Intelsat 10-02 (THOR 10-02) at 1° West (Ext. Lifespan with MEV-2)
| Position: | 1° West |
| Manufacturer: | Airbus Defense & Space |
| Operators: | Intelsat |
| Telenor Satellite Services | |
| Launch operator: | ILS |
| Launch vehicle: | Proton M/Breeze |
| Launch date: | 06/16/2004 |
| Expected lifetime: | 13 Years |
Intelsat 10-02 (THOR 10-02) at 1° W was constructed by EADS Astrium (Airbus Defense & Space) and lifted on June 16th, 2004 on a Proton M launcher operated by launch operator ILS. The satellite, with a life time of 13 years, is operated by satellite operator Intelsat and satellite operator Telenor owns seven Ku-band transponders on the Spot 1 and Spot 2 payload for high-powered coverage throughout Europe and the Middle-East.
Intelsat planned to extend Intelsat 10-02 operating life with Northrop Grumman’s 2nd Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-2) that acts as a new engine and fuel tank, helping to keep Intelsat 10-02 stable for at least five more years. Intelsat 10-02 now is running low on fuel, so MEV-2 will ensure that the satellite can continue operating for a little while longer before it has to be moved to the graveyard. MEV-2 docked with the Intelsat 10-02 (THOR 10-02) satellite in April of 2021.
Northrop Grumman is the only provider of flight-proven life extension services for satellites and this is the second time the company has docked two commercial spacecraft in orbit. The company’s MEV-1 made history when it successfully docked to the Intelsat 901 (IS-901) satellite in February 2020. Unlike MEV-1, which docked above the GEO orbit before moving IS-901 back into service, MEV-2 docked with IS-10-02 directly in its operational GEO orbital location.
The MEV-2 was launched in a dual launch with Intelsat’s Galaxy-30 satellite on August 15th, 2020 on an Ariane 5ECA rocket booster, operated by launch operator Arianespace from the Kourou Space Port in French Guyana.
Intelsat 10-02 (THOR 10-02) at 1° West (Ext. Lifespan with MEV-2)
Intelsat 10-02 (THOR 10-02) at 1° West (Ext. Lifespan with MEV-2)
Intelsat-10-02 Satellite FootprintsTHOR-10-02 (IS 10-02) Satellite FootprintsArianespace Launchkit Intelsat Galaxy-30/MEV-2Intelsat 10-02 (THOR 10-02) at 1° West (Ext. Lifespan with MEV-2)
