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Message started by Steve on Jan 23rd, 2003, 12:36pm

Title: Thor 1 de-orbited
Post by Steve on Jan 23rd, 2003, 12:36pm

TELENOR’S FIRST SATELLITE, THOR 1, AT THE END OF THE ROAD

Oslo/Chilworth: Last week Telenor’s first TV and communication satellite, Thor 1, was removed from its fixed position of 1 degrees west and retired far out in space. After 12 years of continuous operation, the first chapter of Telenor’s role as a major TV distributor was concluded with success.

The ”de-orbit”, as it’s known in technical jargon, took place from BskyB’s control centre in Chilworth, England, under the supervision of Bjørn Ottar Elseth, Manager of Satellite Operations in Telenor Satellite Broadcast. With the final remains of rocket fuel, Thor 1 was sent 300 km from its fixed path, 36,000 km above the equator. Thor 1 was taken out of active service in autumn 2001, but has functioned as a reserve for its successors Thor II and Thor III.

In service since 1990
Thor 1, which is a spinner-stabilised satellite, has the type designation Boeing 376 and was launched using a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral on 17 August 1990. It was constructed for the British company BskyB but was purchased by Telenor in July 1992 and moved from 31 degrees west to 1 degrees west, where it has since been in operation 24 hours a day. The Thor 1 satellite was equipped with five transponders, which enabled it to distribute five analogue TV channels. Its estimated lifetime was 10 years, and now that it is being retired after 12 and a half years, it has exceeded expectations.  


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