astronomy

MEASAT-3a

MEASAT-3a 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-3a rather than just read about it. In short: MEASAT-3a is a communications satellite which MEASAT Satellite Systems intends to operate in geosynchronous orbit at 91.5 degrees but has now be moved to 160 Degrees to serve abc and SBS channels. It was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, based on the STAR-2 spacecraft platform.

Key takeaways

MEASAT-3a 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-3a to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MEASAT-3a from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MEASAT-3a is a communications satellite which MEASAT Satellite Systems intends to operate in geosynchronous orbit at 91.5 degrees but has now be moved to 160 Degrees to serve abc and SBS channels. It was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, based on the STAR-2 spacecraft platform.

History Orbital completed the satellite and all of its contractual requirements, and shipped the satellite to its Baikonur, Kazakhstan launch site in July 2008. The satellite was mated to the Block DM upper stage of the Zenit-3SLB rocket when it was struck by the operator cab of the overhead crane. The hazardous propellants were successfully offloaded and the spacecraft was decontaminated and returned to the United States for repair work and additional testing, with a projected launch date of Spring/Summer 2009.

Launch MEASAT-3a was successfully launched aboard a Land Launch Zenit-3SLB carrier rocket flying from Site 45/1 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The launch occurred at 21:50 GMT on 21 June 2009, with the spacecraft separating from the Block DM-SLB upper stage of the rocket around six hours later.

References

External links

IMS Archived 2014-02-25 at the Wayback Machine Official provider's site

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MEASAT-3a

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MEASAT-3a 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-3a 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-3a 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-3a

In research: MEASAT-3a 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-3a 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-3a 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 GEOStar bus, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MEASAT-3a 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-3a in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MEASAT-3a 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-3a out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MEASAT-3a in simple terms?

Why does MEASAT-3a 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-3a?

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-3a.