PAS 3

Mission

PAS 3

• Type: Communications
• Orbit: Geostationary Orbit

In November 1991, PanAmSat Corporation ordered three Hughes HS-601 model PAS (PanAmSat) satellites from Hughes Space and Communications Company. The satellites provide video services for program distribution and syndication; data services for business applications; and services for video, radio, data and telephone transmission. They were placed over the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, respectively. In August 1993, PanAmSat ordered a fourth satellite, to be used as a spare. The spare was pressed into service to replace the first PAS-3 spacecraft, which was lost during a launch vehicle failure.

Location

Ariane Launch Area 2

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Ariane Launch Area 2 has witnessed the launch of 119 rockets, including 119 orbital launch attempts, while Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, has been the site for 320 rocket launches.

Rocket

Aérospatiale Ariane 42P

The Ariane 4 was an expendable space launch system, developed by the Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was manufactured by ArianeGroup and marketed by Arianespace. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 until the final flight on 15 February 2003, it attained 113 successful launches out of 116 total launches.

Agency

Arianespace

Arianespace SA is a multinational company founded in 1980 as the world’s first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane programme. Their vehicles launch exclusively from French Guiana in South America.