Galaxy 1

Galaxy 1 was the first in a line of Galaxy communications satellites launched by Hughes Communications in 1983.

Galaxy 1
Mission typeCommunication
OperatorHughes
COSPAR ID1983-065A
SATCAT no.14158
Mission duration9 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
BusHS-376
ManufacturerHughes Aircraft
Dry mass1218 kg
Start of mission
Launch date28 June 1983, 22:08:00 UTC
RocketDelta-3920 / PAM-D
Launch siteCape Canaveral
End of mission
DisposalGraveyard orbit
Deactivated1994
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeGeostationary orbit
Longitude169.0° West
Transponders
Band24 C-band
Coverage areaUnited States
 

It helped fill a hole in satellite broadcasting bandwidth created by the loss of RCA's Satcom 3 in 1979. Unlike satellite owners RCA and Western Union, Hughes did not lease time on their transponders in the fashion of a common carrier, but instead sold transponders outright to content providers. This created a stable lineup of content attractive enough for cable providers to dedicate Earth station receivers to it full-time.

Among the services on Galaxy 1 by mid-1984: HBO, Cinemax, The Movie Channel, Showtime, The Disney Channel, TBS, CNN, ESPN, and The Nashville Network.

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