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ESA launched the world's largest telecommunications satellites.. / July 3, 2009 /

ESA launched the world’s largest telecommunications satellites. / July 3, 2009 /

European Space Agency launched the most massive in the world of telecommunications satellite Terrastar-1. Starting weight of the device (with additional attachment mechanisms) is 7055 kilograms. About it was reported in the press release on the official website of the agency. For comparison, the mass of the recently put into orbit by Russian rocket «Proton-M» Satellite Sirius FM5 is about 6000 kilograms.

Satellite put into orbit by Ariane-5 carrier rocket, which was launched from the cosmodrome in French Guiana. Typically, this missile is used for the simultaneous launch into orbit of two or more satellites, but because such a large mass Terrastar-1 at this time there was one.

The maximum and minimum height of the orbit of new satellite almost 36 thousand kilometers and 250 kilometers. Tilt the orbit to the equatorial plane — 6 degrees. The new satellite will be used for data transmission in gigahertz range in the United States and Canada. TerraStar-1 was constructed by the U.S. Space Systems / Loral.

European Space Agency is one of Roscosmos competitors in the market of puting spacecrafts into orbit. Russia is currently the leader in this market. Only the 2008 Federal Space Agency has withdrawn 43 to orbit spacecraft. During the same period, ESA sent into space 11.

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