Dish Files to Launch AMC-14 to 61.5 W

Here some info I found..

Ciel Satellite Group - ILS PROTON TO LAUNCH CIEL-2 SATELLITE

Ciel Satellite Breaks Ground on Satellite Control Center
Saskatoon-based SED Systems contracted to build and operate facility

Ottawa, Canada, December 11, 2007 – The Ciel Satellite Group announced today that it has selected SED Systems, a division of Calian Ltd, to expand SED’s satellite control center facilities in Saskatoon in preparation for the initiation of tracking, telemetry and control (TT&C) operations for Ciel-2, a satellite that is planned for operation by the first quarter of 2009.

Dave Lewis, President and CEO of Ciel, said, “Establishing the Ciel TT&C center is an important milestone in our development as Canada’s newest satellite operator. SED offered us the best quality proposal, and their experience operating low earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft gave us complete confidence in their ability to monitor and control Ciel-2.” He continued, “We are keen on SED because of their potential to cost-effectively expand operations to support future Ciel spacecraft, and, of course, we are very pleased to extend our geographic presence into Western Canada.”

Brent McConnell, President of SED, said, “We are delighted to have been selected by Ciel and to be working with them and their partner team. This affords SED an excellent opportunity to expand our facilities and build on our extensive experience in satellite operations. We look forward to working with Ciel and its partners in monitoring and controlling the Ciel-2 spacecraft.”

SED Systems has been in operation since 1965. Headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the company is ideally located, in terms of look-angle to Ciel-2’s 129 degree West orbital position. In March 2008, ground will be broken to install the monitoring antenna, while the entire facility renovation and upgrade is expected to be complete by the end of summer 2008. A team of dedicated satellite controllers will be trained and in position, ready to operate Ciel-2 well before its planned fourth quarter 2008 launch and in-orbit testing.

About SED
SED is the Systems Engineering Division of Calian Ltd. SED plans, designs and implements solutions for many of the world's leading communications satellite manufacturers and operators, as well as providing contract manufacturing services for customers in North America. SED has been providing satellite operations services in

Canada since 1995. Calian sells technology services to industry and government in Canada and around the world. With annual revenues of $190 million (CDN) and a staff of over 2200, Calian ranks among the largest professional services companies in Canada. Calian is a public company and is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the code CTY.

About Ciel Satellite

The Ciel Satellite Group is Canada’s newest satellite facilities operator. Ciel was founded in 2004, received preliminary authorization to operate a satellite at 129 degrees West that same year, and began commercial operations in August 2005. Ciel was awarded additional Spectrum Licences by Industry Canada in June 2007. The partners and shareholders of Ciel are: 620582 NB Ltd., an investment company led by Brian Neill, the founder and former chairman of Star Choice Communications, Inc., BPC

Telecommunications Corporation, owned by OMERS, one of Canada's largest pension funds; and SES S.A. (Euronext Paris, and Luxembourg stock exchange: SESG), which owns SES ASTRA in Europe, SES AMERICOM in the US, and SES NEW SKIES in the Netherlands, and holds strategic investments in Ciel in Canada, SES Sirius in Europe, and QuetzSat in Mexico.
 
Ciel Satellite Group


In March of 2006, Ciel commissioned Thales Alenia Space (formerly Alcatel Alenia Space) to build Ciel-2, a Spacebus 4000 C4, the largest Spacebus class satellite ever built. The Ciel-2 satellite is scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Proton Breeze M launch vehicle in late 2008. The satellite is designed to operate for at least 16 years.

Ciel-2 Specifications


Spacecraft Spacebus 4000 C4


Orbital location 129 deg. W.L.


Launch date/vehicle Late 2008


Design life 16 years


Payload Ku Band (BSS)


Coverage Canadian and Continental United States


Transponders 100 to 200-watt TWTA


Redundancy 11-for-8

In August 2005, the 129 degrees West orbital position was brought into use with the operation of an interim satellite, Echo-V.

Echo-V Specifications


Spacecraft Loral FS-1300


Orbital location 129 deg. W.L.


Launch date/vehicle 23 September 1999 / Atlas IIAS


Design life 12 years


Payload Ku-band (BSS)


Transponders TWTA (32 @125-watt, switchable
to 16 @ 250-watt)


Coverage North America
 
Info On AMC-14

AMC-14

AMERICOM-14 (AMC-14) is a BSS satellite featuring many noteworthy innovations, including an active phased array (APA) payload consisting of a receive mode APA antenna, and the highest levels of redundancy on core components such as amplifiers, receivers, commanding beam and computer control systems. Developed primarily by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, the APA will be a key satellite technology for future missions. AMC-14 will provide AMERICOM2Home® services in the United States for EchoStar Communications' DISH Network.


Satellite information
Spacecraft design Lockheed Martin A2100AX

Orbital location U.S. orbital arc

Launch Date Q1 2008
Design Life 15 years


Ku-band payload 32 x 24 MHz (16 x 24 Mhz with 2:1 power combining)
Amp type TWTA, 150 watts
Amp Redundancy two groups of 22 for 16
Receiver redundancy 4 for 2
Coverage North America, 50-State
 
Not For Sure Who will use this one AMC-21

AMC-21

AMERICOM-21 (AMC-21) is planned as an all Ku-band satellite to operate from the 125o W.L. orbital position. The spacecraft is being built by Alcatel Alenia Space, incorporating the Orbital Sciences STAR-2 satellite bus. In addition to providing comprehensive 50-state coverage, AMC-21 will also feature high-power coverage of the Gulf of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.


Satellite information
Spacecraft design Alcatel/Orbital STAR-2
Orbital location 125o W.L.
Launch Date Q3 2008
Design Life 15 years


Ku-band payload 24 x 36 MHz
Amp type TWTA, 110 watts
Amp Redundancy 32 for 24
Receiver redundancy 6 for 4
Coverage 50-State, Caribbean, Southern Canada, Mexico
 
Not For Sure Who will use this one AMC-21

AMC-21

AMERICOM-21 (AMC-21) is planned as an all Ku-band satellite to operate from the 125o W.L. orbital position. The spacecraft is being built by Alcatel Alenia Space, incorporating the Orbital Sciences STAR-2 satellite bus. In addition to providing comprehensive 50-state coverage, AMC-21 will also feature high-power coverage of the Gulf of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.


Satellite information
Spacecraft design Alcatel/Orbital STAR-2
Orbital location 125o W.L.
Launch Date Q3 2008
Design Life 15 years


Ku-band payload 24 x 36 MHz
Amp type TWTA, 110 watts
Amp Redundancy 32 for 24
Receiver redundancy 6 for 4
Coverage 50-State, Caribbean, Southern Canada, Mexico


AMC-21 is a regular Ku band satellite, not DBS. I don't think Dish needs another one of these since they do have use of AMC-15 and AMC-16 at 105 W and 85 W respectively.

In regards to Ciel-2, the launch schedule for Proton could be accelerated because I believe launch pad availablity for the Russian Proton will increase by mid 2008. I think this has something to do with a decrease in Russian military use of the launch pads used for Proton. Ciel just needs to have the satellite built and tested faster. Too bad Dish couldn't move the E-11 satellite launch over to Proton. Now it maybe bad or outdated data but according to LyngSat, there is a Proton launch scheduled for January 28th and then another for February 10th so it looks like there is the capability to launch Protons 2 weeks apart.
 

HD signal losing lock in the daytime

Channels changing by themselves.

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)