ViaSat-1

Category:Articles with short descriptionCategory:Short description matches Wikidata
ViaSat-1
October 2, 2011. The Proton-M space rocket with the ViaSat-1 spacecraft is being rolled out to the launch complex of site 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The train is being pulled by a TEM2UM-4014 diesel locomotive. The rocket was launched at 22:48 Moscow time on October 19, 2011.
NamesVS-1, VIASAT-IOM
Mission typeCommunication
OperatorViasat Inc. / Telesat
COSPAR ID2011-059A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.37843
Mission duration15 years (planned)
13 years, 8 months, 1 day (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
BusLS-1300
ManufacturerSpace Systems/Loral
Launch mass6,740 kg (14,860 lb)
Dry mass3,650 kg (8,050 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date19 October 2011, 18:48:58 (2011-10-19UTC18:48:58Z) UTC
RocketProton-M/Briz-M
Launch siteBaikonur 200/39
ContractorInternational Launch Services
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary
Longitude115.1° west
Perigee altitude35,783 kilometres (22,235 mi)[1]
Apogee altitude35,802 kilometres (22,246 mi)[1]
Inclination0.00 degrees[1]
Period1436.10 minutes[1]
Epoch25 January 2015, 04:39:48 UTC[1]
Transponders
Band56 Ka-band
Coverage areaContiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada

ViaSat-1 is a high throughput communications satellite owned by Viasat Inc. and Telesat Canada.[2][3] Launched October 19, 2011 aboard a Proton rocket, it held the Guinness record for the world's highest capacity communications satellite with a total capacity in excess of 140 Gbit/s, more than all the satellites covering North America combined, at the time of its launch.[4]

ViaSat-1 is capable of two-way communications with small dish antennas at higher speeds and a lower cost-per-bit than any satellite before.[5]

The satellite is positioned at 115.1 degrees West longitude geostationary orbit point, with 72 Ka-band spot beams; 63 over the U.S. (Eastern and Western states, Alaska and Hawaii), and nine over Canada.

The Canadian beams are owned by satellite operator Telesat and are used for the Xplornet broadband service to consumers in rural Canada. The US beams provide fast Internet access called Exede, Viasat's satellite Internet service.[6]

ViaSat-1 is part of a new satellite system architecture created by Viasat Inc. The objective is to create a better satellite broadband user experience,[7] making satellite competitive with DSL and wireless broadband alternatives for the first time.[8]

See also

References

Category:Communications satellites in geostationary orbit Category:Satellite Internet access Category:High throughput satellites Category:Spacecraft launched in 2011 Category:First artificial satellites of a country Category:Communications in the Isle of Man Category:2011 in the Isle of Man
Category:2011 in the Isle of Man Category:Articles with short description Category:Communications in the Isle of Man Category:Communications satellites in geostationary orbit Category:First artificial satellites of a country Category:High throughput satellites Category:Satellite Internet access Category:Short description matches Wikidata Category:Spacecraft launched in 2011 Category:Webarchive template wayback links