Túpac Katari 1 or TKSat-1 is a telecommunications satellite that the government of Bolivia outsourced to People's Republic of China (PRC) to serve telecommunications in Bolivia, such as mobile, television and Internet use.[1]

It was launched into orbit on 20 December 2013 from the Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, China,[2] with a trial period of a little over three months, and commercial operation starting in March 2014.[3]

It was built on behalf of the Bolivian Space Agency. The China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), was responsible for the construction (using French, German and USA technology), launch and orbit of the satellite.[4][5]

The satellite is named after 18th century Bolivian independence activist Túpac Katari.[6]

Technical issues

The satellite is geostationary and parked at 87.2° W, at a distance of 36,000 kilometers from equator;[7] two-way voice communications are subject to latency.

The estimated useful life is 15 years;[8] having been launched in 2013, it should be deactivated in 2028, or −4 years and 357 days from now.

Cost and revenue

The satellite had a cost of around $300 million, of which $251 million was a loan from the China Development Bank (CDB) to the government of Bolivia, and the rest was paid by the government of Bolivia.[9]

From launch to August 2017, the satellite generated revenue of $60 million. The Bolivian Space Agency said the satellite was not a business, but instead its purpose was to increase access to communications. Running expenses were not disclosed.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Satélite Túpac Katari captará por año $us 40 millones para el país". FmBolivia. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013. (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ ""Túpac Katari" el satélite boliviano". Semana. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013. (in Spanish)
  3. ↑ "Satélite Túpac Katari está protegido con un seguro de $us 200 millones". La Razón. 13 November 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013. (in Spanish)
  4. ↑ "Morales viajará a China para lanzamiento del satélite Túpac Katari". Los Tiempos. 27 November 2013. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2013. (in Spanish)
  5. ↑ "Bolivia hails Túpac Katari satellite launch". Rapid TV News. 27 December 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "Bolivian satellite in orbit after successful launch from China". Spaceflight Now. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Agencia Boliviana Espacial". 2015-05-23. Archived from the original on 2015-05-23. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  8. ↑ "Agencia Boliviana Espacial". 2015-05-23. Archived from the original on 2015-05-23. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  9. ↑ "Evo Morales viajará a China para el lanzamiento del satélite Tupac Katari". Página Siete. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013. (in Spanish)
  10. ↑ "Satélite Túpac Katari: ¿Cuánto ha producido desde su lanzamiento?". Bolivia.com (in Spanish). August 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.


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