First Decade...

I
Ln National Aeronautics and
", Landing Space Administration
19691979 Washington, D.C. 20546 /
'I us . IAC 202 755 8370

For Release IMMEDIATE

Press Kit Project Westar-C

RELEASE NO: 79-96

Contents
GENERAL RELEASE................................. 1-3

DELTA L EASEVE .C. .. . . . . .. . . . . . . e

. . . . . . . . . .4 -

WELTAR-CSPACECRAPT................................. 5

LAUNCH OPERATIONS ................................ ... 5

NASA/WESTAR-C TEAM .......................... . ....... 6-7

CONTRACTORS ...........
*.......................... * . ........ 7 '

July 25, 1979 1

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 Fist
CDecade... 5ANe s
aty o,Lip-ding
4; Ia'zdir~g Space Administration
National Aeronautics and '
'Žd 1969-1979 Washington. D.C. 20546
AC 202 755-8370

For Release:
Jim Kukowski
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. IMIEDIATE
(Phone: 202/755-3090)

John Kley
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 7<
(Phone: 301/344-8955)

RELEA,7E NO: 79-96

NASA TO LAUNCH WESTAR-C

Westar-C, the third in a series of Western Union communi-

cations satellites, bill be launched by NASA from Cape Canaveral, .,

Fla., on or about Aug. 9.

The 12-channel satellite will be able to transmit color

television, 600 two-way telephone calls or millions of bi~ts of

high-speed data for commercial users in the United Scates. p A

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July 25, 19379

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Westar-C (Westar-3 when in orbit) will be placed into a

geosynchronous orbit over the equator at 91 degrees west longi-

tude, due south of New Orleans and above the Galapagos Islands.

Westar-l was launched in April 1974. The second in the

series, Iestar-2, was launched six months later in October 1974.

A NASA Delta launch vehicle will place the 572-kilogram

(1,265-pound) satellite into a highly elliptical transfer orbit
with an apogee, or high point,of 36,500 kilometers (22,685 miles)
and a perigee, or low point, of 232 km (144 mi.). The angle of
inclination will be 24.28 degrees.

At either the fourth or ninth apogee, the on-board apogee

kick motor will be fired by controllers at Western Union's
Satellite Control Center at Glenwood, N.J. to circularize the
orbit and align the spacecraft with the equator and will then
monitor the satellite as it "drifts" to its assigned position
at 91 degrees west longitude.

When the satellite arrives "orn station,' controllers will

ffie t/n-board hydrazine thrusters to stop the drift. synchronous
or.it will be at 35,)00 km (22,300 mi.). At this altitude, the
speed of the satellite in orbit. matches the rotational speed of

the Tarth and the satellite hovers over the equator at its
assigned longitude.

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The Delta launch vehicle project is managed for NASA's |

Office of Space Transportation Systents by the agency's Goddard

Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. NASA's Kennedy Space Center,

Fla., is responsible to Goddard for launch operations manage-

ment. Prime contractor for the Delta 2914 launch vehicle pro-

duction and launch is McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co.,

Huntington Beac-h, Calif. Prime contractor to Western Union for |

the Westar-C spacecraft is Hughes Aircraft Co., Culver City, I

Calif.

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.) A 1

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DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLEA

Westar-C will be launched by a three-stage Delta

launch vehicle. This launching will be the 149th 29l4
Delta which has a success record of better than 90 for NASA's
per cent.
The Delta 2914 has the following genera! characteristics:

Height: 35.4 meters (116 feet)

Maximum diameter: 2.4 m (0 ft.) without attached solids
Liftoff weight: 131,895 kg (293,100 lb.) A
Liftoff thrust: 1,765.315 newtons (396,700 lb.)
including strap-on solids

The first Delta stage is a McDonnell Douglas

Thor booster incorporating nine strap-on Thiokol modified
solid-fuel
rocket motors. The Thor booster is powered by a Rocketdyne
engine using liquid oxygen and liquid hydrocarbon
The main engine is gimbal mounted to provide pitchpropellants.
control from liftoff to main engine cutoff. and yaw

The second stage is powered by a TRW liquid

fed engine that is also gimbal mounted to provide fuel, pressure-
pitch and
yaw control. A nitrogen gas system uses fixed nozzles
control during powered and coast flight, as well as for roll
yaw control during coast and after second stage roll and
cutoffs.
Tne third stage is a Thiokol TE-364-4 spin-stabilized
solid propellant motor secured in the spin table
mounted to
the second stage. The firing of eight solid propellant tj
motors fixed to thp spin table accomplishes spin-up rocket
third stage spacecraft of the
assembly.
The Delta 2914 will inject Westar-C into a transfer orbit
having an apogee of 36,500 km (22,685 mi.). 2

At this point
NASA/Delta technical responsibilities are
completed. Command
and control, tracking and data analyses become the responsi-
bility of Western Union's Satellite Control Center , *
N.J. At either fourth or ninth apogeethe center at Glenwood,
the apogee kick motor to fire to circularize the will command
35,900 km (22,300 mi.). orbit at

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 WETA!-CS-CERAT4,
4. 4 -. 4 . 4.- * A

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tionsatelite ito
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plaed y We'
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rnUnio. Th

saelt astefl41n hrctrsis

Wegt 72k 126 b)atluc

Thesatellisthe thidrdmishape serid ofrindopesaticoncuni-

tionsatelsites placedainto orIt by Westernd Union. T300ela
caellts whas the ifl a owng-chard acteristis:se orvd

Huloeight:o156 oentiwhenther (61.5 ie inchs

i th at'
DA1 -metr 191cm(7.1in.)wiecruadietolannaex
tedsaovtetoTohe satlieiprmsapedrand. during optennation
con-

with respect to the spinning spacecraft, remaining constantly

aimed at the United States.
Small hydr~zine thrusters will be used to move the
craft in orbit,"compensate for drift effects or hold the space-
space-
craft on station.

Westar-C, a 12-channel spacecraft, can transmit one color

television program, or 600 two-way telephone calls or 60
lion data bits per second. mil-

a_

TheKenedySpace' Center's Cargo Operations

is responsible to thc Goddard Space Flight Center Directorate
for manage~-
ment of thL- preparation and launch of the Delta launch vehicle
that will carry Westar-C.
Delta 149 will be launched from Complex 17A at the Air
Force Eastern Test Range, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,

FlV.
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NASA/ESTAR-C TEAM

NASA Headggarters

John F. Yardley Aseociate Administrator for Space

Joseph B. Mahon
Ivehicl
Transportation Systems

Director, Expendable Launch

Systems

I,'
Peter T. Eatdn Manager, Delta Program

Goddard. Space Flight Center

Robert E. Smylie Acting Director
John H. Boeckel Acting Director, Project Management
David W. Grimes Delta Project Manager
Robert Goss Manager, Delta Mission Analysis
and Integration
Frank J. Lawrence Westar-C Mission Integration
Manager
rillian dawkins Mission Operations and Network
Support Manager
Ray Mazur Mission Support

KennedY Space Center

Lee R. Scherer Director

F. A. Rigel Acting Director, Cargo Operations
Chuck Gay Director, Deployable Payloads.
Operations
Wayne L. McCall Chief, Delta Operations Division
Gayle Hager Spacecraft Coordinator

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Western Union Telegraph Co.

Phil P. Schneider Executive Program Manager, Westar

Jack Van Cleve Mission Director

John J. Albert Launch Operations Director and

Program Manager

P. W. Ziegler Launch Consultant

James Judson Spacecraft Director, Glenwood

Station

CONTRACTORS

Hughes Aircraft Co. Spacecraft

Culver City, Calif.

McDonnell Douglas Delta launch vehicle

Astronautics Co.
Huntington Beach, Calif.

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