Engineering:Túpac Katari 1
Túpac Katari 1 or TKSat-1 is a telecommunications satellite that the government of Bolivia outsourced to China (PRC) to serve telecommunications in Bolivia, such as mobile, television and Internet use.[1]
It was launched into orbit on 20 December 2013 from the Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, China,[2] with a trial period of a little over three months, and commercial operation starting in March 2014.[3]
It was built on behalf of the Bolivian Space Agency. The China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), was responsible for the construction (using French, German and USA technology), launch and orbit of the satellite.[4][5]
The satellite is named after 18th century Bolivian independence activist Túpac Katari.[6]
Technical issues
The satellite is geostationary and parked at 87.2° W, at a distance of 36,000 kilometers from equator;[7] two-way voice communications are subject to latency.
The estimated useful life is 15 years;[8] having been launched in 2013, it should be deactivated in 2028, or −4 years and 306 days from now.
Cost and revenue
The satellite had a cost of around $300 million, of which $251 million was a loan from the China Development Bank (CDB) to the government of Bolivia, and the rest was paid by the government of Bolivia.[9]
From launch to August 2017, the satellite generated revenue of $60 million. The Bolivian Space Agency said the satellite was not a business, but instead its purpose was to increase access to communications. Running expenses were not disclosed.[10]
See also
- 2013 in spaceflight
- Bolivia-People's Republic of China relations
References
- ↑ "Satélite Túpac Katari captará por año $us 40 millones para el país". 14 January 2013. http://www.fmbolivia.tv/satelite-tupac-katari-captara-por-ano-us-40-millones-para-el-pais/. Retrieved 22 December 2013. (in Spanish)
- ↑ ""Túpac Katari" el satélite boliviano". 20 December 2013. http://www.semana.com/mundo/articulo/bolivia-lanzo-su-primer-satelite/369048-3. Retrieved 22 December 2013. (in Spanish)
- ↑ "Satélite Túpac Katari está protegido con un seguro de $us 200 millones". 13 November 2013. http://www.la-razon.com/sociedad/Satelite-Tupac-Katari-protegido-millones_0_1942605796.html. Retrieved 22 December 2013. (in Spanish)
- ↑ "Morales viajará a China para lanzamiento del satélite Túpac Katari". 27 November 2013. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150530031056/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/economia/20131127/morales-viajara-a-china-para-lanzamiento-del-satelite-tupac-katari_236602_513440.html. Retrieved 22 December 2013. (in Spanish)
- ↑ "Bolivia hails Túpac Katari satellite launch". 27 December 2013. http://www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/2013122731514/bolivia-hails-tupac-katari-satellite-launch.html. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ↑ "Bolivian satellite in orbit after successful launch from China". 20 December 2013. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1312/20longmarch/#.UraNZdIW1uM. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
- ↑ "Agencia Boliviana Espacial". 2015-05-23. http://www.abe.bo/fichatecnica.html.
- ↑ "Agencia Boliviana Espacial". 2015-05-23. http://www.abe.bo/fichatecnica.html.
- ↑ "Evo Morales viajará a China para el lanzamiento del satélite Tupac Katari". 27 November 2013. http://www.paginasiete.bo/sociedad/2013/11/27/morales-viajara-china-para-lanzamiento-satelite-tupac-katari-7132.html. Retrieved 22 December 2013. (in Spanish)
- ↑ "Satélite Túpac Katari: ¿Cuánto ha producido desde su lanzamiento?" (in es). August 2017. http://www.bolivia.com/actualidad/economia/sdi/159926/satelite-tupac-katari-cuanto-ha-producido-desde-su-lanzamiento. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
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