Spaceway

Spaceway is the name of a series of geostationary television satellites or communication satellites that provide broadband internet connections are available and send HDTV Television for DirecTV users in North America. At the same time it is the name of the Ka-band communication system of Hughes Electronics, which is behind the Internet supply system.

Spaceway -1 was launched on April 26, 2005 by Sea Launch Zenit- 3SL with a rocket. He was the first of three identical Spaceway satellites, which were built on the basis of the satellite bus Boeing 702. This three -axis stabilized satellites were originally designed to transfer to a 500 -MHz-wide channel are each simple broadcast and two-way Internet data. At the request of DirecTV, however, Boeing changed the first two satellites to transmit HDTV channels. Spaceway -1 and -2 were added Spaceway each accommodated in a small distance to the satellite DirecTV 10 and DirecTV 11 to serve together with those for the transmission of HDTV channels.

Spaceway -3 is Hughes Network Systems ( a provider of broadband Internet access in the United States and subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft ) for satellite-based Internet connectivity. Here, data rates of 512 kbit / s, 2 Mbit / s and 16 Mbit / s data transfer rates with a relatively small 74- cm antenna possible. The satellite should be launched as the first satellite with a Zenit- 3SL rocket originally also. After a false start, the Zenit- 3SL but instead a contract was signed with Arianespace in March 2007. Spaceway -3 was launched on 14 August 2007, together with BSAT -3a by an Ariane 5 on its geostationary orbit. Hughes owns at Boeing an option to build an additional satellite ( Spaceway -4) of this type.

Swell

• Boeing: Fact Sheet ( English)
• Arianespace: Launch Information Spaceway - 3 (English)