| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | Thaicom |
| COSPAR ID | 2006-020B  |
| SATCAT no. | 29163 |
| Mission duration | 12 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Spacebus 3000A |
| Manufacturer | Alcatel Alenia Space |
| Launch mass | 2,800 kilograms (6,200 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 27 May 2006, 21:09 (2006-05-27UTC21:09Z) UTC |
| Rocket | Ariane 5ECA |
| Launch site | Kourou ELA-3 |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Decommissioned |
| Deactivated | 26 February 2020, 09:52 (2020-02-26UTC09:53Z) UTC[1] |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary now graveyard orbit |
| Longitude | 78.5° East |
| Perigee altitude | 35,777 kilometres (22,231 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 35,796 kilometres (22,243 mi) |
| Inclination | 0 degrees |
| Period | 24 hours |
| Epoch | 27 May 2006, 17:09:00 UTC[2] |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 25C band 14Ku band |
Thaicom 5 was a geostationary communications satellite operated by Thaicom. It was used to provide communications services to Asia, Africa, Middle East, Americas, Europe and Australia.[3]
Thaicom 5 was constructed by Alcatel Alenia Space, and is based on the Spacebus 3000Asatellite bus, with a configuration identical to the Thaicom 3 satellite which it replaced. It was originally ordered as Thaicom 4, but sold to Agrani as Agrani 2 before completion. It was completed in 1997, and stored until June 2005 when it was cancelled and sold back to Thaicom. It was equipped with 25 G/H band (IEEE C band) and 14 J band (IEEE Ku band) transponders, and at launch it had a mass of 2,800 kilograms (6,200 lb), with an expected operational lifespan of 12 years.[4][5]
Thaicom 5 began experiencing technical difficulties in December 2019, causing Thaicom to duplicate some channels, including Korean Central Television, to neighboring satellites.[6]
The satellite was launched on an Ariane 5ECA carrier rocket, contracted by Arianespace, flying from ELA-3 at the Guiana Space Centre. The launch occurred at 21:09 UTC on 27 May 2006, and placed Thaicom 5, along with the Mexican Satmex 6 spacecraft, into geosynchronous transfer orbit.[7] At the time, it was the heaviest dual-satellite payload ever launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit,[8] however, this record has since been broken.
Following launch, Thaicom 5 raised itself into geostationary orbit using an S400 engine, with insertion occurring on 3 June 2006.[9] It underwent on-orbit testing, and was positioned at a longitude of 78.5° East for operational service, where it replaced the failing Thaicom 3 satellite.[3] On 2 October 2006, after Thaicom 5 had become operational, Thaicom 3 was moved to a graveyard orbit.
|
| |
|---|---|
| January |
|
| February |
|
| March |
|
| April |
|
| May |
|
| June |
|
| July |
|
| August |
|
| September |
|
| October |
|
| November |
|
| December |
|
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). | |
