Bangabandhu-1

For other uses of "Bangabandhu", see Bangabandhu (disambiguation).

Bangabandhu-1
Launch of Bangabandhu-1
Mission typeCommunications and Broadcasting Satellite
OperatorBangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited
COSPAR ID2018-044A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.43463Edit this on Wikidata
WebsiteBangladesh Satellite Company Limited, BSCL, Bangladesh Satellite Project
Mission duration15 years
Spacecraft properties
BusSpacebus-4000B2
ManufacturerThales Alenia Space
Launch mass~3,709 kg (8,177 lb)
Power6kW
Start of mission
Launch date12 May 2018, 20:14 UTC[1]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5 (B1046.1)
Launch siteKSC LC-39A
ContractorSpaceX
Orbital parameters
RegimeGeostationary
Longitude119.1°E
Perigee altitude35789.3 km
Apogee altitude35798.5 km
Period1,436.1 minutes
Velocity3.07 km/s
Epoch6 June 2018
Transponders
Band14 C band, 26 Ku band
Bandwidth36MHz

The Bangabandhu Satellite-1 (Bangabandhu-1) is the first Bangladeshi geostationary communications and broadcasting satellite. It is named after the first president of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It was manufactured by Thales Alenia Space and launched on 12 May 2018 from Kennedy Space Center, USA.[1] The satellite was the first payload launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 launch vehicle.[2] With the launch, Bangladesh became the 57th country to independently operate a satellite in space.[3]

Background

The project is being implemented by Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) in 2008 working hand-in-hand with US-based Space Partnership International, LLC. The government-owned Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited, BSCL (Formerly known as Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited, BCSCL) was formed with the aim of operating the satellite.[4]

The satellite expands Ku-band and C-band coverage over all of Bangladesh and its nearby waters including the Bay of Bengal, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, eastern Indian states (West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh) and Indonesia.

Bangabandhu-1 was initially planned to be launched on an Arianespace Ariane 5 ECA rocket on 16 December 2017 to celebrate the Victory day of Bangladesh. Following the lack of firm guarantee from Arianespace for that date, BTRC instead chose the Falcon 9 launch vehicle.[5] The satellite is now located at the 119.1° East longitude geostationary slot.

Construction

Bangabandhu-1 was designed and manufactured by Thales Alenia Space. The total cost of the satellite was projected to be 248 million US dollars in 2015 (Tk 19.51 billion), financed via a $188.7 million loan from HSBC Holdings plc.[6] The satellite carries a total of 40 Ku-band and C-band transponders with a capacity of 1600 megahertz and a predicted life span to exceed 15 years.[7][8][9][10]

Map of satellite's position

Bangabandhu Satellite-1 position and its coverage area 119.1°E.

Launch

Bangabandhu Satellite-1 was launched at 20:14 UTC on 12 May 2018,[1] on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle at the Kennedy Space Center, USA.[11] It was the first payload to be launched using the new SpaceX Block 5 model of the rocket.[12][13]

The satellite was originally planned to launch on 10 May 2018, however the rocket triggered an automatic abort as it entered the startup phase of terminal count at T-58 seconds. The rocket launch was pushed back 24 hours, and it was finally launched on 11 May 2018.[14]

Operation

Bangabandhu-1 satellite ground station at Gazipur

The satellite uses ground control stations built by Thales Alenia Space with its partner Spectra primary ground station in Gazipur. Secondary ground station is at Betbunia, Rangamati[15] The first test signal after launch was received by the operators on 12 May 2018.[16]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bangabandhu-1.

References

  1. ^ a b c "SpaceX launch of first "block 5" Falcon 9 rocket scrubbed to Friday". CBS News. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  2. ^ "SpaceX launches Bangabandhu-1 with most powerful Falcon 9 rocket". The Daily Star. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  3. ^ "What milestones have Bangladesh crossed in 50 years". Centre for Research and Information. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Official Website of Bangabandhu Satellite -1 Operator Company : Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited, BSCL". 3 March 2018. Archived from the original on 28 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  5. ^ "How Bangladesh became SpaceX's first Block 5 Falcon 9 customer". SpaceNews.com. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  6. ^ Mahmud, Faisal (12 May 2018). "Bangladesh to join space age amid skepticism about costs". Nikkei Asian Review. The government borrowed 157.5 million euros ($188.7 million) from HSBC Holdings to finance the satellite.
  7. ^ "Bangabandhu satellite deal inked with French firm". 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  8. ^ "Bangabandhu-satellite-equipment-purchase-deal-signed". Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  9. ^ "BTRC-Thales Alenia deal over Bangabandhu Satellite signed". Archived from the original on 15 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  10. ^ "Bangladesh Taps Thales Alenia To Build 1st Telecom Satellite". 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  11. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Bangabandhu 1 (BD 1)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  12. ^ "Příprava na Block 5 probíhá na několika místech". www.kosmonautix.cz (in Czech). 15 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  13. ^ "SpaceX to launch Bangabandhu-1 satellite atop Block 5, the most powerful Falcon 9 rocket to date". PBS NewsHour. 11 May 2018.
  14. ^ "Bangabandhu-1 successfully launched by first Block 5 Falcon 9 – SpaceX's goal of affordable access to space". NASASpaceFlight.com. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Bangladesh receives test signal from Bangabandh u-1 satellite". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  16. ^ বঙ্গবন্ধু স্যাটেলাইটের সিগন্যাল পেয়েছে গাজীপুরের গ্রাউন্ড স্টেশন. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali). Retrieved 18 January 2021.