Thaicom 1
| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | Thaicom |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Hughes Space and Communications |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 18 December 1993 |
| Rocket | Ariane 4 (44L) |
| Launch site | Guiana Space Centre, ELA-2 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
Thaicom 1, later renamed to Thaicom 1A, was Thailand's first geostationary communications satellite, launched on 18 December 1993 aboard an Ariane 4 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.[1][2][3][4]
The satellite formed part of Thailand's first domestic satellite communications programme under a concession granted to Shinawatra Satellite in the early 1990s.[5][6][4]
Background
[edit]Thaicom 1 was procured from Hughes Space and Communications and built on the HS-376 satellite platform, a spin-stabilised commercial communications satellite bus widely used in the 1980s and 1990s.[1][3]
Independent reporting and aerospace analysis describe the launch of Thaicom 1 as marking Thailand's entry into the commercial satellite communications sector and establishing the foundation for subsequent national satellite programmes.[3]
Launch
[edit]Thaicom 1 was launched on 18 December 1993 by Arianespace on an Ariane 44L mission from ELA-2 at Kourou.[1][7]
Mission
[edit]Aerospace documentation notes that the satellite operated in geostationary orbit and was part of Thailand's expanding national communications infrastructure during the 1990s.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Thaicom 1, 2". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ "First Thai broadcasting satellite launched". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Thailand Communication Satellite Systems". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ a b Richardson, Michael (17 December 1993). "A Thai High-Flier Launches Satellite, Stirs Controversy". International Herald Tribune. The New York Times. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "Thirty-third report by the International Telecommunication Union" (PDF). International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ "Actions at the national level" (PDF). United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ "Tables of Satellites Launched" (PDF). International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Retrieved 4 March 2026.