astronomy

MEASAT-3

MEASAT-3 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MEASAT-3 rather than just read about it. In short: MEASAT-3 was a Malaysian communications satellite which was successfully launched on 11 December 2006 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. In March 2003, MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn.

Key takeaways

MEASAT-3 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MEASAT-3 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MEASAT-3 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MEASAT-3 was a Malaysian communications satellite which was successfully launched on 11 December 2006 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. In March 2003, MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. of Malaysia ordered a Boeing 601HP satellite, giving it the designation MEASAT-3 at that time. MEASAT-3 joined the existing Boeing-built MEASAT-1 and MEASAT-2 spacecraft in the Malaysia-East Asia Satellite (MEASAT) system. International Launch Services (ILS) was contracted as the launch provider. Boeing was specified to also provide an upgrade to the MEASAT ground facilities in Malaysia, as well as training and launch support services. MEASAT-3 was by International Launch Services using a Proton-M rocket with a Briz-M upper stage. The upper stage made five burns to place MEASAT-3 into a geostationary transfer orbit. After circularisation and testing, the satellite entered commercial service on January 25, 2007, in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 91.5 degrees East where it is co-located with MEASAT-1. The C band and Ku band now covers geographically remote areas such as Sabah, Sarawak, and North India and expands the MEASAT fleet's coverage to more than 100 countries embracing Australia, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa. On 21 June 2021, an anomaly caused the satellite to drift out of its position, causing service disruptions for Astro customers throughout Malaysia. Although MEASAT is still commanding the satellite it is unable to stop MEASAT-3 from continuing to drift, now located at 84.69°E. Because of this, all transponders have been shut down and services migrated to other MEASAT and third party satellites. Its replacement, the MEASAT-3d, is expected to be launched in 2022.

Transponders

References

External links

International Media Switzerland Official provider's site

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MEASAT-3

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MEASAT-3 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MEASAT-3 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MEASAT-3 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MEASAT-3

In research: MEASAT-3 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MEASAT-3 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MEASAT-3 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Communications satellite stubs, Communications satellites in geostationary orbit, Satellites using the BSS-601 bus, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MEASAT-3 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MEASAT-3 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MEASAT-3 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MEASAT-3 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MEASAT-3 in simple terms?

MEASAT-3 was a Malaysian communications satellite which was successfully launched on 11 December 2006 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. In March 2003, MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn.

Why does MEASAT-3 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MEASAT-3?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MEASAT-3.