Garrett, D.

Mccormack, D.

Peterson, L.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

'pTt- I'D s* 50
NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Washington. DC. 20546
AC 202 755-8370
For Release
Press Kit
RELEASE NO: 77-251
Project Intelsat IV-A (F3)
Contents
GENERAL RELEASE 1-3
*
SPACECRAFT DESCRIPTION 4
ATLAS CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE . 4-6
TYPICAL LAUNCH VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS 7
LAUNCH OPERATIONS 8
TYPICAL LAUNCH SEQUENCE FOR INTELSAT IV-A 9
ATLAS CENTAUR/INTELSAT IV-A TEAM 10-11
CONTRACTORS 11
INTELSAT IV-A COVERAGE FOR INDIAN OCEAN REGION 12
TT^ -JsT) FTFTH INTELSAT ~uMoH™ Vo—>
-A LAUNCH SCHEDULED (National Aeronautics "78-7081^
and Space Administration) 13 p
Unclas
-. . . 00/15 59360
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19780070827 2020-03-22T01:51:39+00:00Z
IWNSANews
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Washington. DC 20546
AC 202 755-8370
For Release:
IMMEDIATE
David Garrett
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/755-3090)
Dick McCormack
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/755-8487)
Linda Peterson
Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
(Phone: 216/433-4000 Ext. 415)
RELEASE NO: 77-251
FIFTH INTELSAT IV-A LAUNCH SCHEDULED
The fifth Intelsat IV-A commercial communications satellite
will be launched by NASA aboard an Atlas Centaur rocket from
Kennedy Space Center, Fla., no earlier than Jan. 6, 1978.
The satellite, which weighs 1,515 kilograms (3,340 pounds)
at launch, is intended for service in the Indian Ocean region.
-more-
Intelsat IV-A(F3)satellite will be placed in geostationary
orbit over the Indian Ocean at 63 degrees East longitude,
where it will provide international communications services
to some 40 countries in the Indian Ocean region. The satel-
lite has a seven year design life and the capacity to relay
more than 6,000 simultaneous telephone calls and two tele-
vision programs.
The Intelsat satellites are owned by the International
Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT). The
Communications Satellite Corp. (COMSAT), the United States
member, is also the management services contractor for the
satellite system. NASA is reimbursed for all costs of the
Atlas Centaur and launch services by COMSAT on behalf of
Intelsat, under provisions of a launch services agreement.
The Atlas Centaur AC-46 launch vehicle is expected to
place the Intelsat IV-A in a highly elliptical orbit of 548
by 35,940 kilometers (341 by 22,332 miles). After reorien-
tation of the satellite, a solid propellant rocket motor
aboard the spacecraft will be fired to circularize the orbit
at synchronous altitude 35,940 km (22,332 mi.) over the
equator. At that altitude, because the speed of the space-
craft in orbit matches the rotational speed of the Earth,
the satellite remains in position over one spot.
-more-
The launch of Intelsat spacecraft aboard Atlas Centaur
rockets requires the coordinated efforts of a large govern-
ment and industry team. NASA's Lewis Research Center,
Cleveland, Ohio, has management responsibility for the
Atlas Centaur development and operation. NASA's Kennedy
Space Center, Fla., is assigned vehicle checkout and launch
responsibility once the vehicle reaches Cape Canaveral.
The Intelsat IV-A satellites, built by Hughes Aircraft
Co., El Segundo, Calif., are 6.98 meters tall (about 23 feet)
and weigh 1,515 kg (about 3,340 Ib.) at liftoff and 825.5 kg
(1,820 Ib.) after apogee motor firing.
The Intelsat IV-A program represents an investment by
101 nations of approximately $295 million (U.S.). This
launch costs approximately $47 million — $18 million for
the satellite and $29 million for the Atlas Centaur launch
vehicle and related services.
(END OF GENERAL RELEASE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.)
-more-
-4-
SPACECRAFT DESCRIPTION
The Intelsat IV-A spacecraft has an overall height of
7 m (23 ft.) and a diameter of 2.4 m (8 ft.). The height
of the solar panel is 2.8 m (9 ft.). Liftoff weight is
approximately 1,511 kg (3,332 lb.), and in-orbit weight
after apogee motor firing is 825.5 kg (1,820 lb.).
Although it has the same basic structural design as
its predecessor, Intelsat IV, the Intelsat IV-A spacecraft
incorporates new antenna technology to yield about 6,250
two-way voice circuits plus two television channels in the
system configuration in which it will be used. This is
two-thirds greater than the communications capacity of the
of the Intelsat IV series satellite. The increased capacity
is made possible by a new antenna design which provides
coverage of land manses on both sides of the Atlantic basin,
using shaped beams. The eastern and western beams are suf-
ficiently isolated to allow the frequency spectrum to be
used twice — once in the east and once in the west direction
— thus doubling the use of the frequency spectrum and in-
creasing the communications capacity of the satellite.
ATLAS CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE
The Atlas Centaur is NASA's standard launch vehicle for
intermediate weight payloads. It is used for the launch of
Earth orbital, Earth synchronous and interplanetary missions.
Centaur was the nation's first high-energy, liquid-
hydrogen/liquid-oxygen propelled rocket. Developed and
launched under the direction of NASA's Lewis Research Center,
it became operational in 1966 with the launch of Surveyor 1,
the first U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon's surface.
Since that time, both the Atlas booster and Centaur
second stage have undergone many improvements. At present,
the vehicle combination can place 4,536 kg (10,000 lb.) in
low Earth orbit, 1,882 kg (4,150 lb.) in a synchronous trans-
fer orbit and 907 kg (2,000 lb.) on an interplanetary
trajectory.
-more-
-5-
CUTAWAY VIEW OF AN INTFLSAT IV-A SATELLITF
TIIIMITAV * COMMAND
RECEIVE RtFLECTOH
NUTATION DAMPER
TRANSMIT IVIN
CMANNIL HIFI.ICTON
GLO*AL PtfCEIVI HOHN
TfLCMCTMV MO«NS
INPUT FILTERS
LOOKING FORWARD
• EARING AND POWER
TRANSFER ASSEMBLY
(BAPTAI
INBOARD SUNSHIE LO
CONICAL SUNSHIELO
RADIAL JET
AXIAL JE
POSITION AND ORIENTATION
PROPELLANT TANK! 141
• EACON
TRANSMITTER
• NCOOIM/DICOOIN
COMMAND RICIIVIM
SPINUP JET
SOLAR A R R A Y
SUN tlNtOH
• ATTIMV CONTMOLLIR
• AOIAL JET
AXIAL JET
EARTH SENtORIS
OOSTSR ADAPTER
SfUN ELECTRONIC* STACK
APOOEE MOTOR
-more-
-6-
The Atlas Centaur, standing approximately 40.8 m (JL34
ft.) high, consists of an Atlas SLV-3D booster and Centaur
D-1AR second stage. The Atlas booster develops 1,920 kilo-
newtons (431,300 Ib.) of thrust at liftoff using two 822,920-
newton (185,000-lb.) thrust booster engines, one 266,890-N
(60,000-lb.) thrust sustainer engine and two vernier engines
developing 2,890 N (650 Ib.) thrust each. The two RL-10
engines on Centaur produce a total of 133,450 N (30,000 Ib.)
thrust. Both the Atlas and the Centaur are 3.048 m (10 ft.)
in diameter.
Until early 1974, Centaur was used exclusively in com-
bination with the Atlas booster. It was subsequently used
with a Titan III booster to launch heavier payloads into
Earth orbit and interplanetary trajectories.
The Atlas and the Centaur vehicles have been updated
over the years. Thrust of the Atlas engines has been in-
creased about 222,400 N (50,000 Ib.) since its debut in the
space program in the early 1960s.
The Centaur D-1AR has an integrated electronic system
that performs a major role in checking itself and other
vehicle systems before launch and also maintains control of
major events after liftoff. The new Centaur system handles
navigation and guidance tasks, controls pressurization and
venting, propellant' management, telemetry formats and trans-
mission and initiates vehicle events. Most operational needs
can be met by changing the computer software.
-more-
-7-
TYPICAL LAUNCH VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS
Liftoff weight including spacecraft;
Liftoff height: 40.8 m (134 ft.)
Launch Complex: 36B
148,060 leg
C326,419 Ib.)
Weight (with
propellants)
Height
Thrust
Propellants
Propulsion
Velocity
Guidance
Atlas Booster
130,317 kg
(287,300 Ib.)
21.3 m (70 ft.)
1,919 kn
(431,300 Ib.)
at sea level
Liquid oxygen
and RP-1
MA-5 system two
822,921-N (185,000
Ib.) thrust booster
engines, one
266,893-N (60,000 Ib.)
thrust sustainer
engine, two 2,891-N
(650-lb.) thrust
vernier engines.
9,205 km/hr (5,720
mph) at booster
engine cutoff (BECO)
13,061 km/hr (8,116
mph) at sustainer
engine cutoff (SECO).
Preprogrammed profile
through BECO, switch
to inertial guidance
for sustainer phase.
Centaur Stage
17,781 kg
(39,200 Ib.)
19.5 m (64 ft.)
with payload
fairing
133,447 N
(30,000 Ib.)
in vacuum
Liquid oxygen
Liquid hydrogen
Two 66,723-N
(15,000-lb.)
thrust RL-10
engines, 12
hydrogen peroxide
thrusters.
33,345 km/hr
(20,720 mph) at
spacecraft separation.
Inertial guidance
-more-
'LAUNCH OPERATIONS
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center and its Expendable
Vehicles Directorate play key roles in the preparation and
launch of Atlas Centaur AC-46 carrying the Intelsat IV-A
spacecraft into orbit.
The Atlas and Centaur stages of the AC-46 launch vehicle
arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in August 1977
and were erected on Pad B, Complex 36, later that month.
Following completion of electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic,
propulsion and guidance system checkout and testing, a Ter-
minal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCD) was performed Oct. 21,
The TCD demonstrated the integrity of the vehicle-to-ground
systems interface in a crygenic environment which duplicated
launch countdown conditions.
The Intelsat IV-A spacecraft was received Sept. 21 and
underwent systems checkout in Hangar AM. The spacecraft was
moved to the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility
Dec. 14 where hydrazine loading and encapsulation in the pay-
load fairing were completed.
The spacecraft/payload fairing assembly was mated to the
launch vehicle Dec. 20 in support of the Combined Readiness
Test Dec. 22. Final countdown preparations for the planned
Jan. 6, 1978, launch are to be initiated Jan. 3.
All launch vehicle and pad operations during the launch
countdown are conducted from the blockhouse at Complex 36 by
a joint government-industry team.
—more-
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ATLAS CENTAUR/INTELSAT IV-A TEAM
NASA Headquarters
John F. Yardley
Joseph B. Mahon
F. R. Schmidt
Lewis Research Center
Dr. Bernard Lubarsky
Dr. Seymour C. Himmel
Andrew J. Stofan
Richard E. Orzechowski
Kennedy Space Center
Lee R. Scherer
Dr. Walter J. Kapryan
George F. Page
John D. Gossett
Creighton A. Terhune
Floyd Currington
Associate Administrator
for Space Flight
Director of Launch Vehicle
and Propulsion Programs
Manager, Atlas Centaur
Acting Director
Associate Director
Director of Launch Vehicles
Intelsat Mission Project
Engineer
Director
Director, Space Vehicles
Operations
Director, Expendable Vehicles
Chief, Centaur Operations
Chief Engineer, Atlas Centaur
Spacecraft Coordinator
-more-
-11-
COMSAT
Dr. Joseph V. Charyk
Eugene T. Jilg
Allen M. McCaskill
President
Assistant Vice President
Engineering
Manager, Launch Vehicles
Hughes Aircraft Co.
A. T. Owens Intelsat IV-A Project
Manager
CONTRACTORS
General Dynamics/Convair
San Diego, Calif.
Honeywell Aerospace Division
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Pratt and Whitney
West Palm Beach, Fla.
Teledyne Industries, Inc.
Northridge, Calif.
Rocketdyne Division
Rockwell International Corp.
Canoga Park, Calif.
Atlas Centaur launch
vehicle
Centaur guidance inertial
measurement group
Centaur RL-10 engines
Digital computer unit/PCM
telemetry
MA-5 propulsion systems
-end-
-12-
INTELSAT IV-A COVERAGE FOR INDIAN OCEAN REGION
IRAN
IRAQ
SYRIA
KUWAIT
BAHRAIN
UNITED
KINGDOM
GERMANY
LEBANON
ALGERIA
SAUDI ARABIA
MALI
NIGER
YEMEN. A.R.
YEMEN, P.O.R.
NIGERIA
KENYA
MALAWI
ZAMBIA
SEYCHELLES
SOUTH AFRICA
QATAR
NITEDARAB
EMIRATES
PAKISTAN
OMAN
KOREA
JAPAN
CHINA
BANGLADESH
HONG KONG
PHILIPPINES
INDIA
THAILAND
MALAYSIA
SINGAPORE
INDONESIA
SRI LANKA
AUSTRALIA
MALDIVES
MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS


Fifth Intelsat 4-A launch scheduled

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