If the new east satellite is down (XM-4)

[Coyote]

XM drifted the prior birds to the west location. XM 1, XM 2 as well as XM 3
are all located in the west location No way can XM drift XM 1 or XM 2 back
to the east location to replace XM-4 as they would have to drift clear
around the earth. Satellites
can only drift east to west due to earth rotation.

[Bob's Backfire Burrito]

Post by Coyote
XM drifted the prior birds to the west location. XM 1, XM 2 as well as XM 3
are all located in the west location No way can XM drift XM 1 or XM 2
back to the east location to replace XM-4 as they would have to drift
clear around the earth. Satellites
can only drift east to west due to earth rotation.

Where did you get that?
NOT true at all!
Remember when Dish moved E-10 from the test slot of 129 to 110?
Remember when they moved the sat from 157W to 77W?
They move them using housekeeping fuel and small jets at about 0.5 degrees a
day in free drift.
They CAn be moved..but at the cost of Hydrozine and shortened life.

XM1 and XM 2 are in orbit spares...they did not drift them anywhere. This is
a UPLINK caper..plain and simple.
When this all shakes out you will see. until then use this time to optimize
your antenna installations.

There are notes about XM1 and XM2 as to why they became spares and XM3-XM4
are primaries now. (has to do with long term power capacity)

[Bob's Backfire Burrito]

Post by Coyote
XM drifted the prior birds to the west location. XM 1, XM 2 as well as XM 3
are all located in the west location No way can XM drift XM 1 or XM 2
back to the east location to replace XM-4 as they would have to drift
clear around the earth. Satellites
can only drift east to west due to earth rotation.

Go read this......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM_Satellite_Radio#Technology

[Coyote]

Post by Bob's Backfire Burrito

Post by Coyote
XM drifted the prior birds to the west location. XM 1, XM 2 as well as XM 3
are all located in the west location No way can XM drift XM 1 or XM 2
back to the east location to replace XM-4 as they would have to drift
clear around the earth. Satellites
can only drift east to west due to earth rotation.

Go read this......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM_Satellite_Radio#Technology

OK Backfire bob, How much fuel would be left after movement via fuel to
provide future service. Perhaps long enough to build and launch XM-5? I
doubt it. Even if usable only 1/2 of transponders may be used due to low
power source via XM 1 or XM 2. Then where will the repeaters get a signal
from if XM 4 is down.
In the past XM 1 or XM 2 fed repeaters don't recall which one.

[Bob's Backfire Burrito]

Post by Coyote

Post by Bob's Backfire Burrito

Post by Coyote
XM drifted the prior birds to the west location. XM 1, XM 2 as well as XM 3
are all located in the west location No way can XM drift XM 1 or XM 2
back to the east location to replace XM-4 as they would have to drift
clear around the earth. Satellites
can only drift east to west due to earth rotation.

Go read this......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM_Satellite_Radio#Technology

OK Backfire bob, How much fuel would be left after movement via fuel to
provide future service. Perhaps long enough to build and launch XM-5? I
doubt it. Even if usable only 1/2 of transponders may be used due to low
power source via XM 1 or XM 2. Then where will the repeaters get a signal
from if XM 4 is down.
In the past XM 1 or XM 2 fed repeaters don't recall which one.

They are fed from the 85 degree slot. They returned the original 85 degree
bird back to that location and it's sleeping at this time.
The defect is the surface of the solar array fogs, rendering it too low in
power for all transponders at full power.
It was designed for a 15 year lifespan, they expect 6 years from the
original sats.
XM-3 and 4 do not have the same solar array.They expect a full 15 years from
them, unless a major failure cripples them.
Check with Boeing...I think XM-5 is also a 702 family...but that could
change.702's still use TWTA's (A cluster of them)

[Levi Ramsey]

Post by Bob's Backfire Burrito
Check with Boeing...I think XM-5 is also a 702 family...but that could
change.702's still use TWTA's (A cluster of them)

XM-5 will not be built by Boeing. Space Systems/Loral (same contractor
that Sirius uses) has the contract (as of June, '05) to supply XM-5.