Beidou 1A Satellite Moved
November 29, 2010News courtesy of CANSPACE listserv.
The orbital location of the Beidou 1A satellite has been changed.
On or about October 27, as indicated by NORAD tracking data, the satellite underwent a significant delta-V, raising its orbit by about 200 kilometers. Its orbit had been slightly drifting for a few weeks before the maneuver, and there was speculation that the satellite had been placed in a disposal or graveyard orbit. However, on November 24, a second delta-V was observed that returned the satellite to the geostationary belt.
The two maneuvers placed the satellite at a new location at about 60 degrees east longitude — the furthest west of any of the Beidou satellites. The satellite may eventually end up at 58.75 degrees east, one of the Beidou orbital slots registered with the International Telecommunication Union.
The geostationary satellite, the first for the demonstration regional Beidou system or Beidou-1, was launched on October 30, 2000, and positioned at 140 degrees east longitude. Following several years of use, there were unofficial reports that the satellite was no longer functional. However, station-keeping was maintained, implying some usefulness of the satellite.
It remains unclear how functional the satellite is and whether it is still useful for the Beidou-1 demonstration system.
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