# Spaceway

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The **Spaceway** system was originally envisioned as a global [Ka-band](/source/Ka_band) communications system by [Hughes Electronics](/source/Hughes_Electronics).[1][2] When the project to build the system was taken over by [Hughes Network Systems](/source/Hughes_Network_Systems),[3] a subsidiary of Hughes Electronics, it was transformed into a phased deployment initially only launching a North American satellite system. This is in comparison to other more ambitious systems such as [Teledesic](/source/Teledesic)[4] and [Astrolink](/source/Astrolink)[5] which retained their full global nature and which subsequently failed to complete their systems. Hughes Network Systems working with Hughes Electronics subsidiary [Hughes Space and Communications](/source/Hughes_Space_and_Communications) (and subsequently sold to Boeing and called [Boeing Satellite Systems](/source/Boeing_Satellite_Development_Center) and later the [Boeing Satellite Development Center](/source/Boeing_Satellite_Development_Center))[6] completed and built the North American Spaceway system meant to provide [broadband](/source/Internet_access) capabilities of up to 512 kbit/s, 2 Mbit/s, and 16 Mbit/s uplink data communication rates[7] with fixed Ka-band satellite terminal antennas sized as small as 74 centimetres (29 in).[7] The broadband Spaceway system was standardized by [Telecommunications Industry Association](/source/Telecommunications_Industry_Association)[8] and [European Telecommunications Standards Institute](/source/ETSI) (ETSI) as the [Regenerative Satellite Mesh - A Air Interface](/source/Regenerative_Satellite_Mesh_%E2%80%93_A).[9]

After [News Corp](/source/News_Corp_(2013%E2%80%93present)) purchased a controlling interest in [Hughes Electronics](/source/Hughes_Electronics), the company sold off its controlling interest in [Hughes Network Systems](/source/Hughes_Network_Systems) but retained [Spaceway-1](/source/Spaceway-1) and [Spaceway-2](/source/Spaceway-2) for use in the [DirecTV](/source/DirecTV) satellite television subsidiary of Hughes Electronics.[10] Boeing retrofitted the first two satellites for [bent pipe](/source/Bent_pipe) Ka-band communications for use in [high-definition television](/source/High-definition_television) and disabled the regenerative on-board processing of the original system that was to be used for broadband satellite communications.[11]

Despite statements to the contrary in the system's initial filings with the [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission), none of the three satellites have [inter-satellite links](/source/Inter-satellite_service) connecting the satellites directly with each other in space.[6]

[Spaceway-1](/source/Spaceway-1), [Spaceway-2](/source/Spaceway-2) and [Spaceway-3](/source/Spaceway-3) have been launched and [Hughes Network Systems](/source/Hughes_Network_Systems) had an option to purchase and have Boeing build Spaceway-4.[11]

[Spaceway-1](/source/Spaceway-1), after exceeding its design life by two and a half years, was decommissioned in February 2020 after suffering extensive thermal damage to its batteries in December 2019, forcing the satellite to be moved to a graveyard orbit to prevent the risk of it exploding.[12]

## Notes

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

1. **[^](#cite_ref-spaceway-report_1-0)** Fitzpatrick, E.J. (August 1995). *Spaceway: Providing affordable and versatile communication solutions*. 19th NASA Propagation Experimenters Meeting (NAPEX 19) and the 7th Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) Propagation Studies Workshop (APSW 7). [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[1995prex.meet...49F](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1995prex.meet...49F).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-metcalfe-19961028_2-0)** Metcalfe, Bob (28 October 1996). ["Hughes satellite gives telcos, TV companies needed 'net competition"](https://web.archive.org/web/20041220203136/http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayNew.pl?%2Fmetcalfe%2Fbm102896.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayNew.pl?%2Fmetcalfe%2Fbm102896.htm) on 20 December 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hughes-proposal_3-0)** ["Response to Call Proposal of Hughes Communications Galaxy, Inc. to Launch and Operate the SPACEWAY™ GSO FSS Satellite System at 107.3º West Longitude orbital position"](https://web.archive.org/web/20050329011343/http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/vwapj/hughesapplication1.pdf/$FILE/hughesapplication1.pdf) (PDF). Hughes Communications Galaxy, Inc. 5 November 2001. Archived from [the original](http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/vwapj/hughesapplication1.pdf/$FILE/hughesapplication1.pdf) (PDF) on 29 March 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-teledesic_4-0)** Wolfenbarger, Todd (30 September 2002). ["Teledesic Suspends Work Under Satellite Contract"](http://www.teledesic.com/newsroom/articles/10-01-2002.html) (Press release). Bellevue, Washington: Teledesic LLC. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20021002112448/http://www.teledesic.com/newsroom/articles/10-01-2002.html) from the original on 2 October 2002.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-astrolink_5-0)** ["2002 Annual Report"](https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/eo/documents/annual-reports/2002-annual-report.pdf) (PDF). Lockheed Martin Corporation. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220105144213/https://lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/eo/documents/annual-reports/2002-annual-report.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2006.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-boeing.com_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-boeing.com_6-1) ["Integrated Defense Systems - SPACEWAY North America"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060619122729/http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/bss/factsheets/702/spaceway/spaceway.html). Boeing. Archived from [the original](http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/bss/factsheets/702/spaceway/spaceway.html) on 19 June 2006.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-spaceway-nowfuture_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-spaceway-nowfuture_7-1) Whitefield, David; Gopal, Rajeev; Arnold, Steven (October 2006). [*Spaceway now and in the Future: On-Board IP Packet Switching Satellte Communication Network*](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/SPACEWAYTodayandTomorrow.pdf) (PDF). MILCOM 2006 - 2006 IEEE Military Communications conference. Germantown, MD: Hughes Network Systems, LLC. p. 2. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1109/MILCOM.2006.302229](https://doi.org/10.1109%2FMILCOM.2006.302229). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220415152453/https://federalnewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/SPACEWAYTodayandTomorrow.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-tia_8-0)** ["TIA 2004 Standards & Technology Annual Report (STAR)"](http://standards.tiaonline.org//standards/about/documents/star2004.pdf) (PDF). Telecommunications Industry Association. 8 October 2006. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211210005458/http://standards.tiaonline.org/standards/about/documents/star2004.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 10 December 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-etsi.org_9-0)** ["Satellite Earth Stations and Systems (SES); Regenerative Satellite Mesh - A (RSM-A) air interface; Physical layer specification; Part 1: General description"](https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/102100_102199/10218801/01.01.01_60/ts_10218801v010101p.pdf) (PDF). *ETSI*. European Telecommunications Standards Institute. 2004. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20131229164148/http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/102100_102199/10218801/01.01.01_60/ts_10218801v010101p.pdf) (PDF) from the original on 29 December 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-post-2004-12-07_10-0)** Pearlstein, Steven (8 December 2004). ["... And Another Thing"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45648-2004Dec7.html). *The Washington Post*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121109022418/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45648-2004Dec7.html) from the original on 9 November 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2010.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-sec.gov_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-sec.gov_11-1) ["Amendment No. 4 to Form S-1"](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1345840/000119312506026457/ds1a.htm). U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 10 February 2006. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160422080007/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1345840/000119312506026457/ds1a.htm) from the original on 22 April 2016. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Henry, Caleb (14 February 2020). ["DirecTV's defunct Spaceway-1 reaches high graveyard orbit in one piece"](https://spacenews.com/directvs-defunct-spaceway-1-reaches-high-graveyard-orbit-in-one-piece/). *SpaceNews*. Retrieved 19 February 2020.

## References

- ["SPACEWAY Technical Specifications"](https://web.archive.org/web/20061030031717/http://www.hughes.com/HUGHES/Rooms/DisplayPages/LayoutInitial?Container=com.webridge.entity.Entity%5BOID%5B247EE93EA910FC4882B3105E9AD73791%5D%5D). Hughes Network Systems. Archived from [the original](http://www.hughes.com/HUGHES/Rooms/DisplayPages/LayoutInitial?Container=com.webridge.entity.Entity%5BOID%5B247EE93EA910FC4882B3105E9AD73791%5D%5D) on 30 October 2006.

## External links

- [Spaceway 3](https://web.archive.org/web/20140314031302/http://www.hughes.com/technologies/satellite-platforms/spaceway-3-1)

- [Boeing's Original Spaceway Specification and Picture](https://web.archive.org/web/20060619122729/http://boeing.com/defense-space/space/bss/factsheets/702/spaceway/spaceway.html)

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