Satellite Systems
SATELLITE FLEET
LAUNCH OF HISPASAT 36W-1
On 28 January, the company successfully launched the Hispasat 36W-1, the tenth in its fleet. The satellite was launched from aboard the Soyuz launch vehicle belonging to the company Arianespace from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. After the successful launch and certification that the satellite was in good working order, after a comprehensive test campaign, it was declared to be ready for commercial service at a position of 36º West.
The H36W-1 satellite, built by the German company OHB System AG, was the first mission on the new SmallGEO platform, designed by the German manufacturer in collaboration with the European Space Agency and HISPASAT. The aforementioned platform allows for a considerable reduction in satellite mass owing to the use of electric propulsion throughout its service life.
Moreover, the H36W-1 carries an advanced regenerative payload, RedSAT, comprising of a new active antenna with reconfigurable beams, which together with the on-board processor, greatly improves satellite efficiency and features. The antenna can be controlled electronically from Earth and be redirected at any given moment during the satellite’s service life, endowing it with the flexibility to adapt its coverage in orbit to any changes that may arise during the mission after launch.
This on-board processor is a further step forward in satellite development, which may considerably simplify internet architecture by doing some of the processing in space that is normally done on Earth. It can process up to four 36 MHz transponders simultaneously, correcting possible signal degradation and transmitting it error free, which translates into a more robust communications system, and one with greater quality that enables reception with smaller diameter antennas.
The satellite serves South America, Europe and the Canary Islands. Its 15-year service life will see it provide video contribution and cellular backhaul services, as well as business and broadband solutions. It has 20 Ku band transponders and additional capacity for up to 3 Ka band ones.
Representing an investment of over €240 million, the project was financed by the Spanish Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) and counted significant input from Spanish industry: Airbus Defense and Space España, Arquimea, Celis, Crisa (an Airbus subsidiary), Expace, GMV, Iberespacio, Indra, Tecnobit (Oesía Group), Thales Alenia Space España and Tryo Aerospace.
This milestone constitutes the completion of an important challenge for HISPASAT and European industry, namely the putting into orbit of a newly designed satellite platform. Collaboration with the European Space Agency proved crucial, particularly contributing to meeting the set targets.
LAUNCH OF AMAZONAS 5
Another of this year’s outstanding milestones was the putting into orbit of the Amazonas 5 satellite. The launch night of 12 September was the same that 25 years ago saw the company launch the first Spanish telecommunications satellite into space, the Hispasat 30W-1 (Hispasat 1A), from French Guiana.
Nonetheless, the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan was the chosen launch site this time around, to which end a Proton Breeze M launch vehicle was used belonging to the company International Launch Services (ILS), run by the company’s Brazilian company, HISPAMAR.
Based on Space Systems Loral’s (SSL) 1300 platform, a considerable representation of Spanish companies were involved in its building: Thales Alenia Space España, Airbus Defense & Space, TRYO, DAS Photonic, Iberespacio, GMV and Indra.
Its 24 Ku band transponders to cover Central and South America provide high performance, direct-to-home (DTH) television services. The Amazonas 5 enables television service providers that operate with HISPASAT to transmit 500 new channels, which will consolidate the 61º West position as the leading transmitter of these services in Latin America. Moreover, this satellite is also plays a key role in promoting 4K TV in the region.
The 34 Ka band beams provide connectivity services to over half a million people in several of the main South and Central American countries. In addition, it provides regional operators with efficient and competitive internet access via satellite, not to mention transportation and backhaul services to deploy their 3G, LTE and even 5G cellular networks.
RE-ORBITING OF HISPASAT 84W-1 AND AMAZONAS 1
On 2 June 2017, the Hispasat 1C satellite, later called H30W-3 and subsequently H84W-1, on account of the two orbital positions where it was located, was passivated (fuel emptied and electronic systems switched off) and re-orbited. This satellite had efficiently provided communications services for 17 years, two more than its initially projected service life.
Hispasat 1C satellite was launched on 3 February 2000 from Cape Canaveral (Florida) aboard the ILS company, Alas IIAS rocket. Built by Thales Alenia Space, it was positioned in orbit at 30º West (Hispasat 30W-3). Indeed, it was with this satellite that HISPASAT began to market its broadband services in Latin America back in 2003: services which have been used by over 20 of the operator’s clients in the region. Moreover, its capacity was also used for distance education projects, such as Uruguay’s Ceibal Plan, Chile’s Subtel Programme and Peru’s telemedicine project, MEDNET, as well as to connect remote Antarctic Areas in Argentina and to develop the energy, livestock and fishing industries in several areas in the region.
Based on the Spacebus B2 platform, the satellite has 24 Ku band transponders. It was mainly used to distribute TV channels both in Europe and America, and for other telecommunications solutions, such as corporate networks and broadband applications. Throughout its service life, the Hispasat 1C made 22,850 broadcasts, 1,200 ground-controlled manoeuvres and has witnessed 1,544 Earth and 36 moon eclipses.
In 2014, after an agreement reached between HISPASAT and Star One, the satellite was moved to position 84º West and re-named Hispasat 84W-1. It continued to serve Latin America from this new Brazilian position, albeit mainly for internet access and IP communication purposes.
On 23 July 2017 the Amazonas 1 satellite was re-orbited. It has efficiently provided services from orbit positions 61º and 55º West throughout its service life, despite having had a fuel leak a short time after its launch.
Amazonas 1 satellite was launched on 5 August 2004 from Baikonur on board the ILS company rocket, the Proton M Breeze M. Built by the company EADS Astrium, now Airbus, it was the first satellite to be positioned at Brazilian 61º West. On foot of an agreement with Intelsat signed in 2014, it was moved to orbit position 55.5º West. Throughout its service life, the Amazonas 1 made 25,000 broadcasts from 19 different countries, 613 ground-controlled manoeuvres and has witnessed 1,170 Earth and 29 moon eclipses.
The Amazonas 1 served as the cornerstone for the company’s geographical expansion into Latin American markets. This satellite, with transatlantic and Pan-American capacities, has provided coverage for the entire American continent, Europe and North Africa. Based on the Eurostar 3000 platform, it was mainly used to distribute TV channels both in Europe and America, and for other telecommunications solutions, such as corporate networks and broadband applications.
Both satellites travelled the 300 km that separate them 36,000 km from the Earth to the so-called “graveyard orbit”, where they have been definitively located, as established by the recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee for the proper maintenance of the geostationary orbit when a satellite ends of its service life.
FUTURE SATELLITES: HISPASAT 30W-6
Mechanical, compact range and final operational tests were completed on the Hispasat 30W-6 in 2017 at Space Systems Loral facilities in Palo Alto, as was the xenon filling required for the electric propulsion subsystem carried by the satellite. Accordingly, it was left ready and waiting to be sent to the launch site at Cape Canaveral. It is due to be dispatched early in 2018, at which stage work shall also begin to prepare for its launch aboard a Falcon 9 launching vehicle.
REGULATORY MATTERS
HISPASAT holds licences or authorisations known as landing rights, whenever necessary, to operate in all those countries covered by its satellite fleet. This includes Western and Central European countries and North Africa.
Particular progress was made in 2017 to complete the landing rights for Hispasat 36W-1, Amazonas 5 and Hispasat 30W-6 satellites.
In the course of this year, twenty-five new authorisations or licenses for the HISPASAT satellite fleet were obtained.
In parallel, and in view of the growth of current operators and the emergence of new operators, in 2017 the company intensified its analysis of documents published by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and its coordination activities with other operators and governments with the aim of maintaining HISPASAT’s orbit spectrum resources.
Likewise, the company has continuously searched for new opportunities for orbit spectrum resources, which may be useful within the framework of the company’s growth strategies.
Hispasat has 7 orbital positions and capacity in 10 satellites. The control centers are located in Arganda del Rey and Tres Cantos (Madrid), Maspalomas (Canarias) and Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)
SPACE CAPACITY OPERATIONS
SATELLITE NETWORK OPERATION CENTRES
The space capacity operation of the satellite fleet, which enables the allocation over time of the capacity hired by each client, takes place at the Payload Monitoring Control (PMC) centres, the function of which is that of a Network Operations Centre. This manages the space capacity, 24/7 customer support, carrier line-up/down, signal monitoring, interference detection, peak and pol and service problem solving.
PMC has operating centres in Arganda del Rey and in Río de Janeiro, and remote carrier measuring stations (CMS) on different frequency bands (C, Ku, Ka) located on the different coverage beams in Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and the United States. Likewise, it also has baseband analysis systems and tools to allocate space and transmission capacity (Integrated Operational Management System – SIGO).
PMC has an office for occasional use (booking) of space capacity in order to provide these services in the short term and to provide support for digital platform broadband services.
PMC OPERATIONS
This coming into service in 2017 of new satellites has led to a significant increase in migration service tasks from the E36W gapfiller satellite to the new Hispasat 36W-1 satellite and from the Amazonas 4 to the Amazonas 5 satellite. After the orbit tests are done on these satellites, whenever it proves necessary to migrate the service to another satellite, a procedure is established to ensure the transit without affecting its attributes and avoiding interruptions as much as possible, all of which is done in close coordination with the operational centres of the affected clients.
Throughout the course of 2017, there were no space capacity failures in any fleet satellite, thus fleet availability stood at values nearing 100% in the majority of cases, resulting in added quality to the service we provide our clients.
As far as carrier monitoring systems are concerned, the expansion of the RF measuring system (CMS) was initiated, with new stations on C and Ku bands, deployed on new coverage and measuring systems for additional capacity and the new satellites to be incorporated in 2017 and those planned for 2018.
The PMC permanently manages the customer service, the occasional uses and the carriers, monitors the signals, detects interferences and solves the incidents of the service.
Development of the Operational Management System (SIGO) continued with a view to covering the new needs of clients arising from the services provided. Moreover, a start was made on putting the support contract into operation for geolocation interferences and the baseband measuring system (BMS).
PMC has participated in the migration of the control platform for satellites in orbit to the new Hifly 7 version to monitor the remote measurement of the new satellites. It also took part in the implementation of the new CentralLog operating tool.
The agreements reached at the regular yearly operational meetings with clients, PMC preventive actions and client collaboration have proved essential aids in locating and doing away with the interferences that affected the system.
Operational relationships with Intelsat and Telesat, which occupy the orbital positions adjacent to those occupied by the HISPASAT fleet, were strengthened with the aim of controlling adjacent satellite interference (ASI), for which operative coordination is essential, since each operator must, in a coordinated fashion, identify the stations of clients that are generating or receiving interference possibly from another satellite outside of their control.
BROADBAND OPERATIONS
HISPASAT’s broadband platform is a global leader in these types of DVB-RCS and DVB-S2 technology based services that facilitate interoperability and the deployment of internet via satellite to places where there is no other infrastructure. Accordingly, it contributes to the social and economic development of technologically disadvantaged communities.
HISPASAT has several platforms that offer the most suitable solutions for the different sectors: corporate, residential and mobility (ships, high-speed trains, vehicles and planes).
RESIDENTIAL BROADBAND
HISPASAT continues to pursue the deployment of residential services to bridge the digital divide as one of its priority goals. Accordingly, through the agreement reached with it client, Euskaltel, HISPASAT continues to provide internet services via satellite of up to 30 Mbps, both in remote areas lacking connectivity and in areas of limited connectivity, where other technologies such as fibre optics do not reach.
User experience was enhanced in 2017 by means of the configuring of a new internet architecture called “Smart Browsing” that provides residential users with a significant improvement to service by establishing new capacity consumption fee possibilities.
Moreover, this year new deployment scenarios have been prepared for the Ka broadband platforms in Mexico and Brazil, which will make it possible to provide high performance residential services in multi-spot configuration with Hispasat 30W-6, Hispasat 36W-1 and Amazonas 5 satellites.
Satellite broadband of HISPASAT contributes to the reduction of the digital divide by allowing access to the Internet where other infrastructures do not arrive. This favors the social and economic development of the communities.
MOBILITY
In 2017, as far as the project to endow Renfe (AVE) high speed trains with connectivity in partnership with Telefónica is concerned, improvements were made to the service by resolving some incidents detected and having tests done at Indra laboratories with new, higher capacity terminals and advanced, internet traffic acceleration systems.
As far as maritime services are concerned, 2017 saw important growth in the number of maritime terminals on the HISPASAT broadband platform.
CORPORATE
In 2017, the use of the corporate platform was consolidated in the European and Latin American markets.
The services deployed in previous years have been maintained in Spain, improving their availability parameters.
A start was made in 2017 on migrating the services provided in the Latin American region by means of advanced terminals and a new, more powerful hub configuration (X-Chassis configuration) and specifically prepared for corporate services.
Furthermore, HISPASAT has started work in this region on the deployment of a new platform that operates on fleet satellites in 36º West and 70º West orbit positions.