27825 - THURAYA-2

Thuraya 2 is a UAE (United Arab Emitrate) geostationary communications spacecraft that was launched by a Zenit 3SL rocket fired from Odyssey (the floating launch platform in the equatorial Pacif ocean) at 13:56 UT on 10 June 2003. The 5.2 tonne (with fuel), 11 kW satellite carries many transponders to relay mobile telephone calls from/to countries in and around the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, after parking over 44 degrees E longitude. Its 200 spot beams can be steered to meet the varying call densities, and enable it to handle 13,750 calls simultaneously.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2003-06-10
Launch Vehicle: Zenit 3SL
Launch Site: Odyssey (Sea Launch Platform)