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Nerdtalker
Working Hard, Or Hardly Working?
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| reply to exocet_cm
Re: Free dialup...
said by exocet_cm  :Edit: You know, if I owned that satelite I would be kinda pissed off. Kinda? Probably throwing chairs P-O'ed.
sudden and unexpected electrical distribution anomaly that caused the permanent loss of the spacecraft First off, what is an electrical distribution anomaly? Problems with the solar panels? Problems with the onboard batteries? Problems with the batteries not charging, or overcharging?
Secondly, how could a sudden loss of power permanently destroy the satellite? From what I understand of geostationary orbits, you usually need to only make minor orbital corrections. Just enough so orbit doesn't degrade. Either way, the thing had been up there since 1999. Not bad. It was probably approaching the end of its life expectancy anyways:
Geostationary orbits can only be achieved very close to the ring 35,786 km directly above the equator. All other circular non-active geosynchronous orbits will cross the geostationary orbit and possibly collide with satellites there. In practice this means that all geostationary satellites have to exist on this ring, which poses problems for satellites needing to be decommissioned at the end of their service life (for example when they run out of thruster fuel).
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whizkid3
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| quote:
Secondly, how could a sudden loss of power permanently destroy the satellite? From what I understand of geostationary orbits, you usually need to only make minor orbital corrections. Just enough so orbit doesn't degrade.
Actually, there is a lot more to it than that. Because of the earth's tilt a satellite in a simple geosynchronous orbit appears to move (relative to the earth) in a figure-8 pattern over the course of each 24 hours. Simple antennas, without a motorized satellite tracking system, become off center as the satellite takes its 24 hour course. To keep communications locked-up requires more power from the satellite (which is extremely power limited), and from any transmitting ground stations. The satellite is not going to increase its power levels. So you end up with a weaker signal during parts of the day.
There is one other method, called station keeping, in which the satellite uses propulsion to make slight changes over the course of the day to minimize the 'figure-eight'. Because it seems that the majority of receiving stations are fixed (as opposed to tracking), possible Intelsat was using performing 'station keeping'? Or, as you say, they may have been making simple corrections to the orbit. Honestly, I don't know what caused the satellite to crap out. Just letting you know that there is more to a geosynchronous orbit that meets the eye. | |
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