Intelsat 3 Credit - Intelsat

Intelsat 3 spacecraft were used to relay commercial global telecommunications including live TV. Three of the 8 satellites in the series (F1, F5, F8) were unusable due to launch vehicle failures, and most of the remainder did not achieve their desired lifetimes. F2 operated for 1.5 years, F3 was partially operational for 7 years, F4 lasted 3 years, F6 survived 2 years, and F7 remained usable for 16 years. Spacecraft: Spin stabilized with a despun antenna structure (34 inch tall antenna). Hydrazine propulsion system with 4 thrusters and 4 tanks. Passive thermal control. Body mounted solar cells produced 178 W peak, 9 AH NiCd batteries. Payload: Two transponders using 12 watt TWTA amplifiers. Multiple access.1500 voice circuits or 4 TV channels.

Design Life: 5 years. Length: 1.42 m (4.65 ft). Maximum Diameter: 1.04 m (3.41 ft). Mass: 287 kg (633 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Delta M.

• 1968 December 19 - Intelsat 3 F-2 - Program: Intelsat. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta M. Mass: 293 kg (645 lb). Perigee: 35,984 km (22,359 mi). Apogee: 37,111 km (23,059 mi). Inclination: 15.10 deg. Period: 1,475.20 min.

  Over Brazil. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic Ocean at 24 deg W in 1969-1970. As of 3 September 2001 located at 96.04 deg E drifting at 9.557 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 48.04W drifting at 9.553W degrees per day.

• 1968 September 19 - Intelsat-3 F-1 - Program: Intelsat. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta M. FAILURE: Control system failure; destroyed by range safety. Mass: 293 kg (645 lb).

• 1969 February 6 - Intelsat 3 F-3 - Program: Intelsat. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta M. Mass: 293 kg (645 lb). Perigee: 35,767 km (22,224 mi). Apogee: 35,803 km (22,246 mi). Inclination: 6.10 deg. Period: 1,436.00 min.

  Stationed at 63 deg E. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Pacific Ocean at 174 deg E in 1969; over the Indian Ocean 062 deg E in 1969-1975. Last known longitude (24 May 1979) 66.72 deg E drifting at 0.017 deg E per day.

• 1969 July 26 - Intelsat 3 F-5 - Program: Intelsat. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta M. FAILURE: Third stage failure; left in unusable orbit. Mass: 269 kg (593 lb). Perigee: 211 km (131 mi). Apogee: 433 km (269 mi). Inclination: 30.20 deg. Period: 91.00 min.

  Third stage failure; left in unusable orbit. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).

• 1969 May 22 - Intelsat 3 F-4 - Program: Intelsat. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta M. Mass: 293 kg (645 lb). Perigee: 39,486 km (24,535 mi). Apogee: 39,752 km (24,700 mi). Inclination: 6.10 deg. Period: 1,636.30 min.

  Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Pacific Ocean at 175 deg E in 1969-1972; ? 1972-1977; over the Pacific Ocean 166 deg W in 1977. Last known longitude (20 May 1977) 161.73 deg E drifting at 44.175 deg W per day.Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).

• 1970 April 23 - Intelsat 3 F-7 - Program: Intelsat. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta M. Mass: 293 kg (645 lb). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Apogee: 35,791 km (22,239 mi). Inclination: 0.90 deg. Period: 1,435.90 min.

  Stationed at 341 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic Ocean at 19 deg W in 1970-1971 Last known longitude (1 January 1972) L 139.45 deg E drifting at 0.022 deg E per day. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).

• 1970 January 15 - Intelsat 3 F-6 - Program: Intelsat. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta M. Mass: 293 kg (645 lb). Perigee: 36,079 km (22,418 mi). Apogee: 36,126 km (22,447 mi). Inclination: 14.30 deg. Period: 1,452.30 min.

  Stationed at 336 deg E. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic Ocean at 25 deg W in 1970; over the Atlantic Ocean 30 deg W in 1970-1971; over the Atlantic Ocean 20 deg W in 1971 Apr-1972 Mar; over the Indian Ocean 64 deg E in 1972-1974; over the Pacific Ocean 177 deg W in 1975 As of 5 September 2001 located at 163.49 deg E drifting at 4.024 deg W per day. As of 2007 Feb 27 located at 47.49E drifting at 4.027W degrees per day.

• 1970 July 23 - Intelsat 3 F-8 - Program: Intelsat. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Delta M. Mass: 270 kg (590 lb). Perigee: 33,877 km (21,050 mi). Apogee: 36,599 km (22,741 mi). Inclination: 12.10 deg. Period: 1,408.20 min.

  Unusable orbit. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). As of 28 August 2001 located at 175.58 deg E drifting at 7.155 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 110.93W drifting at 7.169E degrees per day.

• USAF Satellite Database, USAF Institute of Technology, 1995. Accessed at: ftp://archive.afit.af.mil/pub/space/.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• Krebs, Gunter, Gunter's Space Page, University of Frankfurt, 1996. Accessed at: http://www.skyrocket.de/space.

• JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Accessed at: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.

• Bramscher, Robert G, Spaceflight, "A Survey of Launch Vehicle Failures", 1980, Volume 22, page 351.