Broadcasting Satellite
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Broadcasting Satellite or BS is a common name of Japanese communication satellites.
First ever satellite of this series, called BSE or Yuri was launched in 1978, last satellite of BS series or BS-3b was launched in 1991.
The 350-kg BSE was followed in 1984 and 1986 by the operational and essentially identical BS-2a and BS-2b, respectively. Each spacecraft carried two active and one spare 100 W. 14/12 GHz transponders. Built by Toshiba with assistance from General Electric, the BS-2 series were designed for five years of operations. BS-2a was moved to a graveyard orbit in 1989, followed by BS-2b in 1992.
BS satellites were used for Direct-To-Home satellite service in Japan. Japanese satellite television, which uses an analog format, started with test broadcasts carried out by the semigovernmental NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) in 1984. It was considered that direct satellite TV reception (DTH) was obtained by a small parabolic antenna from 40 cm to 60 cm in all areas of Japan from the geostationary earth orbit (GEO) of 110 degrees of east longitude. All BS satellites have been of the same basic configuration: 3-axis stabilization of a rectangular spacecraft bus with two elongated solar arrays. After first successful test of satellite broadcasting of TV signal many Japanese producers of consumer electronics began to deliver on local market various consumer home electronic goods equipped by built-in satellite receivers.
Finally, satellites of BS series were replaced by more advanced B-Sat series.
