cosmos.wikisort.org - Spacecraft

Intelsat III F-2 was a communications satellite operated by Intelsat. Launched in 1968 it was operated in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 24 degrees west for around eighteen months.[2]

Intelsat III F-2

Mission type	Communications
Operator	COMSAT for Intelsat
COSPAR ID	1968-116A
SATCAT no.	03623
Mission duration	5 years (planned) 1+1⁄2 years (achieved)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	Intelsat III
Bus	Intelsat
Manufacturer	TRW
Launch mass	293 kg
Dry mass	151 kg
Power	183 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	19 December 1968, 00:32:00 GMT[1]
Rocket	Delta M
Launch site	Cape Canaveral, LC-17A
Contractor	NASA
End of mission
Deactivated	Mid-1971
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Geostationary orbit (Now supersynchronous)
Longitude	24.0° West
Transponders
Capacity	2 transponders
Coverage area	Global
Intelsat III ← Intelsat III F-1 Intelsat III F-3 →

Spacecraft

The second of eight Intelsat III satellites to be launched, Intelsat III F-2 was built by TRW. It was a 293 kg (646 lb) spacecraft, with its mass reducing to 151 kg (333 lb) by entry into service as it burned propellant to reach its final orbit. The satellite carried an SVM-2 apogee motor for propulsion and was equipped with two transponders powered by body-mounted solar cells generating 183 watts of power.[2] It was designed for a five-year service life.[3]

Launch

The launch of Intelsat III F-2 made use of a Delta M rocket flying from Launch Complex 17A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch took place at 00:32 GMT on 19 December 1968, with the spacecraft entering a geosynchronous transfer orbit.[1] Intelsat III F-2 subsequently fired its apogee motor to achieve geostationary orbit. It was operated at a longitude of 24° west, over Brazil; however it ceased operations after only a year and a half in orbit, in mid-1971.[4]

Orbit

Intelsat III F-2 remains in a graveyard orbit as an orbital debris. As of 7 February 2014, it was in an orbit with a perigee of 38,438 km (23,884 mi), an apogee of 39,317 km (24,430 mi), inclination of 13.73° and an orbital period of 26.60 hours.[5]

See also

• 1968 in spaceflight

References

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