BB SATELLITE

INTRODUCTION
1. The Bangabandhu-1 (BD-1) is the
first Bangladeshi geostationary communications satellite. It was launched on May
11, 2018.[1] The project is being implemented by Bangladesh Telecommunication
Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and was the first payload launched by a Falcon
9 Block 5 rocket.[3] Bangabandhu satellite-1 ground station is in Jaidipur,Gazipur,
Dhaka, Bangladesh.

How will Bangladesh be benefited by the Bangabandhu satellite?

This satellite will bring enormous development & uninterrupted
telecommunication System in Bangladesh especially in television, telephone &
Internet service which Bangladesh usually purchase from overseas.
At present Bangladesh is spending annually more than $14 million on satellite rent to
ensure connectivity of television, radio, telephone and Internet. So this satellite will
make Bangladesh self-contained & Bangladesh will also earn some foreign currency
by broadcasting service.
India & Pakistan have their own satellites, Sri-Lanka is in queue. So Bangladesh rent
service to Nepal, Myanmar or Bhutan & may earn more than $50 millionper year.
Finally communication system of Bangladesh will get new progression of
development. This satellite will give Bangladesh a long term service to a
large scalability, global availability, reliability, versatility & super performance.
Some sectors like telemedicine, e-learning, e-researchs, video
conference, defence & disaster management system will be improved for this
satellite in Bangladesh.

BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTRY’S FIRST SATELLITE:

Bangladesh has planned to launch a Communication & Broadcasting Satellite

consisting 24 Ku and 16 C-band transponders. The priority satellite applications are
Direct to Home (DTH), VSAT, Backhaul and Trunking, Network Restoration, Disaster
Preparedness and relief etc. The Primary Service Area (PSA) would be Bangladesh and
neighboring countries and the Secondary Service Area (SSA) would be South East
Asia, Europe, MENA, and East Africa depending on orbital slot.
The system concept of the proposed satellite comprises with satellite payload
requirements, orbital slot/frequencies, coverage area(s), ground segment, user terminal
design characteristics, satellite operations and environmental factors. There will be two
ground stations for satellite operation and control, one as the primary site and other as
the backup site. The RF survey for probable sites has already been completed.
However, these requirements shall be finalized during the preparation and finalization of
tender document for launching the satellite.
HOW WILL THE SATELLITE BENEFIT BANGLADESH?
 
The Bangabandhu Satellite-1 (BS-1) will be the first Bangladeshi communication
orbiter and is expected to meet the need of a satellite connectivity facility.
Bangladesh’s annual expenditure for satellite connectivity is $14m. The cost is
due to renting bandwidth from foreign operators. After the BS-1 launch, it would
be unnecessary. Private TV channel operators and Direct-to-Home (DTH) as
alternative of cable television service providers will be the main consumers of the
satellite, according to officials. The weather department as well as the defence
sector will also benefit from the satellite. The BS-1 will help to bring uninterrupted
telecommunication during disasters like cyclone or tornado. It will also play a role
in telemedicine, e-learning, research and DTH services. It will be able to count
holdings as well as measure population density.

Also Read- Bangabandhu Satellite-1 set to be launched on May 10

The Bangabandhu satellite is going to be located at the 119.1 east geostationary

slot which will cover all the SAARC countries as well Indonesia, Philippine,
Myanmar, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkestan and a part of
Kazakhstan. Bangladeshi satellite television channels that have a large
viewership in the Middle East countries are expected to become the main
commercial user of the first Bangladeshi satellite. However, BTRC chairman
Shahjahan Mahmood said: “These problems are very simple to solve. We have
the opportunity to access other facilities through collaborating with other
satellites.”

Faster broadcasting system

Direct-to-Home services always provide faster access to worldwide
television entertainment. Currently, there are only two companies that have
licence from the government. These are Beximco and Buyer Media Limited.
Before, the operators conducted a monopoly business. Now there will be a big
change and easier, faster access to global TV entertainment will be ensured. The
satellite will make video distribution easier too. The broadcasters can effortlessly
distribute their content to intermediaries like cable TV network operators or re-
broadcasters like DTH operators. The satellite will have VSAT private networks
consisting of voice, data, video and internet services to the banks, corporate
offices etc. The service will be delivered using Ku-Band in the Bangladesh and
the India Plus coverage regions and using C-Band beams, according the BTRC.
OTHER SERVICES
In the event of unexpected disasters hitting the country, telecommunication
system in Bangladesh might be unavailable. During such emergency situations,
satellite network can play an important role in ensuring uninterrupted
telecommunication services in the country. The remote areas of the country like
the coastal area will have much better internet connectivity, thanks to the BS-1.
BTRC chairman Shahjahan Mahmood told the Dhaka Tribune: “The Bangabandhu
Satellite will help to make Bangladesh an advanced country. It would also speed
up many aspects of our daily life.”

Today almost all the modern and enlightened nations have their own satellite in
the orbit. A sovereign country, in a pursuit of sustainable development, needs its own
satellite in order to reduce its dependency on other nations. BTRC started working with
the vision to open new dimension of possibility in the telecommunication sector of
Bangladesh by launching its first ever satellite. Preliminary implementation activities are
in progress with the consultation of USA based consultancy firm Space Partnership
International (SPI) and specialist advice of International Telecommunication Union
(ITU). A country like Bangladesh is highly exposed to natural disaster risk because of its
unique geographical location. Telecommunication system is Bangladesh has always
been suffering from interruptions and problems as erratic disasters hit the country.
During such emergency situation, Satellite network can play an important role in
ensuring uninterrupted telecommunication services in Bangladesh.

Benefits of Bangabandhu-1 satellite

There are many different satellite orbits that can be used. The ones that receive the
most attention are the geostationary orbit used as they are stationary above a particular
point on the Earth. 

An orbit is a regular, repeating path that one object in space takes around another one.
An object in an orbit is called a satellite. A satellite can be natural, like Earth or the
moon. Many planets have moons that orbit them. A satellite can also be man-made, like
the International Space Station.

Number of satellites in the sky: About 1738 satellites according to the August 2017
update, both government and private. There are 4635 satellites (UNOOSA) currently
orbiting the planet; an increase of 8.91percent compared to 2016. Russia launched the
first satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957. The oldest one still in orbit, which is no longer
functioning, was launched in 1958.

Size of Satellite: Size varies. Communication satellites can be as big as a small school
bus and weigh up to 6 tons, the Federal Communications Commission says. Most
weigh a few tons or less. Some that are used briefly are 4 inch cubes and weigh about 2
pounds.
Position of Satellites: Satellites that stay above a location on Earth are in
geosynchronous Earth orbit, or GEO. These satellites orbit about 23,000 miles (37,015
km) above the equator and complete one revolution around Earth precisely every 24
hours. Satellites headed for GEO first go to an elliptical orbit with an apogee about
37,015 km. Firing the rocket engines at apogee then makes the orbit round. 

Geosynchronous orbits are also called geostationary. A satellite that orbits parallel to
the equator has a zero-degree orbital inclination. A satellite in a polar orbit has a 90-
degree inclination.Geostationary satellites are generally sized to stay on orbit 15 years. 

Functions of Satellites: According the UCS the main purposes for the operational
satellites are:Communications: 742 satellites, Earth observation: 596 satellites,
Technology development: 193 satellites, Navigation/Positioning: 108 satellites, Space
science: 66 satellites, Earth science: 24 satellites, Space observation: 9 satellites.
Although, it should be noted that some of the satellites have multiple purposes.

Countries have launched/operate satellites: According to UNOOSA 70 countries have

launched satellites, although this is slightly complicated by the fact that a number of
satellites have also been launched by various institutions such as the European Space
Agency.

In terms of countries with the most satellites, the USA significantly leads the way with
803 satellites, almost four times as many as China who is next with 204 and followed by
Russia with 142.Thailand has four satellites and shares in another, the scientist group
says.

Fuel System: Most satellites orbiting the Earth using hypergolic fuel/oxidizer
combinations (meaning, they combust when they contact each other. For the large
geostationary birds I operate, this means Mono methyl hydrazine (MMH) for the fuel and
Nitrogen Textroxide (N2O4) for the oxidizer.

Inactive satellite:The oldest active satellite is the Amsat-Oscar 7 communications

satellite which was launched 43 years ago today! (15th November 1974). Old satellites
can pose a risk for collisions with active ones, so there are rules and recommendations
to avoid a buildup of junk in space. 

Satellites that fly below a certain height are supposed to be put in an orbit that will make
them fall to Earth and burn up within 25 years. At high altitudes, they are to be boosted
up to still higher orbits to get them out of the way.

Circular and elliptical orbit definitions: A satellites orbit the Earth in one of two basic
types of orbit. Circular satellite orbit:   For a circular orbit, the distance from the Earth
remains the same at all times. Elliptical satellite orbit:   The elliptical orbit changes the
distance to the Earth:
Angle of inclination:   Not all satellite orbits follow the equator - in fact most Low Earth
Orbits do not. It is therefore necessary to define the angle of inclination of the satellite
orbit. The diagram below defines this:

Bangabandhu-1 satellite: Bangabandhu Communication satellite is the first satellite of

Bangladesh which was launched using vehicle SpaceX and Falcon-9 from the Cape
Canaveral launch pad on 12 May 2018 and it will start its commercial operation from
July 2018. Bangabandhu-1 would take ten days to reach its orbital slot at 119.1 degrees
East.

This satellite will bring enormous development and uninterrupted telecommunication

System in Bangladesh especially in television, telephone and Internet service which
Bangladesh usually purchase from overseas.

At present Bangladesh is spending annually more than $14 million on satellite rent to
ensure connectivity of television, radio, telephone and Internet. So this satellite will
make Bangladesh self-contained and Bangladesh will also earn some foreign currency
by broadcasting service.

India and Pakistan have their own satellites; Sri-Lanka is in queue. So Bangladesh rent
service to Nepal, Myanmar or Bhutan and may earn more than $50 million per year.

Finally, communication system of Bangladesh will get new progression of development.

This satellite will give Bangladesh a long term service to a large scalability, global
availability, reliability, versatility and super performance. Some sectors like
telemedicine, e-learning, e-researches, video conference, defense and disaster
management system will be improved for this satellite in Bangladesh.