fVIASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington. D.C. 20546 AC 202 755-8370 I For Release IMMEDIATE Press Kit \ RELEASE NO: 76-46 NATO 3-A RECEIVED FACILITY BRANCH c 1-2 Contents GENERAL RELEASE DELTA 2914 LAUNCH VEHICLE 3 STRAIGHT EIGHT DELTA FACTS AND FIGURES.. 4-5 LAUNCH OPERATIONS 6 NATO 3-A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 7-8 DELTA MANAGEMENT 9-10 NATO/DELTA TEAM. 10 CONTRACTORS 10 (NASA-News-Release-76-46) NASA TO LAUNCH THIBD NATO COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE- (NASA) 12 p CSCL 22D N76-19203 Unclas 00/15 21085 j https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19760012115 2020-03-22T16:53:20+00:00Z NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, D.C. 20546 AC 202 755-8370 For Release: Bill O'Doiinell ' Headquarters, Washington, D.C. IMMEDIATE (Phone: 202/755-2354) RELEASE NO: 76-46 NASA TO LAUNCH THIRD NATO COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE The third in a series of military communications satellites to serve the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is scheduled for launch by NASA's Kennedy Space Center from Cape Canaveral, Fla., April 22. Launch window is 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. EST. The spacecraft, NATO 3-A will be placed in synchronous orbit 36,000 kilometers (22,300 miles) altitude over the equator at 15.5 degrees W. Longitude due south of the westernmost coast of Africa by a NASA Delta launch vehicle. The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO) will reimburse NASA for all costs associated with the launch^ on behalf of NATO. -more- .. . The drum-shaped spacecraft is about 2.2 meters (86 inches) in diameter, 2.23 m (88 in.) long, with an overall length of about 3.1 m (122 in.) counting the antennas. It weighs 720 ki±6grattis'(lV540'pounds) at launch and after firing of its onboard apogee kick motor to place it in tionary orbit it will weigh 3lb kg (677 lb.). Its design lifetime is seven years. » NATO 3-A .will be placed in synchronous orbit some 48 hours after launch pn the. fifth apogee of the spacecraft when the apogee kick motor is fired. It will then drift eastward at the rate of four degrees a day.to its final station at 15.5 degrees W. Longitude. NASA's Goddard. Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. , provides the Delta rocket to launch NATO 3-A. Aeronutronic- Ford Corp., Palo Alto, Calif., built the spacecraft and McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co., Huntington Beach, Calif., manufactured Delta. . Two previous NATO spacecraft have been launched by NASA by the Delta —.in March, 197Q, and in February, 1971. A second identical satellite (NATO 3-B) is planned for launch by a Delta rocket in September of this year. (END OF GENERAL RELEASE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.) -3- DELTA 2914 LAUNCH VEHICLE The spacecraft will be launched by a 2914 three-stage Delta launch vehicle, which has an overall length of approx- imately 35 m (116 ft.), and a body {diameter, of .2.4 m (8 ft.). The Delta launch vehicle has been successful in 93 per cent of its 120 launches during the past 15 years. First Stage The first stage is a McDonnell Douglas extended-long- tank Thor booster with nine strap-on Thiokol Castor II solid- fuel rocket motors. The booster is powered by a Rocketdyne RS-27 engine using liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrocarbon propellants. The main engine is gimbal-mounted to provide ' pitch and yaw control from liftoff to main engine cutoff (MECO). Two liquid propellant vernier engines provide roll control throughout first Stage operation and pitch and yaw control from MECO to separation of the first and second _ stages. Second Stage The second stage is powered by a TRW TR-201 liquid-fuel pressure-fed engine that uses Aerozene 50 fuel and N2O4 oxi- dizer and is gimbal-mounted to provide pitch and yaw'control through second stage burn. A nitrogen gas system using eight fixed nozzles provides roll control during powered and coast flight as well as pitch and yaw control during coast and after second-stage cutoff (SECO). Two fixed nozzles, fed by the propellant-tank helium-pressxirization system, provide retrothrust after third stage separation. Third Stage The third stage is the Thiokol TE-364-4 spin-stabilized solid-propeilarit motor. The third stage motor is secured in a spin table mounted on the second stage. The firing of eight small propellant rockets fixed to the spin table accom- plishes spinup of the third stage assembly. Injection Into Synchronous Orbit The Delta vehicle places the spacecraft in an elliptical transfer orbit. The spacecraft apogee motor will be fired at the fifth apogee of the orbit about 48 hours after launch. This maneuver will circularize the orbit at synchronous alti- tude above the equator. The spacecraft hydrazine attitude control system is used to drift the satellite to its final station at 15.5 degrees W. Longitude. About a month after launch, following checkout of the onboard communications systems, the spacecraft will become operational. -more- -4- STRAIGHT EIGHT DELTA FACTS AND FIGURES Height: 35.4 m (116 ft.) including shroud Maximum diameter: 2.4 m (8 ft.) without attached solids Liftoff weight: 131,895 kg (293,100 Ib.) Liftoff thrust: 1,765,315 newtons (396,700 Ib.) including strap-on solids First Stage (Liquid only) consists of an extended long-tank Thor, produced by McDonnell Douglas. The RS-27 engines are pro- duced by the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell International. The stage has the following characteristics: Diameter: 2.4 m;(8 ft.) Height: 21.3 m (70 ft.) Propellants: RJ-1 kerosene as the fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) as the oxidizer Thrust: 912,000 N (205,000 Ib.) Burning time: About 3.48 minutes Weight: About 84,600 kg (186,000 Ib.) excluding strap-on solids • . Strap-on solids consist of nine solid propellant rockets produced by the Thiokol Chemical Corp., with the following features: Diameter: 0.8 m (31 in.) Height: 7 m (23.6 ft.) Total weight: 40,300 kg (88,650 Ib.) for nine 4,475 kg ( 9,850 Ib.) for each Thrust: 2,083,000 N (468,000 Ib.) for nine 231,400 N ( 52,000 Ib.) each Burning time: 38 seconds -more- -5- Second Stage Produced by McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co., using a TRW TR-201 rocket engine; major contractors for the vehicle inertial guidance system located on the second .stage., are Hamilton Standard, Teledyne and belco. . ,..,/.; ... .. Propellants: Liquid, consists of Aerozene 5"0 for th'e fuel and Nitrogen Tetroxide (^ CU) for the oxidizer. * . Diameter: 1.5 m (5 ft.) plus 2.4 m (8 ft.) attached ring . . . . . . . Height: 6.4 m (21 ft.) Weight: 6,118 kg (13,596 Ib.) Thrust: About 42,943 N (9,650 Ib.) . . Total burning time: 335 seconds Third Stage Thiokol Chemical Co. TE-364-4 motor. Propellant: Solid Height: 1.4 m (4.5 ft.) Diameter: 1 m (3 ft.) Weight: 1,152 kg (2,560 Ib.) Thrust: 61,855 N (13,900 Ib.) Burning time: 44 seconds -more- -6- LAUNCH OPERATIONS The Kennedy Space Center's Expendable Vehicles Directorate prepares and launches the thrust-augmented Delta rocket carrying NATO 3-A. Delta 122 will be launched from Pad B at Complex 17, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Delta first stage and interstage were erected on Pad B on March 12. The nine solid strap-on rocket motors were mounted in place around the base of the first stage on March 15-16 and the second stage was erected on March 18. The NATO 3-A spacecraft was received during the second week of March, checked out and mated with the Delta third stage. 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NASA to launch third NATO communications satellite

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