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SNATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

Sf SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Washington, D. C. 20546
202-755-8370

" FOR RELEASE:

MONDAY PMs,
SReIc se., NO. ia-q January 17, 1972
P PROJECT: INTELSAT IV

R
E contents
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GENERAL RELEASE ------------------------
THE SPACECRAFT ------------------------
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STHE LAUNCH VEHICLE --------------------- 5

* THE LAUNCH WINDOW ---------------------- 6
THE INTELSAT TEAM ---------------------- 7
THE INDUSTRY TEAM ---------------------- 8
FLIGHT EVENTS ------------------------- 9

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January 13, 1972

 NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
SSPACE ADMINISTRATION
Washington, D. C. 20546
Phone: (202) 755-8370

FOR RELEASE:
Howard Allaway MONDAY PMs,
(Phone: 202/755-3680) January 17, 1972
Larry Hastings (Comsat)
(Phone: 202/554-6100)
RELEASE NO: 72-9

NASA TO LAUNCH INTELSAT IV

The third in a series of Intelsat IV commercial

com-
munications satellites will be launched aboard
an Atlas-
Centaur rocket from Cape Kennedy, Fla, by the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration no earlier
than Jan. 19.

This spacecraft will add 12 television

channels to the
36 now available between the U.S. and other naticns.
Com-
munications satellites are the only means by which
TV-can
be transmitted overseas. Intelsat IV (F-4) can carry 5,000
to 6,000 two-way telephone conversations under average
con-
ditions.

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January 13, 1972

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• The Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle will place the

satellite in a highly elliptical orbit ranging from

approximately 563 to 36,800 kilometers (350 to 22,300

statute miles). After checkout and orientation of the
spacecraft a solid propellant rocket motor aboard the
spacecraft will be fired to circularize the orbit at
Ssynchronous altitude (36,800 kilometers or 22,300 statute
miles). At this altitude the speed of the spacecraft
in orbit matches the rotational speed of the Earth so
that it appears to hover over one spot. By the firing of
small gas jets aboard the spacecraft it can be allowed
to drift in orbit and then be positioned accurately at any
desired point on the equator. This particular
Intelsat IV
is intended for use over the Pacific Ocean.

The new satellite, like others in the global com-

mercial communications system, is owned by the International
i Communications Consortium (Intelsat). The Communications
Satellite Corporation (Comsat), the United States member,
acts as spacecraft manager on behalf of
the other 81
nations in the consortium. NASA is reimbursed for all
costs of Atlas-Centaur and launch services by Intelsat,
under provisions of the Communications Satellite Act of 1962,

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 The first Intelsat IV satellite was launched Jan. 25, 1971
and placed in commercial service March 26 over the Atlantic
Ocean at 24.5 degrees West longitude. The second Intelsat IV
was launched Dec. 19, 1971. It is presently being checked
Sout and is expected to go into service later this month.

")OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS)

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SPACECRAFT

The Intelsat IV's are the largest commercial com-

munications satellites ever launched, both in size and
communication capacity. Each stands over 17 feet high
and weighs 3,110 pounds at launch. After the solid-
fueled, on-board apogee motor has been fired to thrust
She spacecraft from transfer to synchronous orbit,
the
in-orbit weight is 1,587 pounds.

Each Intelsat IV satellite is capable of carrying

a varying number of telephone circuits simultaneously,
* depending on whether the power is radiated to earth by
Swide or spotbeam antenna configuration. The average
antenna configuration provides telephone capacity
* of
5,000 to 6,000 circuits. Each Intelsat IV satellite could
Scarry 12 color television channels or a combination of
STelephone, TV, data and other forms of communication
traffic.

In contrast, the Early Bird Satellite, (Intelsat I)

launched in 1965, had a design capacity
of 240 telephone
circuits.
4 The drum-shaped body of the satellite is surrounded
! by 45,012 solar cells to provide electrical power.

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 LAUNCH VEHICLE

Intelsat IV is the 18th operational launch for the

Atlas-Centaur. The rocket combination, standing approximately
35 meters (113 feet) high, consists of an Atlas SLV-3C
booster and Centaur second stage.

The Atlas booster develops 403,000 pounds of thrust

at liftoff using two 171,000-pound thrust booster engines
and one 6 0,000-pound thrust sustainer engine. Its propellants
are RP-1 (a kerosene type fuel) and liquid oxygen (LOX).
The Centaur second stage, which was developed and is
flown under the direction of NASA, Lewis Research Center,
Cleveland, was the first U.S. rocket to use the high
liquid hydiogen, liquid oxygen combination. energy
Its two RL-10
engines develop 15,000 pounds thrust each.
combination with an Atlas booster up to the Flown in
present time,
Centaur is in the process of being integrated with the
Titan III booster to launch Viking spacecraft to
Mars in

During 1971 Centaur successfully launched Mariner 9

to Mars and two Intelsat IV spacecraft.
is scheduled to launch three Intelsat IVs,During 1972 it
a Pioneer
spacecraft to fly by Jupiter and an Orbiting Astronomical
Observatory.

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LAUNCH WINDOW

The primary factor determining the launch window

for Intelsat spacecraft is the angle of the sun. It is
desirable for the solar cells on the spacecraft to
receive the maximum possible exposure during the transfer
orbit. The sun angle is at its best twice a day at noon
and midnight Greenwich Mean Time of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. EST.
Because of the greater convenience for launch crews and
i tracking operations the 7:00 p.m. period is generally chosen.

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INTELSAT TEAM

NASA Headauarters

Dr. John E. Naugle Associate Administrator for

Space Science
f Vincent L. Johnson Deputy Associate Administrator
for OSS
Jerome Freibaum Program Manager
Joseph B. Mahon Director, Launch Vehicle Programs
T. B. Norris Medium Launch Vehicles Program
Manager
F. R. Schmidt Atlas-Centaur Manager

COMSAT

Dr. Joseph V. Charyk President

Martin J. Votal Asst. Vice President & Director
of Space Segment Implementation

Kennedy Space Center

Dr. Kurt H. Debus Director

John J. Neilon Director, Unmanned Launch
Operations (ULO)
John Gossett Manager, Centaur Operations,
(ULO)

Lewis Research Center

Bruce T. Lundin Director

Edmund R. Jonash Chief, Launch Vehicles Division
W. R. Dunbar Associate Chief, Launch Vehici s
Division
Daniel J. Shramo Atlas-Centaur Project Manager

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~_1\
 S1

S-8-

Hughes Aircraft Co. INTELSAT IV Spacecraft

SSunnyvale, Calif.
* General Dynamics/Convair Atlas-Centaur Launch
San Diego, Calif. Vehicle

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Prograir.
Flight Events Time Speed Inertial Range Altitude
Statute Statute
Seconds MPH KM/HR Miles Kilometers Miles Kilometers
BECO 151.4 6622.3 10,655.2 55.1 88.6 36.12 58.1
Booster jettison 154.5 6693.9 10,770.4 59.7 96.0 37.97 61.0
Insulatxor. panel jettison 196.4 7545.4 12,140.5 127.6 205.3 60.98 98.1
SECO/VECG 241.2 8826.5 14,201.8 214.7 345.4 82.94 133.4
Centaur separation 243.2 8795.2 14,151.4 217.7 350.2 83.94 135.0
Centaur MEIG (1) 252.7 8786.3 14:137.1 238 382.9 88.06 141.6
Nose fairing jettison 264.7 8885.8 14,297.2 262.9 423.0 .92.90 149.4
Centaur MECO (1) 62'.2 18,562 29,866.2 1413 2,273.5 117.5 189.0
Centaur MEIG (2) 1519.0 17,610 28,334.4 5487 8,828.5 371.3 597.4
Centaur MECO (2) 1593.2 22,009 55,412.4 5836 9,390.1 417.7 672.1
Spacecraft separation 1728.6 21,643 34,823.5 6522.8 10,495.1 549.2 8q3.6
Reorient Centaur 1733.6
Start blowdown 1898.6
7nd oiowdown 2148.6

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