Spaceway-3


Spaceway-3 is a communications satellite which was launched on August 14, 2007, at 23:44:00 UTC. The third satellite in the Spaceway series, it includes a Ka-band communications payload. It is used by Hughes [Network Systems] to provide broadband Internet Protocol network service.

History

In March 2007, shortly after the failure of a Sea Launch rocket launch in January 2007, Hughes Network Systems switched launch of Spaceway-3 from a Zenit-3SL rocket to an Ariane 5 launch vehicle.

Launch

Spaceway-3 was launched 14 August 2007 on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle with BSAT-3a. It lifted off at 23:44 UTC from ELA-3 of the Guiana [Space Centre|Centre Spatial Guyanais]. Five hours and 46 minutes later, signals from the spacecraft were successfully received at a ground station in Hartebeesthoek [Radio Astronomy Observatory|Hartebeesthoek], South Africa.