Anik A

In the Inuit language, Anik means "little brother"

Anik A1

C-band 12 transponders

Anik A2

C-band 12 transponders

Launched April 1973 (Delta Rocket, Cape Canaveral)

A2 was retired Oct. 1982; exceeding its seven-year design life by 2.5 years.

Anik A3

C-band 12 transponders

Launched May 1975 (Delta Rocket, Cape Canaveral)

A3 was retired November 1984; exceeding its seven-year design life by 2.5 years.

Anik B

Anik B

C-band 12 transponders

Dual C-band and Ku-band satellite, launched in December, 1978 (Delta rocket, Cape Canaveral)

Ku-band 6 transponders

The world's first domestic communications dual-band satellite, operating in both C- and Ku-bands.  Also the world’s first commercial Direct Broadcast Satellite.

Anik B was retired December 1986; exceeding its seven-year design life by 1 year.

Anik C

Anik C3

Ku-band 16 transponders

Launched November 1982 on the first commercial flight of NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia

C3 was retired June 1997; exceeding nine-year life by 5.6 years

Anik C2*

Ku-band 16 transponders

Deployed in June 1983 from the Space Shuttle Challenger by astronaut Sally Ride - the first American woman in space.

C2 was retired in January 1998; exceeding its nine-year design life by 5.6 years

Anik C1*

Ku-band 16 transponders

Launched in April 1985 (Space Shuttle Discovery) and placed in a storage orbit until May 1989.

*January 1993, Telesat sold Anik C1 and C2 to Paracom Satelites of Argentina to form part of Argentina’s first Ku-band domestic satellite communications system.  Telesat operated both satellites from Ottawa.

*In 1997, Telesat repurchased Anik C1 and C2 (when Paracom Satelites’ Nahuel 1 satellite commenced operations). 

In 1998, Telesat sold Anik C1 to Telesat Serviços de Telecommunicação S.A., a newly formed company owned by Telesat subsidiary Telesat Ltda and Brazilian firm Partel.

In early 2000, Telesat bought out the interests of Partel, and in August 2000, sold Anik C1 to its final owner, Loral Space & Communications.

Telesat decommissioned Anik C1 in May, 2003, exceeding its nine-year design life by 9.1 years.

Anik D

Anik D1

C-band 24 transponders

Launched in August 1982 by Delta rocket

Retired in December 1991; exceeding nine-year design life by 4 months

Anik D2

C-band 24 transponders

Launched in November 1984 by the Space Shuttle Discovery

Sold to GE Americom in 1991

Sold to ARABSAT in 1993, operated by Telesat for ARABSAT

D2 was retired January 1995; exceeding nine-year design life by 2.2 years

Anik E

Anik E2

C-band 24 transponders

Ku-band 16 transponders

Covers U.S. and Canada

Covers U.S. and Canada.  Ku-band transponders 3 times more powerful than those of Anik Cs.

Launched April 1991 on an Ariane 4 launch vehicle from Arianespace launch site in Kourou, French Guiana

E2 retired November 2005; exceeding 12-year design life by 2.6 years

Anik E1

C-band 24 transponders

Ku-band 16 transponders

Covers U.S. and Canada

Covers U.S. and Canada.  Ku-band transponders 3 times more powerful than those of Anik Cs.

Launched September 1991 on an Ariane 4 launch vehicle from Arianespace launch site in Kourou, French Guiana

E1 retired January 2005; exceeding 12-year design life by 1.3 years.

Anik E satellites were de-orbited in 2005*, with both having exceeded their design lifetimes — a remarkable accomplishment considering their history.  In 1994, a solar storm hit both satellites simultaneously, resulting in momentum wheel failures aboard each spacecraft.  While E1 was restored to service within hours, The satellite was leased twice — first to a private company in Venezuela in support of a bid to bring the 67° W orbital slot into service, and immediately thereafter to the Government of Argentina to support a bid for the 81° W orbital slot.

Anik F

Anik F1

C-band 24; Ku-band 32

C-band 12; Ku-band 16

North America coverage

South America coverage                    

Launched November 2000 on an Ariane 44L rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana

15-year service life

In August 2001, the manufacturer of the Anik F1 satellite advised Telesat of a gradual decline in power on the satellite. This power decline required Telesat to construct and launch another satellite to maintain continuity of service to its customers. Anik F1R was successfully launched in September 2005 in time to ensure that service to Anik F1’s customers was not interrupted.  Anik F1 is now being used exclusively for service to South America.

Anik F2

Tri-band satellite with

C-band 24 transponders

Ku-band 32 transponders

Ka-band 38 transponders

North American Coverage

North American Coverage

North American Coverage; Spot beam technology two-way satellite broadband service, operating in the Ka-band - delivers high-speed Internet connectivity, anywhere in Canada.

WildBlue Communications launched their high-speed internet service in the U.S. using Telesat’s Anik F2.

Launched July 2004, the world’s largest commercial communications satellite and the first to fully commercialize the Ka frequency band 15 year service life

Anik F1R

C-band 24 transponders

Ku-band 32 transponders

North American coverage.  Also carries a navigation payload to enhance global positioning system used in aviation across Canada and the U.S. (FAA/NAV Canada)

Launched September 2005, on a Proton/Breeze M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and is co-located with the Anik F1 satellite 15 year service life

Anik F3

Under construction; scheduled for launch 2^nd half of 2006.

Nimiq

Inuit word, used to describe any object or force that unites things or binds them together.

Nimiq 1

DBS-band 32 transponders

Direct Broadcast Satellite.  Bell ExpressVu launched their Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite television service across Canada.

Launched May 1999 on Proton D-1-E rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Khazakstan

12-year service life

Nimiq 2

DBS-band 32 transponders

Ka-band 2 transponders (experimental)

Launched December 2002 on Proton M/Breeze M rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in high-powered Khazakstan 12-year service life

Nimiq 3

[in Telesat’s service] 2004

Nimiq 4i

[in Telesat’s service] 2005

The Nimiq 3 and 4i satellites—collocated with Nimiq 2 and Nimiq 1 respectively—were obtained from DirecTV.

Nimiq 4

Under construction; slated for service in 2^nd half of 2008

(*Using their own propulsion systems, no longer operational and expended satellites are moved out of the geostationary orbit,
where the majority of Telesat satellites are located, and into higher parking orbits).