EchoStar III is a communications satellite operated by EchoStar. Launched in 1997 it was operated in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 61.5 degrees west for 12 years.
Mission type | Communications |
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Operator | EchoStar |
COSPAR ID | 1997-059A ![]() |
SATCAT no. | 25004 |
Mission duration | 12 years |
Spacecraft properties | |
Bus | A2100AX |
Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
Launch mass | 3,674 kilograms (8,100 lb) |
Dry mass | 1,700 kilograms (3,700 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | October 5, 1997, 21:01 (1997-10-05UTC21:01Z) UTC |
Rocket | Atlas IIAS |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-36B |
Contractor | NASA |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Geostationary |
Longitude | 61.5° west |
Semi-major axis | 42,164.0 kilometers (26,199.5 mi) |
Perigee altitude | 35,787.6 kilometers (22,237.4 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 35,798.8 kilometers (22,244.3 mi) |
Inclination | 2.1 degrees |
Period | 1,436.1 minutes |
Epoch | May 14, 2017 |
Transponders | |
Band | 32 Ku band |
Coverage area | Contiguous United States |
EchoStar announced August 2, 2017, EchoStar III "experienced an anomaly of unknown origin" during a relocation maneuver in the previous week "that has caused communications with the satellite to be interrupted and intermittent." EchoStar III is now drifting westward at about 0.1 degrees per day, encountering other geostationary satellites. Echostar also said the satellite "is [now] a fully depreciated, non-revenue generating asset."[1]
EchoStar III was finally placed in a graveyard orbit on September 6, 2017.[2]
The launch of EchoStar I made use of an Atlas-II AS rocket flying from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The launch took place at 21:01 UTC on October 5, 1997, with the spacecraft entering a geosynchronous transfer orbit. EchoStar III carried 16 (or more) Ku band transponders to provide direct voice and video communications to small dishes in North America after parking over 79 W or 135 W longitude.[3][4]
← 1996 · Orbital launches in 1997 · 1998 → | |
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STS-81 | GPS IIR-1 | GE 2 · Nahuel 1A | Soyuz TM-25 | STS-82 | Haruka | Kosmos 2337 · Kosmos 2338 · Kosmos 2339 · Gonets-D1 #4 · Gonets-D1 #5 · Gonets-D1 #6 | JCSAT-R | USA-130 | Intelsat 801 | Mozhayets 2 | Tempo-2 | STS-83 | USA-131 | Progress M-34 | Kosmos 2340 | Thaicom 3 · BSAT-1a | Kosmos 2341 | Minisat 01 · Founders | GOES 10 | Iridium 4 · Iridium 5 · Iridium 6 · Iridium 7 · Iridium 8 | Chinasat 6A | Kosmos 2342 | STS-84 | Kosmos 2343 | Tselina-2 | Thor 2 | Telstar 5 | Inmarsat-3 F4 · INSAT-2D | Kosmos 2344 | Fengyun 2A | Iridium 9 · Iridium 10 · Iridium 11 · Iridium 12 · Iridium 13 · Iridium 14 · Iridium 16 | Intelsat 802 | STS-94 | Progress M-35 | Iridium 15 · Iridium 17 · Iridium 18 · Iridium 20 · Iridium 21 | USA-132 | Superbird-C | OrbView-2 | Soyuz TM-26 | STS-85 (CRISTA-SPAS) | PAS-6 | Kosmos 2345 | Agila 2 | Iridium 22 · Iridium 23 · Iridium 24 · Iridium 25 · Iridium 26 | Lewis | ACE | PAS-5 | FORTE | Iridium MFS-1 · Iridium MFS-2 | Hot Bird 3 · Meteosat 7 | GE-3 | Iridium 27 · Iridium 28 · Iridium 29 · Iridium 30 · Iridium 31 · Iridium 32 · Iridium 33 | Kosmos 2346 · FAISAT-2V | Intelsat 803 | Molniya-1T #98 | STS-86 | Iridium 19 · Iridium 34 · Iridium 35 · Iridium 36 · Iridium 37 | IRS-1D | Progress M-36 (Sputnik 40 · X-Mir) | EchoStar III | Foton #11 | Cassini (Huygens) | Apstar 2R | USA-133 | STEP-4 | USA-135 · FalconGOLD | Maqsat-B · Maqsat-H · YES | SCD-2A | USA-134 | USA-136 | Iridium 38 · Iridium 39 · Iridium 40 · Iridium 41 · Iridium 43 | Kupon | Sirius 2 · IndoStar-1 | Resurs-F1M #1 | STS-87 (SPARTAN-201) | TRMM · Orihime · Hikoboshi | JCSAT-1B · Equator-S | Astra 1G | Iridium 42 · Iridium 44 | Galaxy 8i | Kosmos 2347 | Kosmos 2348 | Progress M-37 | Iridium 45 · Iridium 46 · Iridium 47 · Iridium 48 · Iridium 49 | Intelsat 804 | Orbcomm FM5 · Orbcomm FM6 · Orbcomm FM7 · Orbcomm FM8 · Orbcomm FM9 · Orbcomm FM10 · Orbcomm FM11 · Orbcomm FM12 | Early Bird 1 | AsiaSat 3 | |
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in brackets. |
EchoStar satellites | |
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