Intelsat V-F Press Kit

8/7/2019 Intelsat V-F Press Kit

1/9

"NA\SANewsNational Aeronautics andSpace AdministrationWashington. D C 20546AC 202 755-8370

For ReleaseIMMEDIATE

Press Kit Project Intelsat V-FRELEASE NO: 83-77

Contents

GENERAL RELEASE ............................... 1ATLAS CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE STATISTICS................ 4LAUNCH OPERATIONS ............... .. 5LAUNCH SEQUENCE FOR INTELSAT V-F......... .. 6THE NASA INTELSAT TEAM ................. ******* .*. 7CONTRACTORS..................................................... 8

May 13, 1983


2/9

25th AnnwersaryNational Aeronautics and 1958-1983Space Administrabon

wsh'ngton. D.C. 20546AC 202 755-8370

Fo r PRelease:David GarrettHeadquarters, Washington, D.C. IMMEDIATE(Phone: 202/755-3090)Mary Ann PetoLewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio(Phone: 216/433-4000, ext. 415)

RELEASE NO: 83-77

INTELSAT COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE SCHEDULED FOR LAUNCH

Intelsat V-F, the sixth of a new series of nine inter-national telecommunications satellites owned and operated by the105-nation International Telecommunications Satellite Organiza-tion (Intelsat), is scheduled to be launched by the NASA KennedySpace Center on board an Atlas Centaur launch vehicle no earlierthan May 19, 1983, from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

The five earlier Intelsat Vs were successfully launched byNASA in December 1980, May 1981, December 1981, March 1982 andSeptember 1982.

Intelsat V-F weighs 1,996 kilograms (4,400 pounds) at launchand has almost double the communications capability of earlysatellites in the Intelsat series -- 12,000 voice circuits andtwo color television channels.

May 13, 1983

-more-


3/9

-2-

This will also be the first Intelsat to incorporate a mari-time communication system for ship to shore communications. Itwill be positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the AtlanticOcean as a major path Intelsat satellite to provide communica-tions services between Europe and North America.

Intelsat V satellites are built by the Ford Aerospace andCommunications Corp., Palo Alto, Calif., using system componentsdeveloped by firms in the United Kingdom, France, the FederalRepublic of Germany, Italy and Japan.

The International Telecommunications Satellite Organizationis headquartered in Washington, D.C. NASA is reimbursed for allcosts of the Atlas Centaur and launch services under the provi-sions of a launch services agreement.

The Atlas Centaur (AC-61) will place the Intelsat V-F into ahighly elliptical transfer orbit 166.8 kilometers perigee alti-tude by 35,807.4 km apogee altitude (103.6 by 22,253.5 miles).It is from this orbit at apogee that a solid propellant rocketmotor attached to the satellite will be fired to circularize theorbit at geosynchronous altitude over the equator. At thataltitude, because the speed of the satellite in orbit matches therotational speed of the earth, the satellite remains in positionover one spot.

-more-


4/9

-3-

NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, has manage-ment responsibility for Atlas Centaur development and operation.Intelsat V-F marks the 100th launch by engineers of Lewis Re-search Center. NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is assignedvehicle checkout and launch responsibility once the Atlas Centaurreaches Cape Canaveral.

Overall direction of the NASA expendable launch vehicle pro-gram is vested in the Office of Space Flight in Washington, D.C.

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.)

-more-


5/9

-4-

ATLAS CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE STATISTICSIntelsat V-F will be launched by the Atlas Centaur, NASA'sstandard launch vehicle for intermediate weight payloads. Thelaunch vehicle has the following general characteristics:Height: 40.8 meters (134 feet) including nose fairingDiameter: 3.05 m (10 ft.)Total Liftoff Weight: 148,285 kg (326,907 lb.)including spacecraftLiftoff Thrust: 1,936,196.6 newtons (435,296 lb.) sea leve.

Atlas StageThe Atlas stage consists of the booster section (one-halfstage) and the sustainer/vernier section (first stage). The Atlasis manufactured by General Dynamics/Convair, San Diego, Calif.,using the MA-5 engine system supplied by Rocketdyne Division ofRockwell International, Canoga Park, Calif. The MA-5 system con-sists of two booster engines, one sustainer engine and two ver-nier engines. The Atlas stage has the following characteristics:Height: 22 m (69.5 ft.)Diameter: 3.05 m (10 ft.)Propellants: RP-2 kerosene for fuel and liquid oxygen(LOX) as the oxidizerThrust: Total Booster: 1,679,120 N (377,500 lb.) sea levelSustainer: 266,880 N (60,000 lb.)Total Vernier: 4,074.4 N (916 lb.)Total Liftoff Thrust: 1,950,074.3 N (433,416 lb.)

Centaur StageThe Centaur (second stage) is manufactured by GeneralDynamics/Convair, using the RL-10 engines built by Pratt andWhitney Aircraft Group, West Palm Beach, Fla. This stage hasthe following characteristics:Height: 9.1 m (30 ft.)Diameter: 3.05 m (10 ft.)Propellants: Liquid hydrogen for fuel and liquid oxygenfor the oxidizer.Thrust: 146,784 N (33,000 lb.) vacuum

-more-


6/9

LAUNCH OPERATIONS

Intelsat V is scheduled to be launched aboard Atlas Centaur61 from Pad A of NASA's Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral AirForce Station, Fla.

The Atlas and Centaur stages of the launch vehicle arrivedat the Cape on Nov. 10, 1982. The Atlas stage was erected on thepad on Nov. 12, the interstage adapter on Nov. 13, and theCentaur stage was mated to the vehicle on Nov. 16. The flightevents demonstration test, a comprehensive electrical test of thelaunch vehicle, was undertaken on March 14.Intelsat arrived at Hangar AO at the Cape on Dec. 8 where

the spacecraft's electrical systems were tested and the vehicle'sthree earth sensors and two solar wings were installed. Thesatellite was moved to Satellite Assembly and EncapsulationBuilding No. 2 in the KSC Industrial Area on April 28. Intelsatunderwent additional checkout in SAEF-2 and the apogee kick motorwas installed on May 2. The satellite was enclosed in its pro-tective fairing on May 15 and the spacecraft was mated with thelaunch vehicle on May 16 at the pad.

-more-


7/9

-6--o 'o tn b q LA a% 0 %O N02 . * .0 * . * * * * nrI 4 p@ 0 0 OIGNON H A0 VfiNLPACE to

. "IO ao o% o-nF P(R QUALITY0 EVV

.1F-POOR

S: S * * * * * * * * * 0

rON : O ^ r S X sr o W

=00

-H

-r O co 10nr lH t

2 0 O Ln LA '0 H N 94 kc Lo r 0

0 . r r co S S 0 r5 u5 5r *

HH .0 m N L 0 O 0s~ C eiu t

v 0 co LAn H N n N 0 NvHD N u0 0' Ha

w ~N CD 0 0di H

X 0 0 . ND 0 . 0D H LA v' x HQ H '0 0 H N x H v N N LA 0A~ ~ N N N N N '. '. 0 N

Cd

U1 H H NICZ C)OH

U 0 '.0~ W W 0 N v

H - H H N N c r

02 0 o Ht 0 0 N N N 0 0 '.0 '0 '.0 '0 '.0'. 0 H LA '.0 CD LA '.0 x O020 n c^ '. 0 LA LA '. N H O~ LA N N*IV H H H N N CN N LA to a, '. '. 0 0

E-'0

0f H H H H H No0 0

o i co0U0

CC 0 C r- C0 0 0 Cl)l *, 00 'U

.3. Ci 00 0 i 0u 3

0U .1. H 3LW 1. .1i '1 u ILe c m 0JJ '- 0 'U X N H N U) 0 Hs~ 0 JJ H Cl H I N I 0 .,- 4) m.1W 0 l r0 'U I o*r LW U O a0o U H 8 8 o

-Id H Enm


8/9

-7-

THE NASA INTELSAT TEAMNASA HeadquartersLt. Gen. James A. Abrahamson Associate Administrator fo rSpace FlightJoseph B. Mahon Director, Expendable LaunchVehiclesF. R. Schmidt Manager, Atlas Centaur LaunchVehicle

Lewis Research CenterAndrew J. Stofan DirectorDr. John Klineberg Deputy DirectorLawrence J. Ross Director, Space Flight SystemsJohn Gibb Atlas/Centaur Project ManagerS. V. Szabo Jr. Chief, Space TransportationEngineering DivisionRichard E. Orzechowski Intelsat Mission ProjectEngineer

Kennedy Space CenterRichard G. Smith DirectorThomas S. Walton Director, Cargo OperationsCharles D. Gay Director, Expendable VehicleOperationsD.C. Sheppard Chief, Automated PayloadsDivisionJames L. Womack Chief, Atlas-Centaur OperationsDivisionLarry Kruse Spacecraft Coordinator

-more-


9/9

-8-

CONTRACTORS

General Dynamics/Convair Atlas Centaur launch vehicleSan Diego, Calif.Honeywell Aerospace Division Centaur guidance inertialSt. Petersburg, Fla. measurement groupPratt and Whitney Centaur RL-10 enginesAircraft GroupWest Palm Beach, Fla.Teledyne Industries, Inc. Digital computer unit/PCMNorthridge, Calif. telemetryRocketdyne Division MA-5 propulsion systemsRockwell International Corp.Canoga Park, Calif.

-end-

(Index: 9, 20, 21, 29)

Intelsat V-F Press Kit

Documents

Transcript of Intelsat V-F Press Kit