| Spaceway-3 | |
| Mission Type: | Communication |
| Operator: | Hughes Network Systems |
| Cospar Id: | 2007-036A |
| Satcat: | 32018 |
| Mission Duration: | 12 years (planned) (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft Bus: | BSS-702 |
| Manufacturer: | Boeing |
| Dry Mass: | 3655 kg |
| Launch Mass: | 6075 kg |
| Power: | 12800 watts |
| Launch Date: | 14 August 2007, 23:44:00 UTC |
| Launch Rocket: | Ariane 5 |
| Launch Site: | Kourou, ELA-3 |
| Launch Contractor: | Arianespace |
| Entered Service: | October 2007 |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric orbit |
| Orbit Regime: | Geostationary orbit |
| Orbit Longitude: | 95.0° West |
| Apsis: | gee |
| Trans Band: | Ka-band |
| Trans Frequency: | 500 MHz |
| Trans Bandwidth: | 10 Gbit/s |
| Trans Coverage: | North America |
| Programme: | Spaceway |
| Previous Mission: | Spaceway-2 |
Spaceway-3 is a communications satellite which was launched on August 14, 2007, at 23:44:00 UTC. The third satellite in the Spaceway series, it includes a Ka-band communications payload.[1] It is used by Hughes Network Systems to provide broadband Internet Protocol network service.
In March 2007, shortly after the failure of a Sea Launch rocket launch in January 2007, Hughes Network Systems switched launch of Spaceway-3 from a Zenit-3SL rocket to an Ariane 5 launch vehicle.[2] [3]
Spaceway-3 was launched 14 August 2007 on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle with BSAT-3a.[4] It lifted off at 23:44 UTC from ELA-3 of the Centre Spatial Guyanais. Five hours and 46 minutes later, signals from the spacecraft were successfully received at a ground station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa.[5]