Garuda
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Garuda 1
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Satellites that provide global support for mobile telephone communications
users in Asia; "Garuda" is Sanskrit for "eagle." Launched by a Proton
rocket on February 13, 2000, from Baikonur,
Garuda-1 is the first satellite of a constellation that comprises the ACeS
(Asia System Cellular Satellite) system. ACeS began in 1995 as a joint venture
between three large Asian communications companies: Pacific Satelit Nusantara
(PSN) of Indonesia, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT)
and Jasmine International Overseas of Thailand. In December 1998, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin,
called Global Telecommunications, also joined the venture. Not coincidentally,
Lockheed Martin builds the Garuda spacecraft, based on its large A 2100
bus. The second ACeS satellite, Garuda-2, will serve first as a backup to
Garuda-1 and then allow the ACeS system to expand coverage to western and
central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and northern Africa.
The Garuda spacecraft is equipped with giant 15-meter (49-foot) umbrella-like
L-band antennas, which dwarf the antennas of previous commercial satellites
– usually not larger than 4.5 meters (14.8 ft). They allow it to transmit
16,000 phone calls simultaneously, within 140 spot beams, from a geostationary
orbit 36,000 km (22,370 miles) over the equator. The spacecraft's control
center is located on Batam Island, Indonesia.
Related category
• SATELLITES
AND SPACE PROBES
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