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Thor Comsat

Norway

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

The Thor communication satellites are orbited by Telenor of Norway and provide television services to Scandinavia. Thor 1 satellite was originally orbited by British Satellite Broadcasting as Marcopolo 2. It was purchased on orbit in 1992 from BSB.

Related

Country
Norway
Spacecraft
HS 376
Projects
BSB
Launch Sites
Cape Canaveral

Chronology

5 events

1990 August 18

00:42 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17B. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Delta 6925.
  • Thor 1 / BSB-R2 - . Payload: Marco Polo 2. Mass: 1,220 kg (2,680 lb). Nation: Norway. Agency: BSB. Program: Thor Comsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: HS 376. USAF Sat Cat: 20762 . COSPAR: 1990-074A. Apogee: 35,794 km (22,241 mi). Perigee: 35,779 km (22,231 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    UK DBS; 31 deg W. Direct broadcasting system. Expected operational life 12.5 yr. Owner/operator: British Sky Broadcasting Ltd, 6 Centaurs Business Park, Grant Way, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 5QD. Sold on-orbit in 1992 to Telenor Norway and redesignated Thor 1. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 50 deg W in 1990; 31 deg W in 1991-1992; 1 deg W in 1992-1999 As of 3 September 2001 located at 0.72 deg W drifting at 0.001 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 61.51W drifting at 3.830W degrees per day.

1997 May 20

22:39 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925.
  • Thor 2 - . Payload: Thor 2A. Mass: 2,800 kg (6,100 lb). Nation: Norway. Agency: Telenor. Manufacturer: El Segundo. Program: Thor Comsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: HS 376. USAF Sat Cat: 24808 . COSPAR: 1997-025A. Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Geosynchronous. Stationed over 0.8W Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 1 deg W in 1997-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 0.73 deg W drifting at 0.000 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 0.76W drifting at 0.002W degrees per day..

1998 June 10

00:35 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925-9.5.
  • Thor 3 - . Mass: 2,800 kg (6,100 lb). Nation: Norway. Agency: Telenor. Manufacturer: El Segundo. Program: Thor Comsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: HS 376. USAF Sat Cat: 25358 . COSPAR: 1998-035A. Apogee: 35,798 km (22,243 mi). Perigee: 35,777 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    The spacecraft was delivered to its final orbit in a complex series of five engine burns by three rocket stages. The Delta's second stage demonstrated its restart capability in 4 burns: Burn 1 placed the rocket and payload into a low circular orbit; Burn 2 raised the apogee to 1400 km; Burn 3 circularised the orbit at 1400 km. The second stage then separated, and Burn 4 lowered the spent stage's perigee to a low altitude to ensure the stage would decay quickly and not add to the space junk already on orbit. Stage 3 burned once to place the payload and its kick motor into a high 1400 km perigee geosynchronous transfer orbit. The Stage 4 Star 30 apogee kick motor circularised the spacecraft's orbit at geostationary altitude. Geostationary at 0.8 degrees W. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 1 deg W in 1998-1999 As of 4 September 2001 located at 0.83 deg W drifting at 0.000 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 0.85W drifting at 0.002W degrees per day.

2008 February 11

11:34 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/Briz-M.
  • Thor 5 - . Mass: 1,940 kg (4,270 lb). Nation: Norway. Agency: ILS. Program: Thor Comsat. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Star bus. USAF Sat Cat: 32487 . COSPAR: 2008-006A. Apogee: 35,796 km (22,242 mi). Perigee: 35,777 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Ku-band light geostationary satellite operated by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting..

2009 October 29

20:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: Kourou ELA3. LV Family: Ariane 5. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5ECA.
  • Thor 6 - . Payload: Spacebus 4000B2. Mass: 3,050 kg (6,720 lb). Nation: France. Agency: Arianespace. Program: Thor Comsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Spacebus 4000. USAF Sat Cat: 36033 . COSPAR: 2009-058B. Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Direct broadcast satellite stationed at 1 deg W..