ArianespaceAriane 44PAriane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Nilesat 101 & BSat 1b
Launched
April 28, 1998
Image: Arianespace
Summary
Nilesat 101 & BSat 1b launched on an Arianespace Ariane 44P from Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on April 28, 1998. It was Arianespace's 106th launch, 4th this year and humanity's 4,232nd orbital launch attempt. It was the 11th Ariane 44P flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO). Nilesat 101, one of 4 catalogued objects, reached a 212 × 35,741 km orbit inclined 7.1°. 4 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Ariane 44P · Arianespace
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO)
- Milestone
- 11th Ariane 44P flight · 1st this yearArianespace's 106th launch4th this yearhumanity's 4,232nd orbital launch attempt25th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Nilesat 101 · NORAD 25311 · 1998-024 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 4 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- NILESAT
- Object ID
- 1998-024A
- Epoch
- 1998-04-28 18:08:25 UTC
- Mean motion
- 2.28515216 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.7296272
- Inclination
- 7.0871°
- Ascending node
- 16.4642°
- Arg. of perigee
- 178.1741°
- Mean anomaly
- 187.7079°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 1
- B*
- 0
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; 2 still in orbit
- Nilesat 101 · NORAD 25311 · in orbit
- BSAT 1b · NORAD 25312 · in orbit
Ariane H10-3 V108 · re-entered February 1, 2001
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
With the launch of Nilesat 101 on 28 April 1998, delivering more than 100 digital TV channels as well as radio and multimedia services to more than five million homes over the whole of North Africa from Morocco to the Persian Gulf, Egypt became the first African country to have its own direct TV broadcast satellite. A second satellite, Nilesat 102, was launched in 2000, and the Nilesat system now broadcasts more than 150 digital TV channels and provides additional services such as data transmission, turbo internet and multicasting applications. BSAT-1a and -1b replaced the two BS-3 spacecraft used for DBS services, including Hi-Vision test broadcasts, by NHK, WOWOW, and others. Hughes selected the Ariane rocket as the launch vehicle for the BSAT-1 spacecraft. BSAT-1a was launched 16 April 1997 from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. BSAT-1b was also launched from Kourou on 28 April 1998. The two satellites are located at 110 degrees East longitude.
Pad
Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
81st launch from Ariane Launch Area 2, 4th this year · 117th from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
119 launches from this pad · 336 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
35 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Guiana Space Centre, French GuianaOpen in maps
Questions
When did Nilesat 101 & BSat 1b launch?
Nilesat 101 & BSat 1b launched on April 28, 1998. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Nilesat 101 & BSat 1b?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Nilesat 101 & BSat 1b?
Ariane 44P, flown by Arianespace. Ariane 44P spec sheet
Where did Nilesat 101 & BSat 1b launch from?
Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.
What orbit did Nilesat 101 & BSat 1b reach?
Nilesat 101, one of 4 catalogued objects, reached a 212 × 35,741 km orbit inclined 7.1°.
How many satellites did Nilesat 101 & BSat 1b launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).