SkyTerra 1 Successfully Launched

By Doug Lung
published


An International Launch Services Proton Breeze M launched Lightsquared's SkyTerra 1 satellite into geostationary orbit Nov. 14 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

SkyTerra 1 has the largest commercial antenna reflector ever put into service – a 22-meter L-band reflector. Boeing has a detailed description of the SkyTerra satellites on its Website.

In addition to the 22-meter L-band antenna, the satellite has a 2-meter Ku-band antenna for feeder links. The Boeing 702HP spacecraft will use four gateways located in Canada and the United States.

In announcing the launch, Sanjiv Ahuja, LightSquared chairman and CEO, said, "Today, LightSquared has achieved a major milestone in the realization of our mission to revolutionize the wireless industry in the United States. LightSquared is launching the world's first truly integrated satellite-terrestrial network, combining our 4G-LTE terrestrial network with ubiquitous satellite coverage that will connect rural America and support emergency communications."

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.