Optus B1

This is a list of the satellites operated by Optus, an Australian telecommunications company. The satellite communications facility is located at Belrose on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Optus' satellites are divided into 4 classes A, B, C and D. As of April 2014 it owns and operates Optus B3, Optus C1, Optus D1, Optus D2 and Optus D3. Optus A1, Optus A2, Optus A3 and Optus B1 satellites have been retired. Optus has the largest network of satellites in Australia and New Zealand.

On February 2, 2014 NBN Co of Australia chose Optus for a five-year contract to operate two purpose-built satellites to deliver high speed broadband across rural and remote Australia.

The Aussat A-Class satellites were funded by the Government for Aussat Pty Ltd. When Optus was granted a telecommunications carrier licence in 1991, it was bundled with the purchase of Aussat Pty Limited as part of the carrier licence deal.

Aussat 1 was deployed by Space Shuttle Discovery during the first day of the STS-51-I mission.

Aussat 2 was deployed by Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-61-B mission.

Aussat 3 was launched from Guiana Space Centre by an Ariane 3.

The B-Class satellites were manufactured by Hughes and launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center by Long March rockets. The two satellites were the first U.S.-built satellites to be approved by the Reagan administration for launch on Chinese rockets. To break into the commercial launch market, the Chinese offered to launch for less than half of what a U.S. launch company would charge.

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