AMC-21

<h2 id="spacecraft-and-mission-design">Spacecraft and mission design</h2>
<p>AMC-21 is based on a <a href="/facts/GEOStar-2/b5HMNRQ8">STAR-2</a> <a href="/facts/Satellite_bus/UMlFYAUY">satellite bus</a> that provides 4.4 <a href="/facts/Watt/VK8oqRrm">kilowatts</a> of power for the communications payload. The platform will support a 15-year on-orbit mission life.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> It carries 24 <a href="/facts/Ku_band/czTuuqpT">Ku-band</a> <a href="/facts/Transponder_(satellite_communications)/rsaCNccw">transponders</a> at 36 <a href="/facts/Hertz/6Wshj5qm">MHz</a>, which will be used to broadcast television signals to <a href="/facts/Canada/cWWFM8oc">Canada</a>, <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>, <a href="/facts/Mexico/IT5bwhdh">Mexico</a>, the <a href="/facts/Caribbean/zRI9aMCh">Caribbean</a>, and <a href="/facts/Central_America/CXKgTuxC">Central America</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>
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<h2 id="manufacture">Manufacture</h2>
<p><a href="/facts/Thales_Alenia_Space/E7JMd8TL">Thales Alenia Space</a> was the prime contractor for AMC-21, and provided the satellite's communications payload. The STAR-2 bus was subcontracted to <a href="/facts/Orbital_Sciences_Corporation/WNB0SKlF">Orbital Sciences Corporation</a>, as were integration and testing of the satellite.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space delivered the completed satellite to SES Americom.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a>
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<h2 id="launch">Launch</h2>
<p>AMC-21 was launched, along with the <a href="/facts/Superbird-C2/XIjTxIBL">Superbird-7</a> satellite, by an <a href="/facts/Ariane_5/H78wlLG4">Ariane 5 ECA</a> launch vehicle on 14 August 2008 at 20:44 <a href="/facts/Coordinated_Universal_Time/2EnjfSyu">UTC</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> The satellite separated from the launch vehicle in a <a href="/facts/Geosynchronous_transfer_orbit/1WwL0SPz">geosynchronous transfer orbit</a> (GTO). An onboard <a href="/facts/IHI_Corporation/B6nNTy3g">IHI</a>-<a href="/facts/Newton_(unit)/Ral9XgNl">500 N</a> (IHI-BT4) <a href="/facts/Apogee_kick_motor/Tf9SgQFP">engine</a> then raised it to an operational <a href="/facts/Geostationary_orbit/VBq1v5Kr">geostationary orbit</a> and placed it at a longitude of 125° West of the <a href="/facts/Prime_meridian_(Greenwich)/5dhcewNL">Greenwich Meridian</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> After successful completion of in-orbit testing, SES Americom took operational control of AMC-21 in September 2008.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a>
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<h2 id="mergers-and-acquisitions">Mergers and acquisitions</h2>
<p>In September 2009, <a href="/facts/SES_Americom/970VQv2l">SES Americom</a> <a href="/facts/Mergers_and_acquisitions/YfczSf3M">merged</a> with SES New Skies to form <a href="/facts/SES_World_Skies/nR8P6DJy">SES World Skies</a>, to which all of its operational satellites, including AMC-21, were transferred.
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<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.sathint.com/amc-21">AMC-21 Channel List at Sathint</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100317232335/http://sathint.com/amc-21">Archived</a> 17 March 2010 at the <a href="/facts/Wayback_Machine/nmQ3a6JC">Wayback Machine</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>"AMC-21". Orbital Sciences Corporation. <a href="http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpace/Communications/AMC21/index.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpace/Communications/AMC21/index.shtml</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"AMC-21". SES. Retrieved 5 April 2021. <a href="http://www.ses.com/4628068/amc-21" target="_blank">http://www.ses.com/4628068/amc-21</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"AMC-21". Orbital Sciences Corporation. <a href="http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpace/Communications/AMC21/index.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpace/Communications/AMC21/index.shtml</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"Orbital-Built AMC-21 Communications Satellite Successfully Launched". Northrop Grumman. 18 August 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2021. <a href="https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/orbital-built-amc-21-communications-satellite-successfully-launched" target="_blank">https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/orbital-built-amc-21-communications-satellite-successfully-launched</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>"Another successful Arianespace launch: Superbird-7 and AMC-21 in orbit" (Press release). Arianespace. 14 August 2008. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100918032347/http://arianespace.com/news-press-release/2008/08-14-08-Superbird7-AMC-21-launch.asp" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20100918032347/http://arianespace.com/news-press-release/2008/08-14-08-Superbird7-AMC-21-launch.asp</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:6"><p>"AMC-21". Gunter's Space Page. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2021. <a href="https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/amc-21.htm" target="_blank">https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/amc-21.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:7"><p>"Orbital Reports Third Quarter 2008 Financial Results" (Press release). Orbital. 16 October 2008. <a href="http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/release.asp?prid=674" target="_blank">http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/release.asp?prid=674</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

AMC-21 open-in-new

AMC-21