Galaxy 18 Explained

Galaxy 18
Operator:Intelsat
Mission Duration:15 years
Spacecraft Bus:LS-1300
Manufacturer:Space Systems/Loral
Launch Mass:4642kg (10,234lb)
Launch Date: UTC
Launch Site:Odyssey
Launch Contractor:Sea Launch
Orbit Reference:Geocentric
Orbit Regime:Geostationary
Orbit Longitude:123° West
Apsis:gee
Trans Coverage:United States, Canada, Mexico

Galaxy 18 is a Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) 1300-series hybrid communications satellite owned by Intelsat and located in geosynchronous orbit at 123° W longitude, serving the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and Canada with 24 C band, and 24 Ku band transponders. Galaxy 18 replaced Galaxy 10R near the end of its design life.[1]

Galaxy 18 was launched on May 21, 2008. The launch took place successfully at 09:43 GMT.[2]

Free-to-air television

Galaxy 18 is the home of a number of minor television networks, and in the past hosted the stations of Equity Media Holdings before its 2009 bankruptcy, where it used the satellite to beam several major network affiliates to their appropriate local transmitters, along with the local cable providers carrying them as Equity hubbed their master control from a hub in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20080517182823/http://www.intelsat.com/network/satellite/scheduled-launch.asp Intelsat Satellite Launch Schedule
  2. Web site: Sea Launch Successfully Delivers Galaxy 18 to Orbit . Sea Launch . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080531014715/http://www.sea-launch.com/news_releases/nr_080521.html . May 31, 2008 .