# AMC-3

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Communications satellite launched 1997

For the ship, see [USS Plover (AMc-3)](/source/USS_Plover_(AMc-3)).

AMC-3 Names GE-3 (1997-2001) AMC-3 (2001-present) Eagle-1 (2017-present) Mission type Communications[1] Operator GE Americom (1997-2001) SES Americom (2001-2009) SES World Skies (2009-2011) SES (2011-present) COSPAR ID 1997-050A SATCAT no. 24936 Mission duration 15 years (planned)[2] 28 years, 9 months, 28 days (elapsed) Spacecraft properties Spacecraft GE-3 Spacecraft type Lockheed Martin A2100 Bus LM A2100A[3] Manufacturer Lockheed Martin Launch mass 2,845 kg (6,272 lb)[4] Dry mass 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) Start of mission Launch date 4 September 1997, 12:03:00 UTC[1] Rocket Atlas IIAS[4] Launch site Cape Canaveral, LC-36A[4] Contractor Lockheed Martin Entered service 1997 Orbital parameters Reference system Geocentric orbit[5] Regime Geostationary orbit Longitude 72° West Transponders Band 48 transponders: 24 C-band 24 Ku-band[2] Coverage area Canada, United States, Mexico, Caribbean[2] SES constellation ← AMC-2 AMC-4 →

**AMC-3** (formerly **[GE-3](/source/General_Electric)**) is a commercial broadcast [communications satellite](/source/Communications_satellite) owned by [SES](/source/SES_(company)) (and formerly [GE Americom](/source/GE_Americom), then [SES Americom](/source/SES_Americom), then [SES World Skies](/source/SES_World_Skies)). Launched on 4 September 1997, from [Cape Canaveral](/source/Cape_Canaveral_Space_Force_Station), [Florida](/source/Florida), AMC-3 is a hybrid [C-band](/source/C_band_(IEEE)) / [Ku-band](/source/Ku_band) satellite. It provides coverage to [Canada](/source/Canada), [United States](/source/United_States), [Mexico](/source/Mexico), [Caribbean](/source/Caribbean). Located in a [geostationary orbit](/source/Geostationary_orbit) parallel to the [Yucatán Peninsula](/source/Yucat%C3%A1n_Peninsula) and [Great Lakes](/source/Great_Lakes), AMC-3 provides service to commercial and government customers, with programming distribution, [satellite news gathering](/source/Electronic_news-gathering) and broadcast internet capabilities.[2][6]

## Eagle-1

In January 2017, the AMC-3 Ku-band payload was sold to Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE), a provider of satellite-based connectivity and media to mobility markets, such as passenger aircraft. GEE purchased all the capacity on the satellite to support aeronautical customers, in particular [Southwest Airlines](/source/Southwest_Airlines), the company's largest customer, and rebranded the satellite as Eagle-1. The satellite remains under the control of SES S.A.[7]

## References

- [Spaceflight portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Spaceflight)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nssdc_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nssdc_1-1) ["Display: GE 3 1997-050A"](https://web.archive.org/web/20250614083858/https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1997-050A). [NASA](/source/NASA). 10 February 2021. Archived from [the original](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1997-050A) on 14 June 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ses-amc3-data_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ses-amc3-data_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ses-amc3-data_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-ses-amc3-data_2-3) ["AMC-3 Data"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100604033450/http://www.ses-worldskies.com/worldskies/satellites/01_amc-fleet/amc-3/Satellite_Data/index.php). SES World Skies. 4 June 2010. Archived from [the original](http://www.ses-worldskies.com/worldskies/satellites/01_amc-fleet/amc-3/Satellite_Data/index.php) on 4 June 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-satbeams_3-0)** ["AMC-3"](http://www.satbeams.com/satellites?norad=24936). Satbeams. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20251210213433/https://satbeams.com/satellites?norad=24936) from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Gunter_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Gunter_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Gunter_4-2) Krebs, Gunter (21 July 2019). ["GE 1, 2, 3 / AMC 1, 2, 3"](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/ge-1.htm). Gunter's Space Page. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20251203083809/https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/ge-1.htm) from the original on 3 December 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-n2yo_5-0)** ["AMC-3 (GE-3) Satellite details"](https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=24936). N2YO.com. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250930041226/https://www.n2yo.com///satellite/?s=24936) from the original on 30 September 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-redorbit_6-0)** ["Turner Expands SNG Transponder Deal With SES AMERICOM"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120923133207/https://www.redorbit.com/news/business/900404/turner_expands_sng_transponder_deal_with_ses_americom/) (Press release). SES AMERICOM. 12 April 2007. Archived from [the original](http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/900404/turner_expands_sng_transponder_deal_with_ses_americom/) on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2009 – via Redorbit.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-spacenews20170116_7-0)** Henry, Caleb (16 January 2017). ["Global Eagle's mystery satellite purchase is SES's AMC-3"](https://spacenews.com/global-eagles-mystery-satellite-purchase-is-sess-amc-3/). *[SpaceNews](/source/SpaceNews)*. Retrieved 2 April 2021.{{[cite news](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_news)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

## External links

- [AMC-3](https://web.archive.org/web/20170203164855/https://www.ses.com/network/satellites/313) at SES.com

- [Global Eagle Entertainment website](http://www.geemedia.com/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170201162807/http://www.geemedia.com/) 1 February 2017 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- [C-band Americas Beam](http://www.satbeams.com/footprints?beam=7152) [footprint(s)](/source/Footprint_(satellite)) at SatBeams

- [Ku-band Americas Beam](http://www.satbeams.com/footprints?beam=7153) [footprint(s)](/source/Footprint_(satellite)) at SatBeams

- [AMC-3](http://www.lyngsat.com/amc3.html) information at LyngSat

v t e Satellites operated by SES SES fleet Active: SES-1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 (EchoStar 105) 12 14 15 16 (GovSat-1) 17 24 (Astra 1P) AMC fleet Active: AMC-4 6 8 10 11 15 16 18 21 Backups: AMC-7 Retired: AMC-1 2 3 5 9 Failed launch: AMC-14 NSS fleet Active: NSS-6 7 9 10 11 12 806 Retired: NSS-5 513 703 K Failed launch: NSS-8 Astra fleet Active: Astra 1KR 1L 1M 1N 1P (SES-24) 2E 2F 2G 3B 4A 5B Backups: Astra 1D 1F 1G 1H 2A 2B 2C 2D 3A Retired: Astra 1A 1B 1C 1E 5A Sirius 3 Failed launch: Astra 1K Orbital positions: 5.0°E 19.2°E 23.5°E 28.2°E 31.5°E Subsidiary: SES Astra Third parties Active: Ciel-2 MonacoSAT QuetzSat 1 Yahsat 1A

v t e ← 1996 Orbital launches in 1997 1998 → STS-81 GPS IIR-1 GE 2 Nahuel 1A Soyuz TM-25 STS-82 Haruka Kosmos 2337 Kosmos 2338 Kosmos 2339 Gonets-D1 #4 Gonets-D1 #5 Gonets-D1 #6 JCSAT-R USA-130 Intelsat 801 Mozhayets 2 Tempo-2 STS-83 USA-131 Progress M-34 Kosmos 2340 Thaicom 3 BSAT-1a Kosmos 2341 Minisat 01 Founders GOES 10 Iridium 4 Iridium 5 Iridium 6 Iridium 7 Iridium 8 Chinasat 6A Kosmos 2342 STS-84 Kosmos 2343 Tselina-2 Thor 2 Telstar 5 Inmarsat-3 F4 INSAT-2D Kosmos 2344 Fengyun 2A Iridium 9 Iridium 10 Iridium 11 Iridium 12 Iridium 13 Iridium 14 Iridium 16 Intelsat 802 STS-94 Progress M-35 Iridium 15 Iridium 17 Iridium 18 Iridium 20 Iridium 21 USA-132 Superbird-C OrbView-2 Soyuz TM-26 STS-85 (CRISTA-SPAS) PAS-6 Kosmos 2345 Agila 2 Iridium 22 Iridium 23 Iridium 24 Iridium 25 Iridium 26 Lewis ACE PAS-5 FORTE Iridium MFS-1 Iridium MFS-2 Hot Bird 3 Meteosat 7 GE-3 Iridium 27 Iridium 28 Iridium 29 Iridium 30 Iridium 31 Iridium 32 Iridium 33 Kosmos 2346 FAISAT-2V Intelsat 803 Molniya-1T #98 STS-86 Iridium 19 Iridium 34 Iridium 35 Iridium 36 Iridium 37 IRS-1D Progress M-36 (Sputnik 40, X-Mir) EchoStar III Foton #11 Cassini (Huygens) Apstar 2R USA-133 STEP-4 USA-135 FalconGOLD Maqsat-B Maqsat-H YES VLS-1 V01 (SCD-2A) USA-134 USA-136 Iridium 38 Iridium 39 Iridium 40 Iridium 41 Iridium 43 Kupon Sirius 2 IndoStar-1 Resurs-F1M #1 STS-87 (SPARTAN-201) TRMM Orihime Hikoboshi JCSAT-1B Equator-S Astra 1G Iridium 42 Iridium 44 Galaxy 8i Kosmos 2347 Kosmos 2348 Progress M-37 Iridium 45 Iridium 46 Iridium 47 Iridium 48 Iridium 49 Intelsat 804 Orbcomm FM5 Orbcomm FM6 Orbcomm FM7 Orbcomm FM8 Orbcomm FM9 Orbcomm FM10 Orbcomm FM11 Orbcomm FM12 Early Bird 1 AsiaSat 3 Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [AMC-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC-3) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC-3?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.