24732 - INTELSAT 26 (IS-26)

The Japanese Communications Satellite 4 (JCSAT 4) was launched to relay voice, data and television signals to Japan, with multiple beams for international coverage west to India, south to Australia and New Zealand, and east to Hawaii. JCSAT-4 carried four octagonal communications antennas and two wings with four solar panels each. The payload consisted of 12 active C-band transponders and 28 active Ku-band transponders with an expected lifetime of at least 12 years. It was launched as a replacement for JCSAT 1 after a small fuel leak rendered it inoperable.

Alternate Names

JCSAT 4
Japanese Communications Satellite 4

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 1997-02-18
Launch Vehicle: Atlas 2AS
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States