| Superbird-C | |
| Names List: | Superbird-3 Superbird-A3 |
| Mission Type: | Communications |
| Operator: | SKY Perfect JSAT Group |
| Cospar Id: | 1997-036A |
| Satcat: | 24880 |
| Mission Duration: | 13 years (planned) 18 years (achieved) |
| Spacecraft: | Superbird-3 |
| Spacecraft Type: | Superbird |
| Spacecraft Bus: | BBS-601 |
| Manufacturer: | Hughes |
| Dimensions: | with solar panels and antennas deployed. |
| Power: | 4.5 kW |
| Launch Date: | 28 July 1997, 01:15:01 UTC |
| Launch Rocket: | Atlas IIAS (s/n AC-133) |
| Launch Site: | Cape Canaveral, LC-36B |
| Launch Contractor: | International Launch Services (ILS) |
| Disposal Type: | Graveyard orbit |
| Deactivated: | 2015 |
| Last Contact: | 2015 |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric orbit[1] |
| Orbit Regime: | Geostationary orbit |
| Orbit Longitude: | 144° East |
| Apsis: | gee |
| Trans Band: | 4 Ku-band × 54 Mhz 4 × 36 MHz and 16 × 27 MHz |
| Trans Coverage: | Japan, South Asia, East Asia, Hawaii |
| Trans Twta: | 90 watts |
| Insignia Size: | 200px |
| Programme: | Superbird constellation |
| Previous Mission: | Superbird-A1 |
| Next Mission: | Superbird-B2 |
Superbird-C, also known as Superbird-3 [2] or Superbird-A3,[3] was a geostationary communications satellite ordered and operated by Space Communications Corporation (SCC) that was designed and manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications Company (now Boeing Satellite Systems) on the HS-601 satellite bus. It has a pure Ku-band payload and was used to fill the position at 144° East longitude. It provided television signals and business communications services throughout Japan, South Asia, East Asia, and Hawaii.[3]
The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by then Hughes Space and Communications Company (now Boeing Satellite Development Center) on the HS-601 satellite bus. It had a launch mass of, a dry mass of and a 13-year design life. When stowed for launch, it measured . It had two wings with four solar panels each, that generated 4.5 kW at the end of its design life. When fully deployed, the solar panels spanned, with its antennas in fully extended configuration it was wide. It had a 29-cell NiH2 battery with a power charge of 200 Ah.
Its propulsion system was composed of an R-4D-11-300 liquid apogee engine (LAE) with a thrust of . It also used had 12 bipropellant thrusters for station keeping and attitude control. It included enough propellant for orbit circularization and 13 years of operation.
Its payload is composed of two dual-gridded reflectors and twenty four Ku-band transponders powered by a traveling-wave-tube amplifier (TWTA) with and output power of 90 watts. It can configure two 54 MHz transponders into one 114 MHz with an effective 180 watts.
The Ku-band footprint covered Japan, southern and eastern Asia, and Hawaii.[4]
Space Communications Corporation (SCC) was founded in 1985, the same year as the original companies that later formed JSAT.[5] SCC switched satellite suppliers and on 1995 ordered a satellite from Boeing, Superbird-C.
On 28 July 1997 at 01:15:01 UTC, Superbird-C was put into orbit by an Atlas IIAS launched from Cape Canaveral LC-36B.[6]
Superbird-C was replaced by Superbird-C2 during 2008, in 2015 it was decommissioned.[7]