Intelsat 36
| Industry | Satellite communications |
|---|---|
Area served | Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia |
| Products | Communications satellites, including Intelsat 36 |
Intelsat 36, also referred to as IS-36, is a geostationary satellite dedicated to communications, managed by Intelsat and constructed by Space Systems/Loral utilizing the SSL 1300 satellite platform. Located at 68.5° East longitude, it provides services to Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, concentrating on media and content distribution, with South Africa's MultiChoice as its primary client. The satellite carries a combination of C-band and Ku-band transponders.
Satellite description
Built on the SSL 1300 bus by Space Systems/Loral, Intelsat 36 has a launch weight of and is designed for an operational lifespan exceeding 15 years. Its compact stowed size measures . Power generation is achieved through two solar array wings, each equipped with three panels, producing 15.8 kW at the end of its service life.
The satellite’s payload consists of 10 C-band and 30 Ku-band transponders. The C-band transponders facilitate content distribution across both Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, whereas the Ku-band transponders primarily support the anchor customer’s requirements for Sub-Saharan African content delivery.
History
On 4 August 2014, Space Systems/Loral (currently SSL) announced an agreement with Intelsat to build the Intelsat 36 communications satellite, marking the continuation of a partnership spanning over forty years. The satellite was intended to address media and content distribution demands in Africa and South Asia, with MultiChoice from South Africa serving as the lead customer.
By 15 July 2016, Senior Space Program Managers Richard Laurie and Brian Sing reported managing preparations for transporting Intelsat 33e to French Guiana, where it would be integrated alongside Intelsat 36 onto the Ariane 5 ECA rocket slated for launch on 24 August 2016. On 26 July, SSL confirmed that Intelsat 36 had arrived at the Kourou spaceport. Although both satellites were owned by Intelsat and launched together on Ariane 5 VA-232, their manufacturing and launch operations were conducted independently.
Following the passing of Program Manager Brian Sing on 4 August 2016, the mission was dedicated in his memory. The Ariane 5 ECA VA-232 lifted off from Centre Spatial Guyanais on 24 August at 22:16:01 UTC, with Intelsat 33e positioned atop and Intelsat 36 beneath the SYLDA adapter. Separation of Intelsat 36 occurred at 22:57 UTC, with telemetry signals received as planned. Arianespace reported that the insertion orbit closely matched the targeted parameters.
Commercial service for Intelsat 36 commenced on 6 October 2016, providing high-definition entertainment services throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.