fltsatcom-b press kit

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National Aeronautics andSpace AdministrationWashington. D C 20546AC 202 755-8370

For Release UPON RECEIPT

Press Kit Projet FLTSATCOM-BRELEASE NO: 79-49

ContentsGENERAL RELEASE .............................. . 1-3ATLAS CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE .................... 4TYPICAL LAUNCH VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS ........ 5LAUNCH OPEPATIONS........................... 6TYPICAL LAUNCH SEQUENCE FOR FLTSATCOM-B ......... 7THE FLTSATCOM TEAM ............................... 8

April 25, 1979


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National Aeronautics andSpace AdministrationWashington. DC 20546AC 202 755-8370

For ReleaseJim KukowskiHeadquarters, Washington, D.C. UPON RECEIPT(Phone: 202/755-3090)

Marilyn EdwardsLewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio(Phone: 216/433-4000 Ext. 415)

RELEASE NO: 79-49

SECOND FLTSATCOM LAUNCH SCHEDULED MAY 3

The second of five FLTSATCOM communications satelliteswill be launched by NASA with an Atlas Centaur rocket fromKennedy Space Center, Fla., no earlier than Thursday, May 3,1979. The satellite is intended for service over theAtlantic Ocean.

This will be the 50th launch of an Atlas Centaur, NASA'sstandard launch vehicle for intermediate-weight payloads. Thefirst Atlas Centaur was launched May 8, 1962.

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April 25, 1979


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FLTSATCOM-B satellite will be placed into a geostationaryorbit at 23 degrees west longitude, where it will provide two-way communications, in the 240 to 400 MHz frequency band,between ally points on Earth visible from its orbital location.The spacecraft has a design life of five years.

The FLTSATCOM program is managed by the Naval ElectronicSystems Command. The Air Force Space and Missile SystemsOrganization (SAMSO) is responsible for production, launchvehicle/spacecraft integration and tracking and data acquisition.

The FLTSATCOM satellites are the spaceborne portion ofa worldwide Navy, Air Force and Department of Defense communi-cations system that enables communicating between naval air-craft, ships, submarines, ground stations, Otrategic Air Com-mand elements and presidential command networks.

The satellite system will provide 23 ultra high frequencycommunication channels and one super high frequency uplinkchannel.

NASA is reimbursed for all additive costs of the AtlasCentaur and launch services by the Department of Defense underprovisions of a launch services agreement.

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The Atlas Centaur (AC-47) launch vehicle will place theFLTSATCCM-B Into a highly elliptical orbit of 166 by 35,788kilometers (103 by 22,237 miles). After reorientation of thesatellite, a solid propellant rocket motor aboard the space-craft will be fired to circularize the orbit at a synchronousaltitude of 35,788 km (22,237 mi.). At that altitude, becausethe speed of the spacecraft in orbit matches the rotationalspeed of the Earth, the satellite remains in position overone spot on the equator.

The launch of FLTSATCO04 spacecraft aboard Atlas Centaurrockets requires the coordinated efforts of a large governmentand industry team. NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland,Ohio, has management responsibility for the Atlas Centaurdevelopment and operation. NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,is assigned vehicle checkout and launch responsibility oncethe vehicle reaches Cape Canaveral.

The FLTSATCOM satellites, built by TRW Systems, RedondoBeach, Calif., are 6.7 meters (22 feet) tall and weigh 1,876kilograms (4,136 pounds) at liftoff and 1,005 kg (2,216 lb.)after apogee motor firing.

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; DETAILED INFORMATION FOLLOWS)


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ATLAS CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE

The Atlas Centaur is NASA's standard launch vehicle forintermediate weight payloads. It is used for the launch ofEarth orbital, Earth synchronous and interplanetary missions.Centaur was the nation's first high-energy, liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen propelled rocket. Developed andlaunched under the direction of NASA's Lewis Research Center,it became operational in 1966 with the launch of Surveyor 1,the first U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon's surface.Since that time, both the Atlas booster and Centaursecond stage have undergone many improvements. At present,the vehicle combination can place 4,536 kg (10,000 lb.) inlow Earth orbit, 1,882 kg (4,150 lb.) in a synchronous trans-

fer orbit and 907 kg (2,000 lb.) on an interplanetary trajectory.The Atlas Centaur, standing approximately 40.8 m (134 ft.)high, consists of an Atlas SLV-3D booster and Centaur D-lARsecond stage. The Atlas booster develops 1,920 kilonewtons(431,300 lb.) of thrust at liftoff using two 82 2,920-newton(185,000-lb.) thrust booster engines, one 266,890-N (60,000-lb.)thrust sustainer engine and two vernier engines developing2,890 N (650 lb.) thrust each. The two RL-10 engines onCentaur produce a total of 133,450 N (30,000 lb.) thrust.Both the Atlas and the Centaur are 3 m (10 ft.) in diameter.Until early 1974, Centaur was used exclusively in com-bination with the Atlas booster. It was subsequently usedwith a Titan III booster to launch heavier payloads into Earthorbit and interplanetary trajectories.The Atlas and the Centaur vehicles have been updatedover the years. Thrust of the Atlas engines has been increasedabout 22,400 N (50,000 lb,) since their first use in the spaceprogram in the early 19'i0s.The Centaur D-1AR has an integrated electroric systemthat performs a major role in checking itself and othervehicle systems before launch and also maintains control ofmajor events after liftoff. The new Centaur system handlesnavigation and guidance tasks, controls pressurization andventing, propellant management, telemetry formats and trans-mission and initiates vehicle events. Most operational needscan be met by changing the computer software.

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TYPICAL LAUNCH VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS

Liftoff weight including spacecraft: 148,555.4 kg(327,503 lb.)Liftoff height: 39.9 m (131 ft.)Launch Complex: 36A

Atlas Booster Centaur StageWeight (with 130,450 kg 17,673.8 kgpropellants) (287,594 lb.) (38,964 lb.)Height 21.3 m (70 ft.) 18.6 m (61 ft.)

with payloadfairingThrust 1,919 kn 133,447 N(431,300 lb.) (30,000 lb.)at sea level in vacuumPropellants Liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen andand RP-1 liquid hydrogenPropulsion MA-5 system two Two 66,723-N822,921-N (185,000-lb.) (15,000-lb.) thrustthrust booster engines, RL-10 engines, 12one 266,893-N (60,000- small hydrogen

lb.) thrust sustainer peroxide thrusters.engine, two 2,891-N(650-lb.) thrust vernierengines.Velocity 9,092 km/hr (5,651 mph) 35,028 km/hrat booster engine cut- (21,770 mph) atoff (BECO), 12,967 km/hr spacecraft separation.(8,059 mph) at sustainerenaine cutoff (SECO).Guidance Preprogrammed profile Inertial guidance.through BECO. Switch

to inertial guidancefor sustainer phase.

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LAUNCH OPERATIONS

NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center plays a key rolein the preparation and launch of the Atlas Centaur AC-47which will carry FLTSATCOM into orbit.The Atlas and Centaur stages of,the AC-47 launchvehicle arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station inFebruary and were erected on Pad A, Complex 36, that month.Following completion of electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic,propulsion and guidance system checkout and testing, aTerminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCD) was performedMarch 28. The TCD demonstrated the integrity of the vehicle-to-ground systems interface in a cryogenic environment whichduplicated launch countdown conditions.The FLTSATCOM-B spacecraft was received March 30 andunderwent systems checkout in the Air Force SatelliteAssembly Building. The spacecraft was moved to the Space-craft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility April 17 formating with its apogee kick motor and for loading of itshydrazine propellant.The spacecraft and payload fairing assembly were matedto the launch vehicle about a week later.All launch vehicle and pad operations during thelaunch countdown are conducted from the blockhouse atComplex 36 by a joint government-industry team.

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THE FLTSATCOM TEAM

NASA HeadquartersJohn F. Yardley Associate Administrator

for Space TransportationSystems

Joseph B. Mahon Director, ExpendableLaunch Vehicles

F. R. Schmidt Manager, Atlas CentaurLaunch Vehicle

Lewis Research CenterDr. John F. McCarthy, Jr. DirectorDr. Seymour C. Himmel Associate DirectorLawrence J. Ross Director, Launch VehiclesJ. E. Patterson Chief, Vehicles Engineering

DivisionC. B. Wentworth Chief, Program Integration

DivisionKenneth A. Adams FLTSATCOM Mission Project

EngineerFrank L. Manning FLTSATCOM Vehicle EngineerKennedy Space CenterLee R. Scherer DirectorGerald D. Griffin Deputy DirectorDr. Walter J. Kapryan Director, Shuttle OperationsGeorge F. Page Director, Cargo OperationsJohn Gossett Chief, Centaur Operations Div.Barry Olton Spacecraft Coordinator

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