Space Systems/Loral Launches ProtoStar I Satellite

By Doug Lung
published

The ProtoStar I satellite was successfully launched Monday afternoon from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guyana. The satellite deployed its solar arrays Monday evening, and Tuesday it was scheduled to begin thruster firings to place it into geosynchronous orbit. The satellite will provide high-power direct-to-home (DTH) satellite service for Dish TV India Ltd., the largest DTH TV operator in India.

The orbit-raising operations are being conducted from Space Systems Loral’s mission control center in Palo Alto, Calif. After in-orbit testing, the satellite’s tracking, telemetry and command will be managed by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel), which is also a C-band customer on the satellite. The satellite is based on SS/Loral’s 1300 spacecraft bus and will operate in both C and Ku-bands with an expected life of more than 15 years.

ProtoStar is a Bermuda corporation with subsidiary operations in San Francisco and Singapore. It was formed to acquire and operate high-power geostationary satellites optimized for DTH satellite television in the Asia-Pacific region.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.