Bangladesh’s first communications satellite on track

Bangabandhu Satellite-1 will be orbited in the upcoming days from Cape Canaveral, using a SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. With this historical first satellite, Bangladesh inhabitants will have access to a wide range of broadcast and communications services, including phone services, backhaul, radio, direct-to-home TV and Internet. Bearing the symbolic name of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the satellite will empower the economy of Bangladesh through revenue generation from the new sectors. Actually, the country is used to rent transponders from foreign satellites to have broadcasting services. Once Bangabandhu satellite-1 is operational, Bangladesh will be autonomous in terms of telecommunications and Broadcasting services, being able to offer communications services to many foreign countries such as Nepal, Myanmar or Bhutan under its coverage area.
 
 

 

Designed to reduce the country digital divide not only in big cities but also rural areas, Bangabandhu Satellite-1 is a major step towards space technology in Bangladesh.
 
The upcoming launch will intensively be celebrated countrywide and also in Cape Canaveral, Florida. A very strong symbol embodying the hopes of the nation, the satellite will also be a source of employment in the region. On social networks, the bird’s every move (the arrival in Cape Canaveral for instance) is generating unprecedented enthusiasm. As a fantastic vector of growth and economic recognition in Asia, the satellite [once operational] will contribute to the improvement of numerous local sectors of activity such as defense, telemedicine, e-learning, VSAT, DTH, online research or videoconferencing services.
 

Technical characteristics and coverage zone

 

 
Built on the new-generation Spacebus 4000B2 platform from Thales Alenia Space, the satellite is fitted with 26 Ku-band and 14 C-band transponders. Its coverage area includes Bangladesh and surrounding regions. Positioned at 119.1° East, the system will provide Ku-band coverage for Bangladesh and its territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Indonesia. It will also provide C-band capacity for the entire region.
 

Thales Alenia Space’s role

 

 
Thales Alenia Space is prime contractor for the turnkey system, in charge of the design, construction, testing and in-orbit delivery of the satellite.
 
Thales Alenia Space is also responsible for a complete ground segment, which capitalizes on SpaceOps applications, dedicated to mission configuration/monitoring and on Thales Alena Space’s SpaceGate comprehensive solution dedicated to end users applications. The ground segment relies on both Primary and the secondary ground facilities including a building that houses the satellite operation and control center and network operations center. The company’s local partner in Bangladesh, Spectra Engineers Ltd, is in charge of civil engineering works for the ground infrastructures.

Copyrights:
Artistic view: © Thales Alenia Space/Briot
Photos: © Thales Alenia Space/Imag[IN]