Nimiq 2 Ready for Launch

[Steve Mehs]

Canada, get ready for your next DBS satellite.

The Nimiq 2 satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems for Telesat Canada, was shipped last week from production facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif., to Baikonur, Kazakhstan, where it will be readied for a late December launch. The flight will take place aboard a Proton booster provided by International Launch Services.

Nimiq 2, a high power Ku-Band satellite, will provide direct broadcast services across Canada from its orbital location at 91 degrees. The spacecraft features 32 active 24 Ku-Band transponders, and also has a Ka-Band payload.

Earlier this year, Telesat Canada was selected to build the uplink facility Canadian DBS provider Bell ExpressVu will use to access the Telesat Nimiq 2 satellite. The project was expected to be completed in November.

From SkyReport (Used with Permission)

[Jacob S]

What will be the benefits to the customers be? Will they be using internet by satellite with their Ka bands?

[Steve Mehs]

From what I've read on AVS and in the news, Nimiq 1 will be moved from 91 to 82, Nimiq 2 will replace Nimiq 1 at 91. The main advantage will be an increase on HD programming. From what I gather, the antenna used will be a Dish 500 with the BEV logo, since the two locations are also 9 degrees apart.

"Will they be using internet by satellite with their Ka bands?"

There is only 1 ka transponder on Nimiq 2. Expressvu HD will move to 82 degrees after Nimiq 1 is moved there. Anik F2 to be launched in mid 2003 @111.1 is the satellite with 45 ka transponders for 2 way satellite internet usage - 30 for US (Wild Blue); 15 for Canada (Telesat),. F2 will also have 24 C Band transponders + 32 ku band (Star Choice has bought or has options for 26 of the ku transponders)

[QualityIsJobOne]

Originally posted by Charlie\'s Butler
Anik F2 to be launched in mid 2003 @111.1 is the satellite with 45 ka transponders for 2 way satellite internet usage - 30 for US (Wild Blue); 15 for Canada (Telesat),. F2 will also have 24 C Band transponders + 32 ku band (Star Choice has bought or has options for 26 of the ku transponders)

......Nimiq 2 is a nice "little" bird.....Yawn ....I'm much more interested Arianespace's June launch of Anik F2, the largest telecommunications satellite ever sent into space!

From www.arianespace.com

....Based on the new HS 702 platform, built by Hughes Space and Communications in El Segundo, California, Anik F2 will weigh about 5,900 kilograms at liftoff (12,980 lb.). It will be equipped with three communications bands consisting of 24 transponders in C-band, 32 transponders in Ku-band and an advanced Ka-band payload with 45 spot beams allowing digital communications between small terminals and one of six Internet-connected gateway stations. Coverage in all bands is North America-wide.

[PeterB]

Originally posted by Steve Mehs
From what I gather, the antenna used will be a Dish 500 with the BEV logo, since the two locations are also 9 degrees apart.

My cousin in Canada is an expressvu dealer, I got to see the expressvu version of the dealer channel a few weeks ago when i was up there. The are using the 2dual lnb dish 500 with sw21 switches. In fact all newer non-HD systems will ship with a dish500 dish, but only one LNB and a plastic cover over the over LNB slot. HDTV units ship with 2 LNBs and the switches. I was suprised they werent using the twin.

[Steve Mehs]

Cool thanks for the information Peter!
Seems odd that the 5100 and 3100 systems will come with a Dish 500 minus one LNB. Even though only 6000 systems will need access to both birds, you'd think they just include a full Dish 500 or the normal 18" dish.

I'm guessing the new HD content will be at the 82 dergree location.

[Jacob S]

They will just make them pay the extra money for the lnbf and switch when one wants to get the HD receiver, and wants to save money because the other lnbf is not required to get all the SD channels. I imagine the HD systems would come with a twin or two lnbf's and switches. I bet it costs them the same amount of money to make a dish500 than it does a dish 300, especially since its being made in bulk, and they will just have the same manufacturer that makes the USA Dish Network Systems to make their dish 500's as well. If it costs more the cost difference probably is not great enough to be recognized.

I wonder what they will call their newer dish since we call ours dish 500? I dont think they could call their's that because it would not pick up 500 channels.

[Steve Mehs]

Here's what Peter was talking about.



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