SinoSat 2 in trouble

[Analoguesat]

A Chinese communications and broadcast satellite is failing less than a month into orbit because of malfunctioning solar panels, a China-watching Hong Kong-based group said today. The SinoSat-2 satellite, launched on 29 October in the southwestern province of Sichuan, was designed to deliver live television signals and digital broadband multimedia systems in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

But technicians discovered its main solar panel had failed to unfold as planned on 7 November, disabling some antennae from receiving ground instructions, the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said. ”Chinese satellite experts are doing their utmost to save it but the chance of success is slim,” the group said in a faxed statement, quoting unnamed sources. A special team had been set up to handle the incident, it said.

The Chinese government could not be immediately reached for comment, but there have been discussions on the satellite’s apparently unusual orbit on some Chinese technological Internet forums since earlier this month. SinoSat-2, China’s 51st straight successful space launch since 1996, would help China improve the capacity and reliability of its information and live television broadcasts, Xinhua news agency said at the time of the launch.

China could lose 100 billion yuan ($12.71 billion) of potential revenues from the international market over the next five years if the satellite, costing 2 billion yuan, eventually failed, the group said.

(Source: Reuters via Media Network weblog)

[Analoguesat]

Sinosat failure confirmed;


Sinosat-2 Suffered Anomaly in Orbit

The SINOSAT-2 satellite, launched on 29th October 2006, has unfortunately suffered serious technical anomaly, causing the deployment of its solar arrays and communications antennas unable to be completed. The spacecraft is thus unable to be put into broadcasting and telecommunications services.

For the time, the satellite is located in quasi-GEO orbit near 92.2E. All onboard equipment and software are working nominally except the malfunctions stated above. Further anomaly analysis and investigation are being conducted by the satellite manufacturer.

High risk is one of the characteristics of space industry, and many other satellite operators home and abroad have suffered from similar situations before. As a Chinese satellite operator, Sinosat will continue to devote itself in provision of better sky-based communications and broadcasting services to the country and the region, and at the meantime, keep its support to the domestic space manufacturing industry.

Currently, the Sinosat-3 spacecraft is under smooth construction by CAST, the domestic satellite manufacturer, and is scheduled to be launched first half next year.


(source sinosat website)

[BGonaSTICK]

Don't want to put their hands up too readily, do they?

What a mess. I assume it's just so much space debris now...