Orbital GEOStar-2 Bus - Manual

• Orbital is the world’s leading
provider of small- to medium-class
geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO)
communications satellites
• 33 GEO communications satellites
delivered since 1997
• Two GEO communications satellites
on order or in production for delivery
through 2015
• Average delivery of 24 months
• GEOStar-2 leads the industry with
in-orbit reliability
Satellite Bus
GEOStar
™
-2 Bus
A Fully Redundant, Flight-Proven, Spacecraft Bus Designed for Geosynchronous Missions
FACTS AT A GLANCE
Intelsat 15 in Orbital’s satellite manufacturing
facility
Advantages of the GEOStar-2 Bus
Orbital's GEOStar-2 Bus design is unique within the satellite industry. Orbital’s GEOStar-2 Bus provides
an affordable low-to-medium power satellite platform that is ideal for missions of this size. Rather than
being a less efficient version of a larger, heavier product, Orbital’s GEOStar-2 Bus is designed specifically
for the 1,000 to 5,550 watts payload class. The GEOStar-2 Bus is flight-proven with excellent operational
performance among the 29 currently in-orbit. With two more GEOStar-2 satellites now in production
or awaiting launch, Orbital has established its class of GEO satellite products as the unquestioned
market leader.
Design
The GEOStar-2 Bus satellite is a modular, mass efficient structure, designed for simplified integration to
reduce manufacturing cycle times. The structure is supported by a composite thrust cylinder, to which the
bus, payload, nadir and base panels are connected. Energy from two multi-panel solar wings and lithium
ion batteries is electronically processed to provide 36 volts regulated power to the satellite throughout
the mission. All active units aboard the satellite are connected through a 1553 data bus. Commands
and telemetry are processed through the flight software resident on the flight processor, which provides
robust autonomous control to all GEOStar-2 satellites. The modularity of the structure and the standard
1553 interfaces allow parallel assembly and test of the bus and payload systems, reducing manufacturing
schedule risk by minimizing the time spent in serial satellite integration and test flow.
Payload Support
While primary applications are Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) and Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS), the
GEOStar-2 Bus can be adapted for MSS, Earth and space science applications, as well as for technology
demonstration or risk reduction programs. Depending on mission duration requirements, the GEOStar-2
Bus can accommodate payloads in excess of 500 kilograms, and provide up to 5,550 watts of power.
Instrument data can be provided in standard format such as CCSDS or through secured encryption, as
approved by the National Security Agency (NSA).
GEO