AsiaSat 3, previously known as HGS-1 and then PAS-22, was a geosynchronous communications satellite, which was salvaged from an unusable geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) by means of the Moon's gravity. AsiaSat 3 was launched for AsiaSat of Hong Kong to provide communications and television services in Asia by a Proton-K / DM-2M launch vehicle on 24 December 1997, destined for an orbital position at 105.5° East. However, a failure of the Blok DM-2M fourth stage left it stranded in a highly inclined (51.6°) and elliptical orbit, although still fully functional. It was declared a total loss by its insurers. The satellite was transferred to Hughes Global Services Inc., which was then a subsidiary of Hughes Space and Communications, with an agreement to share any profits with the consortium of 27 insurers.

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AsiaSat_3. Related NASA reference: https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/chronology.html#1997. Description adapted from Wikipedia contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).