BSAT-2b

BSAT-2b 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 927 kg (2,044 lb), and a 10-year design life.^[9] 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.^[4][2][10]

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.^[9]

It has a single K_u band payload with four active transponders plus four spares with a TWTA output power of 130 Watts.^[3][9]

In March 1999, B-SAT ordered from Orbital Sciences Corporation two satellites based on the STAR-1 platform: BSAT-2a and BSAT-2b.^[7] This was the second order of the bus and the first since Orbital had acquired CTA Space Systems, the original developer.^[2]

BSAT-2b was launched aboard an Ariane 5G at 23:58 UTC, July 12, 2001, from Guiana Space Center ELA-3.^[5] It rode on the lower berth below Artemis. But the EPS upper stage had an anomaly and left the satellites on a 17,528 km × 592 km × 2.9° orbit, short of the planned 35,853 km × 858 km × 2.0°. While Artemis used its electric propulsion to make up for the difference. But BSAT-2b Star 30CBP apogee kick motor could not make up for the orbital energy short fall and was written off.^[6][1][7]

On January 28, 2014, BSAT-2b decayed from its orbit and burned in the atmosphere.^[1][8]