AsiaSat 8
      
AsiaSat 8 is a Hong Kong geostationary communications satellite which is operated by the Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company.
Satellite
AsiaSat 8 was built by Space Systems/Loral, and is based on the LS-1300LL satellite bus.[2][3] The satellite carries 24 Ku band transponders and a Ka band payload, and was planned to be initially positioned above the equator,[4] at a longitude of 105.5 degrees East,[5] providing coverage of southern and south-eastern Asia, China and the Middle East.[6]
Launch vehicle
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The launch of the Falcon 9 carrying AsiaSat 8.
 
SpaceX was contracted to launch AsiaSat 8, using a Falcon 9 v1.1 carrier rocket. The launch took place from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 5 August 2014 at 08:00  UTC.[7][8]
The Falcon 9 upper stage used to launch AsiaSat 8 is derelict in a decaying elliptical low-Earth orbit that, as of  13 August 2014, had an initial perigee of 195 km (121 mi) and an initial apogee of 35,673 km (22,166 mi).[9]
One month on, the orbit had decayed to an altitude of 185 km (115 mi) at its closest approach to Earth,[10]
and by November had decayed to a 169 km (105 mi) perigee.[11]
References
External links
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