BSAT-2a

BSAT-2a was designed and manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation on the STAR-1 satellite bus for B-SAT. It had a launch mass of 1,317 kg (2,903 lb), a dry mass of 535 kg (1,179 lb), and a 10-year design life.^[7] As all four STAR-1 satellites, it had a solid rocket Star 30CBP apogee kick motor for orbit raising, plus 200 kg (440 lb) of propellant for its liquid propellant station keeping thrusters.^[5][2][8]

It measured 3.76 m × 2.49 m × 2.03 m (12.3 ft × 8.2 ft × 6.7 ft) when stowed for launch. Its dual wing solar panels can generate 2.6 kW of power at the beginning of its design life, and span 16.10 m (52.8 ft) when fully deployed.^[7]

It has a single K_u band payload with four active transponders plus four spares with a TWTA output power of 130 Watts.^[4][7]

In March 1999, B-SAT ordered from Orbital Sciences Corporation two satellites based on the STAR-1 platform: BSAT-2a and BSAT-2b.^[9] This was the second order of the bus and the first since Orbital had acquired CTA Space Systems, the original developer.^[2]

BSAT-2a was launched aboard an Ariane 5G at 22:51 UTC, March 8, 2001, from Guiana Space Center ELA-3.^[10] It rode on the lower berth below Eurobird. On April 26, BSAT-2a was commissioned into service starting the broadcast of digital signals.^[1][9]

B-SAT ended the broadcast of analog television in July 2011. During January 2013, BSAT-2a was sent to a graveyard orbit and decommissioned.^[9][4]