Company Overview & Satellite Market

• 4,708 satellites currently orbiting Earth from various providers
• Hundreds of satellites passing overhead at any given time
• Functions: GPS, Earth imaging, communications, government surveillance
• Tennis ball-sized Hubble chunk worth $1,500
• Modern commercial satellites cost hundreds of millions of dollars
• SSL (Palo Alto, California) - commercial satellite manufacturer owned by Maxar Technologies
• Clients: DirectTV, national governments, satellite TV/radio/internet providers

Customer Acquisition & Pricing

• Initial contact: phone call to SSL
• Cost range: tens of millions to several hundred million dollars depending on type and destination
• Process: back-and-forth negotiations between SSL and customer
• Customer specifies satellite requirements, SSL provides pricing
• Contract signing follows successful negotiations

Case Study: Telstar 19 Vantage Project

• Customer: Telesat (global satellite company headquartered in Canada)
• Purpose: additional capacity over busy North Atlantic region
• Sister satellite: Telstar 18 Vantage (launched August 2018)
• Service area: Asia and Oceania data services
• Record: heaviest commercial communication satellite at 15,600 pounds
• Service life: 15 years

Design Process

• Designers pull generic aspects from previous projects
• Modify designs for specific job requirements
• Process duration varies based on satellite complexity
• Parts ordering begins once design is locked

Component Manufacturing Strategy

• SSL builds ~50% of components in-house
• Orders remaining 50% from external suppliers
• Decision factors: performance requirements and SSL capabilities vs. supplier capabilities
• Example: SSL builds custom antenna reflectors
  • Direct signals to Earth
  • Custom-designed for specific coverage regions
  • Photogrammetry dots for quality control verification
  • Cameras photograph dots to ensure design accuracy

Assembly Timeline & Process

• 9-15 months: component delivery period
• Major elements assembled separately by different groups:
  • Propulsion systems and framework
  • Payload (cameras or communication systems)
  • Solar panels (superlight and efficient)
• Several months: major component assembly
• Additional months: integration of major components together

Testing Procedures

• Each component tested independently before and during installation
• Rigorous whole-satellite testing phase
• Three major threat factors: vibration, temperature, sound

Vibration Testing

• Simulates launch vibration loads in X, Y, Z directions
• Shaker table testing
• Tests last 60-90 seconds (duration of launch vibration until upper atmosphere)
• Telstar 19 Vantage shown undergoing vibration testing

Thermal Vacuum Testing

• "Blue pumpkin" thermal vacuum chamber
• Simulates space vacuum (10^-5 torr)
• Tests payload and satellite components under vacuum
• Thermal panels simulate hot/cold environments:
  • Hot: satellite facing sun
  • Cold: satellite in Earth's eclipse shadow
• Ensures proper functioning in space conditions

Acoustic Testing

• Launch acoustic energy can damage satellites
• Speakers bombard satellite with acoustic energy
• Simulates loud launch environment

Transportation to Launch Site

• Customer selects launch provider: SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Arianespace, others
• Destinations range from Vandenberg Air Force Base (4-hour drive) to Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
• Specialized shipping containers for transport

Domestic Transportation

• Truck transport with:
  • Trusted oversized vehicle drivers
  • Lead vehicle checking obstructions
  • Trailing vehicle monitoring
  • Motor home for driver rotation on long drives

International Transportation

• Antonov cargo plane for overseas sites
• Destinations: French Guiana, Kazakhstan, Cape Canaveral

Launch Site Selection Logic

Polar Orbits (North-South)

• Require launch sites with open water north/south
• Safety and rocket stage recovery considerations
• SpaceX uses Vandenberg AFB (Pacific Ocean south)

Geosynchronous Orbits (West-East)

• Launch in same direction as satellite orbit
• Vandenberg unusable (land to east)
• SpaceX uses Cape Canaveral (Atlantic Ocean east)
• Telstar 19 Vantage: geosynchronous orbit for consistent service area coverage

Pre-Launch Preparation

• Satellite arrives minimum 1 month before launch
• Additional testing to verify no transport damage
• Fueling and rocket mounting
• SSL monitoring during countdown with launch confirmation points

Launch Details: Telstar 19 Vantage

• Date: July 22, 2018, 1:50 AM
• Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral
• Flight path: southeast over Africa
• Deployment: 32 minutes 40 seconds post-launch, 358 miles above Mozambique
• Record: heaviest commercial communication satellite ever entered into service

Post-Launch Operations

• SSL establishes satellite communications immediately after deployment
• Command satellite into safe position
• Deploy solar arrays for power generation
• Activate all satellite systems
• 10-day orbit raising process: 350 miles to 22,000 miles altitude
• 2-4 weeks additional testing
• Final handover to customer (Telesat) for commercial operations

Educational Component

• Brilliant.org sponsorship promoting classical mechanics and orbital physics courses
• 20% discount for first 200 users at brilliant.org/wendover