Intelsat IV Press Kit 013175

8/7/2019 Intelsat IV Press Kit 013175

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--GENERAL RELEASE.,... O.,.....C......... 1-3ATLAS-CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE 4-5

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OiNATMONAL AERONAUTICS ANDSPACEADMINISTATIONW\ Oas2iegtOi,. C 20546' \ i ((Phone:202/M55483j)

FOR RELEASE:FRIDAY,t Howard Allaway January 31, 1975Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 2O?/755-8617)

Hugh HarrisLewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio(Phone: 216/433-40O Ext. 415)

RELEASE NO: 75-7

SEVENTH INTELSAT IV PREPARED FOR LAUNCH

The seventh in the series of INTELSAT IV commercialcommunications satellites will be launchte by NASA aboard anAtlas-Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla.: about Feb. 6.

The 1,4 00-kilogram (3,100-pound) satellite will be posi-tioned on the equator over the Indian Ocean. This will be thesecond INTELSAT IV over the Indian Ocean and completes theworld-wide network orginally planned. When the satellite islaunched, there will be three INTELSAT IVs over the AtlanticOcean, two over the Pacific and two over the Indian Ocean.

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Each INWLM I is-able ~o "dfy 4~rjitaqtwo-way telephone conversations unider average conditkons&, E~achsatellte alIso can carry 12 television channels.

Despite the growth already exp--rieihced, thok~re-sfr3~e 'ofrapidly growing demands for international telephone, televisionand data transmission has led to the dev0_ldputdt of even largercommunications satellites. The first of a new series designatedINTELSAT IV-A. with twice the capacity of INTELSAT IV, isscheduled for launch in the summer of 1975.

Both the INTELSAT IV, ready for launch, and the new series,like others in the global communications system, are owned bythe International Telecommunications Satellite Organization(INTELSAT). The Communications satellite Corp. (COMSAT),, theUnited States member, acts as manager on behalf of the other 86nations in the organization. NASA is reimbursed for all costsof the Atlas-Centaur and launch services by COMSAT on behalf ofINTELSAT, under provisions of the Communications Satellite Actof 1962.

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ATLAS-CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE

The Atlas-Centaur is NASA's standard launch vehicle forintermediate weight payloads. It is used for the launch ofEarth orbital, Earth synchronous and interplanetary missions.Centaur was the nation's frst high-energy, liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen propelled rocket. Developed. nd launched underthe direction of NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio,it became operational in 1965 with the launch of Surveyor 1, thefirst U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon's surface.Since that time, both the Atlas booster and Centaur secondstage have undergone many improvements. At present the vehiclecombination can place 4,530 kilograms (10,000 pounds) in low

Earth orbit, 1,880 kg (4,150 lbs.) in a synchronous transferorbit, and 900 kg (2,000 lbs.) on an interplanetary trajectory.The Atlas-Centaur, standing approximately 39.9 meters (131feet) high, consists of an Atlas SLV-3D booster and Centaur D-lAsecond stage. The Atlas booster develops 1,920 kilonewtons(431,300 lbs.) of thrust at liftoff using two 822,920 newton(185,000 lbs.) thrust booster engines, one 266,890 N (60,000lb.) thrust sustainar engine and two vernier engines developing2,890 N (650 lbs.) thrust each. The two RL-10 engines on Centaurproduce a total of 1.33,45n N (30,000 lbs.) thrust. Both theAtlas and Centaur are 3.048 m (10 ft.) in diameter.Until early 1974, Centaur was used exclusively in combina-tion with the Atlas booster. Now it is also used with a Titan IIIbooster to launch heavier payloads into Earth crbit andinterplanetary trajectoriense Atlas and the Centaur vehicles have been updated overthe years. The thrust of the Atlas engines has been increasedabout 222,400 N (50,000 lbs.) since its debut in the space pro-gram in the early 1960s when it launched the nation's first com-minications satellite carrying former President Dwight D.Eisenhower's Christmas message co the world.

The Centaur D-lA has an integrated electronic system thatperforms a major role in checking itself and oth r vehicle sys-tems before launch and also maintains control of major eventsafter liftoff. The new Centaur system handles navigation, guid-ance tasks, controls pressurization, propellant management andtelemetry formatz and transmission, and initiates vehicle events.Most operational needs can be met by changing the computersoftware.

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Typical Launch Vehicle CharacteristicsLiftoff weight including spacecraft 147,750 kg (325,732 lbs.)Liftoff height

39.9; m (131 ft.)Launch Complex 36A

AtlaAtlas Booster Centaur StageWeight (with 128,639 kgpropellants) (283,600 lbs.) 17,708 kg(39,040 lJ-,s.); Height 21.3 m 18.6 m(70 ft.) (61 ft. withpayload fairing)

Thrust 1,919 kn 133,447 N(431,300 lbs.) (30,000 lbs.)at sea level in vacuumPropellants Liquid oxygen and Liquid oxygenRP-1 and liquid hydrogenPropulsIon MA-5 system (two Two 66,723 N822,921 N (185,000- (15,000 lbs.)lbs.) thrust booster thrust RL-10 enginesengines, one 266,893- 14 small hydrogenN (60,000 lb.) thrust peroxide thrusterssustainer engine, two

2 ,891-N (650 lb.)thrust vernier engines)Velocity 9,004 km per hour 33,191 kiA per hour(5,596 mph) at BECO; (20,624 mph) at13j029 km per hour spacecraft separation(8,096 mph) at SECO.Guidance Pre-programmed pro- Inertial guidancefile through LECO.Switch to inertialguidance for sus-tainer phase.

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-7-LAUNCH PREPARATIONS

NASA'S John F. Kennedy Space Center and its UnmannedLaunch Operations Directorate (ULO) play key roles in thepreparation and launch of Atlas-Centaur 33 carrying th eINTELSAT IV F-6 spacecraft into orbit.

The INTELSAT IV spacecraft was received last June 24 andplaced in Hangar AM at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station toawait call-up and prelaunch checkout.The Atlas and Centaur stages were erected on Pad A atLaunch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Dec. 5.In addition to providing necessary spacecraft supportservices during final launch preparations, ULO is responsible

for mating the spacecraft and payload fa3ring w.th the launchvehicle. Mating of the spacecraft with Atlas-Centaur 33 isscheduled fo r late January.In providing launch operations, KSC handles scheduling oftest milestones and review of data to assure that the launchvehicle has met all its test requirements and is ready for launch.All launch vehicle and pad operations during the launchcountdown are conducted from the blockhouse at Complex 36 by ajoint government-industry team.

INTELSAT LAUNCH WINDOWSThe primary factor determining the launch window forINTELSAT spacecraft is the angle of the Sun. It is desirablefor the solar cells on the spacecraft to receive maximum pos-sible exposure during the transfer orbit. The Sun angle is atits best twice a day at noon and midnight GMT or 7:00 a.m. and7:00 p.m. EST. Because of the greater convenience for launchcrews and tracking operations, the 7:00 p.m. period generallyis chosen.

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;r.. .i.,ogIMF"I____ INTLSAT TEAM

__ NASA fleadvuartersCharles W. 114athet-s Associate Administratorfor ApplicationsDr. Richard B. 1larsten Director of ConnunicationsProgramsJerome Freibaum Manager, Technical Consul-tation ServicesNoel W. Hinners Associate Administratorfor Space ScienceJoseph B. Mahon Director of Launch Vehicleand Propulsion ProgramsF. R. Schmidt Manager, Atlas-CentaurLewis Research, Cleveland, OhioBruce T. Lundin DirectorDr. Seymour C. Himmel Associate Director for FlightProgramsAndrew J. Stofan Director of Launch VehiclesHenry 0. Slone Atlasr-Centaur Project ManagerVernon J. Weyers INTELSAT Mission ProjectEngineerFrank l;. Manning Launch Vehicle ProjectEngineer

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Kennedy Space Center, Fl~a.Lee R. Scherer DirectorJohn J. Neilon Director, Unmanned LaeunchOperationsJohn Gossett Manager, Centaur Operavcions,UTLORalph Lotspeich Space Operations, ULO

COMSATDr. Joseph V. Charyk PresidentGeorge P. Sampson Senior Vice President,Communication SystemManagementMartin J. Votaw Assistant Vice President,Engineering

Industry TeamPri.me Contractors ResponsibilityHughes Aircraft Co. INTELSAT IV spacecraftSunnyvale, Calif.General Dynamics/Convair Atlas-Centaur launch vehicleSan Diego, Calif.Honeywell, Aerospace Division Centaur guidance inertialSt. Petersburg, Fla. measurement groupPratt and Whitney Centaur RL-10 enginesWest Palm Beach, Fla.

Teledyne Digital computerunit/PCM

Northridge, Calif. telemetry

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Intelsat IV Press Kit 013175