Geostationary

ABS-3A

Americas / W. Africa Communications (All-Electric Pioneer) · Asia Broadcast Satellite

Asia Broadcast Satellite's all-electric propulsion satellite — one of the pioneering commercial all-electric GEO spacecraft. Instead of heavy chemical propellant, ABS-3A uses ion thrusters burning xenon gas for all propulsion. The all-electric approach saved massive launch mass but required 6–9 months of slow orbit-raising using electric thrust. This model — mass-saving all-electric vs. fast chemical — has since become the standard choice calculation for commercial GEO operators worldwide.