markets.
Launch location:
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xichang_Satellite_Launch_Center"]Xichang Satellite Launch Center[/ame] Launch pad no. 2 28° 14'43.8"N, 102° 1'37.2"E
Launch dates and times:
Time Zone |
Beijing / UTC+8
|
Nigeria / UTC+1
|
Universal / UTC
|
Washington / EST
|
Los Angeles / PST
Launch time:
|
00:41:00
|
17:41:00
|
16:41:00
|
11:41:00
|
08:41:00
on:
|
Dec. 20, 2011
|
Dec. 19, 2011
|
Dec. 19, 2011
|
Dec. 19, 2011
|
Dec. 19, 2011
{colsp=6}
[highlight][eventTimer]2011-12-19 16:41:00?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Nigcomsat-1R Launch[/highlight]
Live Coverage Of The Launch:
- Most probably none (as with the standards of Chinese aerospace... :shifty
. If there is any, I will post here immediately.
PAYLOAD
Nigcomsat-1R communication satellite:
Mission Summary
NigComSat-1R is built on DFH-4 satellite bus developed by CAST, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), with 28 transponders on board, including 4 C-band, 14 Ku-band, 8 Ka-band, 2 L-band. The satellite will be launched and positioned at 42.5°East Longitude with a lift-off mass of 5100 kg and a service lifespan of 15-years.
The satellite, covering Central Western and Southern Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and some Central Asia area, will be mainly applied to communications, broadcasting, Tele-education, broad band multimedia service, navigation service and so on, which will improve the national infrastructure and benefit the people in rural areas.
To further extend the operation and marketing of NigComSat-1R, Ku Kashi Beam was added to NigComSat-1R. The Satellite will supply the communications between Nigeria and China. Moreover, the utilization of satellite capacity will be enhanced without any extra cost.
Parameter | Value
Working Orbit:
|
GEO
Orbital Location:
|
42.5° East
Coverage:
|
Central and Eastern Europe, North and Central Africa, Middle East, Central Asia
ApA at separation:
|
41991 km
PeA at separation:
|
200 km
Inc at separation:
|
24.8°Nigcomsat-1R
Customer:
|- NigComSat LTD
Prime contractor:
|- China Academy of Space Technology
Platform:
|- DFH-4
Mass at Separation:
|- 5100 kg
Dry Mass:
|- ?
Stabilization:
|- 3 axis stabilized
Dimensions (stowed):
|- ?
Batteries:
|- ?
Primary Payload:
|- 14 Ku-band transponders
- 8 Ka-band transponders
- 4 C-band transponders
- 2 L-band transponders
Life time:
|- 15 years
Coverage areas:
|
Launch Vehicle:
Long March 3B
Prime contractor:
|- China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
Height:
| 56.3 m with upper stage and payload fairingDiameter:
| max 3.35 mLiftoff mass:
| 458.97 metric tonnesPayload mass:
| ~5.5 tonnes at GTOBoosters (x4):
|- 1 X YF-25 engine
- Length 15.326 m
- Propellant mass 41.5 tonnes (UDMH and NTO)
- Thrust at sea level 74.04 tonnes of force
- Specific Impulse 2556.2 N-s/kg (at sea level)
1st stage:
|- 1 X YF-21C engine
- Length 23.272 m
- Propellant mass 186.6 tonnes (UDMH and NTO)
- Thrust at sea level 296.16 tonnes of force
- Specific Impulse 2556.2 N-s/kg (at sea level)
2nd stage:
|- 1 X YF-24E engine
- Length 9.943 m
- Propellant mass 49.605 tonnes (UDMH and NTO)
- Thrust in vacuum 74.2 tonnes of force
- Specific Impulse 2922.57 N-s/kg (in vacuum)
3rd stage:
|- 2 X YF-75 engine
- Length 12.375 m
- Propellant mass 18.193 tonnes (LH2 and LOX)
- Thrust in vacuum 15.7 tonnes of force
- Specific Impulse 4312 N-s/kg (in vacuum)
Payload Fairing:
|- Diameter 4.2 m
- Length 9.56 m
The vehicle's reliability statistics according to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/log2011.html#rate:
Code:
================================================================
Vehicle Successes/Tries Realzd Pred Consc. Last Dates
Rate Rate* Succes Fail
================================================================
CZ-3B/3C 22 24 .92 .88 10 8/31/09 1996-Nigcomsat-1R Ascent Profile
The first two stages and the four boosters pushes the third stage, adapter system and the payload into a 28.5° inclination suborbital trajectory.
Immediately after the separation of the second stage booster, the third stage follows a two-burn injection profile, first to a low Earth orbit, then to the final Geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Nigcomsat-1R Ascent Timeline
Lift-off|00:00:00|00:41:00|16:41:00|
Pitch-over|00:00:11|00:41:11|16:41:11|
Boosters Separation|00:02:21|00:43:21|16:43:21|
1st/2nd Stage Separation|00:02:39|00:43:39|16:43:39|
Payload Fairing Separation|00:03:56|00:44:56|16:44:56|
2nd/3rd Stage Separation|00:05:44|00:46:44|16:46:44|
1st Burn Shutdown|00:10:13|00:51:13|16:51:13|1st Burn's Duration 00:04:29
2nd Burn Ignition|00:20:56|01:01:56|17:01:56|
2nd Burn Shutdown|00:24:02|01:05:02|17:05:02|2nd Burn's Duration 00:03:06
Attitude adjustment|00:24:22|01:05:22|17:05:22|
Separation of Nigcomsat-1R|00:25:42|01:06:42|17:06:42|
Photos of the preparations for the launch
Coming soon...
References
http://cn.cgwic.com/NigComSat-1R/
http://www.9ifly.cn/thread-1024-1-1.html
http://www.cgwic.com/LaunchServices/Download/manual/
http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/nigcomsat-1.htm
http://www.nigcomsat.net
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1112/18longmarch/
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
Last edited:
