The former US Navy Leasat 5 communications satellite is providing ultra high frequency services to the Royal Australian Navy from a new geostationary orbit (GEO) location at 156¼E under a multi-million dollar contract with Hughes Global Services (HGS). Australia has the option to maintain the service for up to five years.
The Leasat was deployed from the Space Shuttle in 1990 and was originally leased by the US Navy under a contract with Hughes. The Leasat owner later became PanAmSat, providing capacity to HGS.
Another Hughes satellite - the former Asiasat 3, now known as the HGS-1- fired its motor on 8 May, sending it on a lunar-looping flight. It is hoped that the satellite, stranded in a useless orbit since December, will be placed into its intended GEO orbit to provide services to a new customer after this unique salvage mission (Flight International, 6-12 May).
Hughes Space and Communications has concluded a contract with Asia Pacific Mobile Telecommunications Satellite of Singapore to provide a turnkey satellite system, using one satellite scheduled to be launched on a Long March 3B in 2000. The satellite will be an HS geomobile spacecraft bus based on HS601 and 702 technology, with a 12m-diameter unfurlable mesh antenna.
Source: Flight International
