The Launch
Thuraya 2 Launched Successfully…
Thuraya marked another milestone by successfully launching its second satellite Thuraya 2 on the 10th of June.
The Thuraya 2 satellite was deployed into geosynchronous transfer orbit by Sea Launch, which was also the launching vehicle for Thuraya’s first satellite. Thuraya 1 in October 2000. Thuraya’s third satellite is being built by Boeing Satellite Systems to expand system capacity.
The Thuraya 2, on board the Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off from the Odyssey Launch Platform positioned on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The 44-minute launch window opened at 5:56 pm UAE time (13:56 GMT) on June 10… More
Thuraya’s chosen launch vehicle Sea Launch is one of the world’s leading reliable heavy-lift launch service providers for commercial satellite sector.
About Thuraya 2 Satellite…
Thuraya 2 derives solar power from two 5-panel arrays, incorporating the flat planar design now standard on all Boeing 702 satellites. These arrays carry a new generation of triple junction solar cells, designed to provide 11 kilowatts of power throughout the satellite’s 12-year design life.
At the heart of the spacecraft’s communication system is Boeing’s advanced digital signal processor. Built with five times more capability than its predecessors, its computing power exceeds that of 3,000 Pentium IV-based computers. With nearly 300 spot beams that can be redirected on orbit, Thuraya D2 will enable tens of thousands of simultaneous phone calls—routed from one handheld unit to another, or to a terrestrial network