SS/L satellites run past mile stone

NEW YORK -– Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) satellites have set a milestone by achieving more than 800 years of collective on-orbit service.

Beginning with the 1960 launch of Courier, an active repeater satellite, satellites from Space Systems/Loral have served in applications such as international communications, global environmental studies, Internet services and air traffic control.

Altogether, 152 SS/L satellites have been placed into on-orbit service over the past 41 years.

Nearly half of the 800-year total has been amassed by SS/L’s 1300 series three-axis, body-stabilized satellite buses, which operate in geosynchronous orbit.

In addition, the 52 low-earth-orbit satellites built for Globalstar accounted for 89 years of service. More than 60 of the 152 satellites that SS/L has successfully launched have already exceeded their designed mission lives.

In fact, 13 of the 21 satellites SS/L built for Intelsat have surpassed their mission lives by at least four years, and some continued in service for as many as 10 additional years.