25th Anniversary

National Aeronautics and 1958-1983

Space,Administration
Washington. D.C. 20546
AC 202 755-8370

David Garrett ForReese

Headquarters, Washington, D.C. IMMEDIATE
(Phone: 202/755-3090)

Jim Ball
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
(Phone: 305/867-2468)

Charles Recknagel
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/344-5566)

RELEASE NO: 83-110

NASA TO LAUNCH TELSTAR 3A COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE

Telstar 3A communications satellite is scheduled for launch

by NASA on July 28 aboard a Delta 171 rocket from Launch Complex

17A on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

There are three "windows", or launch opportunities, on that

date: from 6:21 to 6:57 p.m. EDr; 7:30 to 7:43 p.m. EDT; and

from 8:15 to 9:39 p.m. EDT.

The Telstar 3A satellite, owned by AT&T (American Telephone

and Telegraph Ccmpany) Long Lines Department, is the first in a

new series of three domestic communications satellites providing

television, telephone, and information transmission services to

the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

July 20, 1093

-more-
 -2--

The company's Telstar 1 satellite, launched 21 years ago

this month, was the world's first satellite built with private

funds. The 170-pound spacecraft was the first active repeater

satellite and it relayed the first trans-Atlantic television
exchange via satellite.

A second AT&T-built Telstar was launched a year later in May

1963.

The new Telstar series will supplement and later replace

three of four COMSTAR communications satellites which AT&T cur-

rently leases from Comsat. The COMSTARs have lifetime expectan-

cies ending in 1984, 1985 and 1988.

Following the launch of Telstar 3A, two other Telstar 3

satellites are scheduled for launch from the Space Shuttle in
1984 and 1985.

Telstar 3A will be positioned in a geostationary orbit

approximately 35,880 kilometers (22,300 miles) above the equator

at 96 degrees west longitude. This orbital station is located
above the Pacific Ocean at a point due south of Houston, Texas,
and just west of the Galapagos Islands. It will operate in the
6/4 Ghz C band and has a design lifetime of at least 10 years.

Telstar 3A carries a total of 24 transponders, plus six

spares, to cover the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, Hawaii and

Puerto Rico.

-more-
 -3-

and can relay one

Each transponder has 5.5 watts of power,
second) or up to 3,900
color TV signal (up to 60 million bits per
Telstar 1 was cap-
normal. two-way telephone calls. By contrast,
or one television
able of providing 600 one-way voice channels
channel.

(PAM) version of the

Delta 171, a 3920/Payload Assist Module
into space. The vehicle
launch vehicle, will boost the Telstar 3A
(the thrust of its
consists of an Extended Long Tank First Stage
Castor IV strap-on
Rocketdyne RS-27 engine augmented by nine
AJ10-118K second stage;
solid motors); the new improved Aerojet
as the final stage.
and a Payload Assist Module which functions

(8 feet) in
The entire vehicle is a uniform 2.4 meters
and 35.35 m (116
diameter (excluding the strap-on solid motors)
ft.) in height. McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Corp., Huntington
production and launch
Beach, Calif., is the prime contractor for
of the Delta vehicle.

of the Delta 3920,

Following launch by the first two stages
transfer orbit by
Telstar 3A will be inserted into an elliptical
conventional third
the Payload Assist Module, rather than a
by McDonnell Douglas,
stage. The Payload Assist Module, built
a near-geostationary
is attached to the satellite. To produce
satellite itself will
orbit, an apogee kick motor mounted in the

be fired on the fourth apogee.

-more-

4.
-

A.
... - ___
 - ~~~
~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ - - -*-"~ r. - -- ' - ----------------

-4-

Positioning of the spacecraft will be accomplished using the

satellite's on-board attitude-positioning gas system. An AT&T

satellite control center at Hawley, Pa., will dire-t Telstar 3A

through transfer orbit to its final position in geostationary
orbit. Once the satellite reaches its assigned position, sub-

system testing and station-keeping activities will be carried out

by AT&T.

Telstar 3A has a diameter of 216 centimeters (85 in.) and

is 277 cm (109 in.) high when stowed aboard its Delta launch
vehicle. In orbit, the aft solar panel deploys and the antenna
reflector erects for a combined height of 683 cm (269 in.), or
the equivalent of a two-story building. The satellite weighs

about 1,225 kilograms (2,700 pounds) on the ground and 663 kg

(1,438 lb.) in orbit.

Nominal orbit characteristics for Telstar 3A are:

Apogee Altitude: 37,293 km (23,173 mi.)

Perigee Altitude: 185 km (115 mi.)

Inclination: 23 degrees

Argument of Perigee: 179 degrees

Operational orbit: 35,880 km (22,300 mi.)

Station Longitude: 96 degrees W.

-more-
 -5-

NASA INDUSTRY LAUNCH TEAM

NASA Headquarters

Lt.Gen. J. A. Abrahamson Associate Administrator for

Space Flight

Robert E. Smylie Associate Administrator for

Space Tracking and Data Systems

Joseph B. Mahon Directcr, Special Programs

Peter Eaton Chief, Expendable Launch

Vehicle Programs

Henry Clarks Delta Program Manager.

Goddard Space Flight Center

Dr. Noel W. Hinners Director

John J. Quann Deputy Director

William C. Keathley Director, Project Management

Robert C. Baumann Acting DeltaProject Manager

William A. Russell, Jr. Deputy Delta Project Manager

J. Donald Kraft Manager, Delta Mission Analysis

and Integration

Richard H. Sclafford Telstar 3A Mission Integration

Manager

Robert I. Seiders Network Support Manager

Ralph Banning Network Director

Kennedy Space Center

Richard G. Smith Director

Thomas S. Walton Director, Cargo Operations

Charles D. Gay Director, Expendable Vehicles

Operations

Wayne L. McCall Chief, Delta Operations

Division

Jim Weir Head, Cargo Support Branch

Art Sawyer Spacecraft Coordinator

-more-
 -6,

CONTRACTORS

McDonnell Douglas Delta Launch Vehicle

Astronauitics Co.
Huntington Beach, Calif.

Rocketdyne Division First Stage Engine (RS-27)

Rockwell International
Canoga Park, Calif.

Morton Thiokol Corp. Castor IV Strap-on Solid

Huntsville, Ala. Fuel Motors

Aerojet Liquid Rocket AJ10-118K (ITIP) Second Stage

Sacramento, Calif. Engine

General Motors Corp. Guidance Computer

Delco Division
Santa Barbara, Calif.

McDonnell Douglas Payload Assist Module (PAM)

Astronautics Co. Third Stage
Huntington Beach, Calif.

-end-

(Index: 9, 21, 29)