Thaicom

Thaicom is the name of a series of communications satellites operated from Thailand, and also the name of Thaicom Public Company Limited, which is the company that owns and operates the Thaicom satellite fleet and other telecommunication businesses in Thailand and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The satellite projects were named Thaicom by the King of Thailand, His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as a symbol of the linkage between Thailand and modern communications technology.

History

Bangkok, Thailand-based Shinawatra Computer and Communications Co. Ltd. (now INTOUCH HOLDINGS PLC) signed a US$100 million contract with Hughes Space and Communications Company Ltd. in 1991 to build Thailand's first communications satellite. This first Thaicom satellite, Thaicom-1, was launched on 18 December 1993, and carried 12 C-band transponders covering a region from Japan to Singapore. Thaksin Shinawatra sold Shin Corporation, which owns 41% of Thaicom Public Company Limited.

The Company became a listed company on the Stock Exchange of Thailand on 18 January 1994, and is officially traded under the symbol THCOM.

Thaicom (company)

THAICOM Public Company Limited, was formerly known as Shin Satellite Plc (SATTEL), is Thailand's first satellite operator. It is a subsidiary of Shin Corporation, the biggest telecommunications conglomerate in Thailand. The company obtained a license from Thailand's Ministry of Transport and Communications in 1991 to launch a satellite and operate it, based on a BTO (Build-Transfer-Operate) agreement.

Company milestones

AsiaSat 6

AsiaSat 6 is a Hong Kong geostationary communications satellite which is operated by the Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company was launched into orbit on 7 September 2014.

As of July 2014, 14 of the satellite's 28 transponders are being leased to Thaicom, who will market them as Thaicom 7.

AsiaSat 6 was built by Space Systems/Loral, and is based on the LS-1300LL satellite bus. The satellite carries 28 C band transponders and will be positioned at a longitude of 120 degrees East, providing coverage of southern Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Launch vehicle

SpaceX was contracted to launch AsiaSat 6 using a Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle. The launch took place from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 7 September 2014.

The Falcon 9 upper stage used to launch AsiaSat 6 was derelict in a decaying elliptical low-Earth orbit from September to December 2014. Initially, on 9 September 2014, it orbited with a perigee of 165 km (103 mi) and an apogee of 35,723 km (22,197 mi). One month on, the orbit had decayed to an altitude of 153 km (95 mi)at its closest approach to Earth, and by November had decayed to a 125 km (78 mi) perigee. The derelict rocket body reentered the atmosphere on 28 December 2014.