Satellite Update – Sept. 2, 2010

By Doug Lung
published


From FCC Report SAT-00714:

  • •Intelsat North America filed an application with the FCC seeking authority to launch and operate Intelsat 17 at 66 degrees East Longitude (EL). The C- and Ku-band satellite will replace the Intelsat 702 satellite at that location. Intelsat 702 is authorized to use the 3700-4200 MHz, 10.95-11.20 GHz, 11.45-11.70 GHz, 11.70-11.95 GHz, 12.50-12.75 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 5925-6425 MHz and 14.0-14.5 GHz (Earth-to-space). For Intelsat 17, Intelsat is also requesting 3625-3700 MHz (space-to-Earth) and 5850-5925 MHz and 13.75-14.00 GHz (Earth-to-space).
  • •Intelsat requested an extension of the 90 days it has to restore satellite service at the 129 degree west longitude (WL) orbital location. (See my detailed article on that elsewhere in this week's RF Report.) As you may suspect, Galaxy 15 is involved.


From FCC Report SAT-00717:

  • •The FCC granted SES Americom special temporary authority (STA) to drift C-band satellite Satcom C-3 to 79.15 degrees WL and to conduct the telemetry, tracking and telecommand (TT&C) operations necessary to drift the satellite to that location and maintain it there.
  • •Intelsat received STA for 60 days to continue to operate C- and Ku-band Intelsat 709 at 54.85 degrees EL and to conduct TT&C on specified C-band frequencies. Intelsat is authorized to operate Intelsat 709 in the 3700-4200 MHz, 10.95-11.20 GHz, 11.45-11.70 GHz, and 12.5-12.7 GHz (space-to-Earth) frequency bands and in the 5925-6425 MHz and 14.0-14.5 GHz (Earth-to-space) frequency bands.
  • •The FCC granted Intelsat North America STA for 60 days to continue to operate the C- and Ku-band payloads on Intelsat 801 at 29.5 degrees WL. TT&C is authorized on specific C-band frequencies. Intelsat is also authorized t o continue to operate the Fixed-Satellite-Service (FSS) payload on Intelsat 801 using 3625-4200 MHz, 10.95-11.20 GHz, 11.45-11.95 GHz, and 12.5-12.75 GHz (space-to-Earth) and 5850-6425 MHz and 14.0-14.5 GHz (Earth-to-space).
  • •Sirius XM Radio was allowed to operate two satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) terrestrial repeaters, each with an EIRP of up to 2,000 watts, in the Baltimore area under STA for 180 days. The repeaters operate in the 2320-2345 MHz SDARS frequency band.
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.