Superbird-A1

The spacecraft was the fourth satellite designed and manufactured by Ford Aerospace on the SSL 1300 satellite bus. It was based on the design of the Intelsat V series and offered a three-axis stabilized platform.^[6][7][8][9]

It had a launch mass of 2,780 kg (6,130 lb) and a 10-year design life.^[1][4] When stowed for launch, its dimensions were 2.41 m × 2.58 m × 2.20 m (7 ft 11 in × 8 ft 6 in × 7 ft 3 in). With its solar panels fully extended it spanned 20.3 m (67 ft). Its power system generated approximately 4 kW of power due to two wings with three solar panels each.^[1][6] It also a NiH₂ battery to survive the solar eclipses. It would serve as the main satellite on the 158°E longitude position of the Superbird.^[1][6]

Its propulsion system included an R-4D-11 liquid apogee engine (LAE) with a thrust of 490 N (110 lb_f).^[6] It included enough propellant for orbit circularization and 10 years of operation.^[6]

Its payload is composed of 14 Ku-band plus 30 Ka-band transponders.^[4]

Space Communications Corporation (SCC) was founded in 1985, the same year as the original companies that later formed JSAT.^[10] On 1986 SCC ordered four spacecraft, Superbird-1, Superbird-2, Superbird-A1 and Superbird-B1 from Ford Aerospace, which became Space Systems/Loral in October 1990.^[8]

On 1 December 1992 at 22:48:00 UTC Superbird-A1, was launched aboard an Ariane 42P.^[6] It was injected into a 192 km × 35,990 km × 7° geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), from which it climbed through three liquid apogee engine (LEA) firings.^[1] It was positioned in its 158° East longitude position where it was integrated to the Superbird communication network.^[6][11][12]