Lockheed Martin A2100 Explained

The A2100 is a model of communications satellite spacecraft made by Lockheed Martin Space Systems. It is used as the foundation for telecommunications payloads in geosynchronous orbit, as well as GOES-R weather satellites and GPS Block III satellites. Over 40 satellites use the A2100 bus.^{[1] [2]}

History

The first satellite, AMC-1, was launched September 8, 1996, and has achieved 15-year on-orbit service life.^{[3] [4]} Since 1996 there have been over 45 of the A2100 based satellites launched, with over 400 years of total on-orbit service.^[5] Other A2100 spacecraft include JCSAT-13 and VINASAT-2, which were launched May, 2012 on an Ariane 5 rocket,^[6] as well as Arabsat-6A and Hellas Sat 4/SaudiGeoSat-1 of Saudi Arabia's Arabsat-6G program.^[7]

In 2002, Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems was given a Frost and Sullivan Satellite Reliability Award for excellence in the production of flexible and reliable communications satellites used in geosynchronous Earth orbit.^[8]

A2100 customers includes communications companies around the world, including Astra, Telesat, SKY Perfect JSAT Group and others.

Design

The Lockheed Martin A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft series is designed for a variety of telecommunications needs including K_a band broadband and broadcast services, fixed satellite services in C-band and K_u band payload configurations, high-power direct broadcast services using the K_u band frequency spectrum, and mobile satellite services using UHF, L-band and S-band payloads.^[9]

The A2100 satellite system was developed by the Astro Space team at its East Windsor, New Jersey facility, with team members delivering a flexible common bus with fewer components, lower spacecraft weight, and reduced customer delivery time.^[10]

The A2100 is being supplanted by the LM2100, an evolutionary upgrade with several new features. The military version is the LM2100 Combat Bus.^[11]

Propulsion system

The attitude control system includes reaction wheels,^[12] with momentum desaturation and main motor maneuver attitude control propulsion provided by small monopropellant hydrazine motors. This hydrazine supply is contained in a central propellant tank of 0.90 m diameter and up to 2.00 m length depending on the customer's requirements.^[13] This tank's maximum length was later increased to 2.55 m.^[14] The liquid apogee engine uses hydrazine fuel from the central tank along with nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer from two flanking tanks of 0.54 m diameter and up to 1.65 m long.^[15] Orbit maintenance is performed by the small hydrazine motors and ion thrusters.^[5] The maximum propellant supply (with the largest tanks at 95% fill factor) are 1368 kg of hydrazine fuel and 627 kg of nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer.

According to Moog-ISP, the A2100 platform uses its LEROS bipropellant Liquid Apogee Engine.

Satellite orders

A2100A

A2100AX

A2100AXS

A2100M (Military)

LM2100 (Modernized)

LM2100M (Modernized Military)

Cancelled orders

Notes and References

1. http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/100years/stories/a2100.html "Lockheed Martin: A2100"
2. Web site: 2017-08-11. Lockheed Martin's A2100 bus modernized and poised for new missions. 2021-06-14. SpaceFlight Insider. en-US.
3. Web site: First Lockheed Martin-Built A2100 Communications Satellite Marks 15 Years of On-Orbit Operations. 2021-06-14. Media - Lockheed Martin. en-us.
4. Web site: September 21, 2011. First Lockheed Martin-Built A2100 Communications Satellite Marks 15 Years of On-Orbit Operations. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140610052229/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-268147969.html. June 10, 2014. Defense & Aerospace Week . HighBeam. November 12, 2013.
5. http://www.satellitetoday.com/publications/press-releases/2013/09/03/lockheed-martin-built-a2100-satellites-over-400-cumulative-years-in-orbit-and-counting/ "Lockheed Martin-Built A2100 Satellites: Over 400 Cumulative Years In Orbit And Counting"
6. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/05/ariane-5-eca-jcsat-13-and-vinasat-2-into-orbit/ "Ariane 5 ECA launches JCSAT-13 and VINASAT-2 into orbit"
7. https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2018-02-20-Lockheed-Martin-Completes-Assembly-on-Arabsats-Newest-Communications-Satellite Lockheed Martin Completes Assembly on Arabsat's Newest Communications Satellite
8. http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/press-release.pag?Src=RSS&docid=3434349 "Frost & Sullivan Award
9. http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/a2100.html "Lockheed Martin: A2100"
10. http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/100years/stories/a2100.html "A2100 History"
11. Web site: Hitchens. Theresa. 2021-05-17. New SBIRS Sat Creates Bridge To Next-Gen Missile Warning. 2021-06-14. Breaking Defense. en-US.
12. http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/gps-iii-military-satellite/ "Global Positioning System III overview and contractors"
13. http://psi-pci.com/Data_Sheets_Library/DS395.pdf "ATK SSI P/N 80395-1 Datasheet"
14. http://psi-pci.com/Data_Sheets_Library/DS443.pdf "ATK SSI P/N 80443-1
15. http://psi-pci.com/Data_Sheets_Library/DS405.pdf "ATK SSI P/N 80405-1 Datasheet"