AMC-3 (formerly GE-3) is a commercial broadcast communications satellite owned by SES (and formerly GE Americom, then SES Americom, then SES World Skies). Launched on 4 September 1997, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, AMC-3 is a hybrid C-band / Ku-band satellite. It provides coverage to Canada, United States, Mexico, Caribbean. Located in a geostationary orbit parallel to the Yucatán Peninsula and Great Lakes, AMC-3 provides service to commercial and government customers, with programming distribution, satellite news gathering and broadcast internet capabilities.[2][6]
| Names | GE-3 (1997-2001) AMC-3 (2001-present) Eagle-1 (2017-present) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications[1] |
| Operator | GE Americom (1997-2001) SES Americom (2001-2009) SES World Skies (2009-2011) SES (2011-present) |
| COSPAR ID | 1997-050A |
| SATCAT no. | 24936 |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) [2] 27 years, 2 months, 17 days (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | GE-3 |
| Spacecraft type | Lockheed Martin A2100 |
| Bus | LM A2100A[3] |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Launch mass | 2,845 kg (6,272 lb) [4] |
| Dry mass | 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 4 September 1997, 12:03:00 UTC[1] |
| Rocket | Atlas IIAS[4] |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, LC-36A[4] |
| Contractor | Lockheed Martin |
| Entered service | 1997 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[5] |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 72° West |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 48 transponders: 24 C-band 24 Ku-band[2] |
| Coverage area | Canada, United States, Mexico, Caribbean[2] |
Eagle-1
editIn January 2017, the AMC-3 Ku-band payload was sold to Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE), a provider of satellite-based connectivity and media to mobility markets, such as passenger aircraft. GEE purchased all the capacity on the satellite to support aeronautical customers, in particular Southwest Airlines, the company's largest customer, and rebranded the satellite as Eagle-1. The satellite remains under the control of SES S.A.[7]
References
edit
- ^ a b "Display: GE 3 1997-050A". NASA. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c d "AMC-3 Data". SES World Skies. 4 June 2010. Archived from the original on 4 June 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "AMC-3". Satbeams. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ a b c Krebs, Gunter (21 July 2019). "GE 1, 2, 3 / AMC 1, 2, 3". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "AMC-3 (GE-3) Satellite details". N2YO.com. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "Turner Expands SNG Transponder Deal With SES AMERICOM" (Press release). Business Wire via Redorbit.com. 12 April 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
- ^ Henry, Caleb (16 January 2017). "Global Eagle's mystery satellite purchase is SES's AMC-3". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
External links
edit- AMC-3 at SES.com
- Global Eagle Entertainment website Archived 1 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- C-band Americas Beam footprint(s) at SatBeams
- Ku-band Americas Beam footprint(s) at SatBeams
- AMC-3 information at LyngSat
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