The STAR-2 Bus is a fully redundant, flight-proven, spacecraft bus designed for geosynchronous missions.
It is a satellite platform, designed and developed by Thomas van der Heyden for the Indonesian Cakrawarta satellite program in the early 1990s, now manufactured by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems with an apogee kick motor to place a communications satellite into geostationary orbit, a thruster to provide the satellite with orbital station-keeping for a 15-year mission, and solar arrays to provide the satellite payload with 5 kW of electrical power.
Advantages NGIS's GEOStar-2 bus design is unique within the satellite industry. NGIS's GEOStar-2 bus provides an affordable low-to-medium power satellite platform that is ideal for missions of this size. Rather than being a less efficient version of a larger, heavier product, NGIS's GEOStar-2 bus is designed specifically for the 1000 to 5550 watts payload class.
Design The GEOStar-2 bus satellite is a modular, mass efficient structure, designed for simplified integration to reduce manufacturing cycle times. The structure is supported by a composite thrust cylinder, to which the bus, payload, nadir and base panels are connected. Energy from two multi-panel solar wings and lithium-ion batteries is electronically processed to provide 36 volts regulated power to the satellite throughout the mission. All active units aboard the satellite are connected through a 1553 data bus. Commands and telemetry are processed through the flight software resident on the flight processor, which provides robust autonomous control to all GEOStar-2 satellites. The modularity of the structure and the standard 1553 interfaces allow parallel assembly and test of the bus and payload systems, reducing manufacturing schedule risk by minimizing the time spent in serial satellite integration and test flow. GEOStar-2 is designed for missions up to 15 years in duration. The propulsion system is sized for ten years of station keeping in geosynchronous orbit. Built-in radiation hardness for the severe geosynchronous environment is achieved through conservative selection of electronic parts. Several available options augment the basic bus to provide improved pointing, more payload power, secure communications, higher downlink data rates or enhanced payload computing power.
Structure Bus Dimensions (H x W x L): 1.75 x 1.7 x 1.8 m Construction: Composite/Al
Power subsystem Payload Power: Up to 5550 watts orbit average at 15 years Bus Voltage: 24-36 VDC (nominal) Solar Arrays: multi-junction GaAs cells Batteries: lithium-ion
Attitude control subsystem Stability Mode: 3-axis; zero momentum Propulsion Subsystem Transfer Orbit System: liquid bi-propellant On Orbit: monopropellant (hydrazine)
Command and data handling subsystem Flight Processor: MIL-STD-1750A Interface Architecture: MIL-STD-1553B, CCSDS
Payload support While primary applications are Fixed-Satellite Services (FSS) and Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS), the GEOStar-2 bus can be adapted for MSS, Earth and space science applications, as well as for technology demonstration or risk reduction programs. Depending on mission duration requirements, the GEOStar-2 bus can accommodate payloads in excess of 500 kilograms, and provide up to 5550 watts of power. Instrument data can be provided in standard format such as CCSDS or through secured encryption, as approved by the National Security Agency (NSA).
Shared launch opportunities Due to the size and mass envelope of the satellite, the GEOStar-2 bus is compatible with almost all commercially available launch vehicles, maximizing opportunity for launch and access to space. While dedicated or single launch services are more readily available, the GEOStar-2 bus targets shared launch opportunities, where launch cost and launch-sharing opportunities are favorable.
Mission services Customers can purchase the GEOStar-2 bus spacecraft bus alone, or as part of a turn-key service that includes an integrated payload, network operations center and launch vehicle. NGIS conducts spacecraft commissioning from its own ground station prior to transferring spacecraft control to the customer's operations center.
Satellite orders Satellite Country Operator Type Transponders Launch date (UTC) Rocket Changes Status AMC-21United StatesSES AmericomTelevision broadcasting24 Ku-bandAriane 5 ECAActiveAmazonas 4ASpainHispasatCommunications24 Ku-bandAriane 5 ECAActiveAzerspace-1/Africasat-1aAzerbaijanAzercosmosCommunications24 C-band, 12 Ku-bandAriane 5 ECAActiveEutelsat 5 West BInternationalEutelsatCommunications35 Ku-bandProton-MPhase 4ActiveGalaxy 12United StatesPanAmSatTelevision broadcasting20-24 C-bandAriane 5 GActiveGalaxy 14United StatesPanAmSatTelevision broadcasting20-24 C-bandSoyuz-FGActiveGalaxy 15United StatesPanAmSatTelevision broadcasting20-24 C-bandAriane 5 GSActiveGalaxy 30United StatesIntelsatTelevision broadcastingC-band, Ku-band, Ka-band,and WAAS payloadAriane 5 ECAActiveHorizons-2United States, JapanPanAmSat, SKY Perfect JSATCommunications20 Ku-bandAriane 5 GSActiveHYLAS 2United KingdomAvanti CommunicationsSatellite internet24 Ka-bandAriane 5 ECAActiveIntelsat 11United StatesIntelsatCommunications16 C-band, 18 Ka-bandAriane 5 GSFormerly PAS 11ActiveIntelsat 15United StatesIntelsatCommunications22 Ku-bandZenit-3SLBActiveIntelsat 16United StatesIntelsatCommunications24 Ku-bandProton-MPhase 1Formerly PAS 11RActiveIntelsat 18United StatesIntelsatCommunications24 C-band, 12 Ku-bandZenit-3SLBActiveIntelsat 23United StatesIntelsatCommunications24 C-band, 15 Ku-bandProton-MPhase 3ActiveKoreasat 6South KoreaKT CorporationTelevision broadcasting30 Ku-bandAriane 5 ECAActiveMEASAT-3aMalaysiaMEASAT Satellite SystemsTelevision broadcasting12 C-band, 12 Ku-bandZenit-3SLBActiveMexsat-3MexicoMexican Satellite SystemMobile communications12 C-band, 12 Ku-bandAriane 5 ECAActiveN-STAR cJapanNTT DocomoMobile communications1 C-band, 20 S-bandAriane 5 GRetiredNew DawnUnited StatesIntelsatTelevision broadcasting28 C-band, 24 Ku-bandAriane 5 ECAKnown as Intelsat 28ActiveNSS-9NetherlandsSES World SkiesCommunications28 C-bandAriane 5 ECAActiveOptus D1Australia OptusTelevision broadcasting24 Ku-bandAriane 5 ECAActiveOptus D2Australia OptusTelevision broadcasting24 Ku-bandAriane 5 GSActiveOptus D3Australia OptusTelevision broadcasting24 Ku-bandAriane 5 ECAActiveSES-1United StatesSES AmericomCommunications24 C-band, 24 Ku-band, 2 Ka-bandProton-MPhase 2Formerly AMC-4RActiveSES-2 and CHIRP(Commercially Hosted InfraRed Payload) United StatesSES AmericomCommunications24 C-band, 24 Ku-band, 2 Ka-bandAriane 5 ECAFormerly AMC-5RActiveSES-3United StatesSES AmericomCommunications24 C-band, 24 Ku-band, 2 Ka-bandProton-MPhase 3ActiveSES-8LuxembourgSESTelevision broadcasting33 Ku-bandFalcon 9ActiveSky-Mexico 1MexicoDirecTVTelevision broadcasting24 Ku-band, 2 R-bandAriane 5 ECAKnown as SKYM 1ActiveStar One C3BrazilStar OneCommunications28 C-band, 16 Ku-bandAriane 5 ECAActiveTelkom-2IndonesiaTelkom IndonesiaCommunications24 C-bandAriane 5 ECARetiredThaicom 6ThailandThaicomCommunications24 C-band, 9 Ku-bandFalcon 9Known as AfriCom 1ActiveThaicom 8ThailandThaicomCommunications24 Ku-bandFalcon 9ActiveThor 5NorwayTelenorTelevision broadcasting24 Ku-bandProton-MPhase 3Active
See also
Star Bus GEOStar Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems
References