ArianespaceAriane 44LAriane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
DirecTV 1 & Thaicom 1
Launched
December 18, 1993
Image: ESA
Summary
DirecTV 1 & Thaicom 1 launched on an Arianespace Ariane 44L from Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on December 18, 1993. It was Arianespace's 61st launch, 7th this year and humanity's 3,867th orbital launch attempt. It was the 14th Ariane 44L flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO). DirecTV 1, one of 4 catalogued objects, reached a 224 × 36,144 km orbit inclined 4.0°. 4 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Ariane 44L · Arianespace
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO)
- Milestone
- 14th Ariane 44L flight · 2nd this yearArianespace's 61st launch7th this yearhumanity's 3,867th orbital launch attempt82nd orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
DirecTV 1 · NORAD 22930 · 1993-078 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 4 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- DIRECTV 1 (DBS 1)
- Object ID
- 1993-078A
- Epoch
- 1993-12-18 07:17:45 UTC
- Mean motion
- 2.25626076 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.7314189
- Inclination
- 3.9798°
- Ascending node
- 285.0203°
- Arg. of perigee
- 178.4847°
- Mean anomaly
- 188.6099°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 2
- B*
- 0.000099999
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: Direct-GEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
4 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage, 1 component; 1 still in orbit
- DirecTV 1 · NORAD 22930
- Thaicom 1 · NORAD 22931 · in orbit
Ariane H10+ V62 · re-entered January 27, 1994
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
DirecTV 1 is a high-powered satellites built by Hughes Space and Communications Company (HSC) which began bringing true direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service to homes throughout North America in 1994. Thaicom 1 is a Thai communications satellite.
Pad
Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
37th launch from Ariane Launch Area 2, 7th this year · 71st from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
119 launches from this pad · 336 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
28 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Guiana Space Centre, French GuianaOpen in maps
Questions
When did DirecTV 1 & Thaicom 1 launch?
DirecTV 1 & Thaicom 1 launched on December 18, 1993. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch DirecTV 1 & Thaicom 1?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched DirecTV 1 & Thaicom 1?
Ariane 44L, flown by Arianespace. Ariane 44L spec sheet
Where did DirecTV 1 & Thaicom 1 launch from?
Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.
What orbit did DirecTV 1 & Thaicom 1 reach?
DirecTV 1, one of 4 catalogued objects, reached a 224 × 36,144 km orbit inclined 4.0°.
How many satellites did DirecTV 1 & Thaicom 1 launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 1 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).