westar-c press kit

8/7/2019 Westar-C Press Kit

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First Decade... ILn National Aeronautics and", Landing Space Administration

19691979 Washington, D.C. 20546 /'I .s IAC 202 755 8370

For Release IMMEDIATE

Press Kit Project W estar-CRELEASE NO: 79-96

ContentsGENERAL RELEASE ................................ 1-3DELTA L EASEVE .C. ............... . . . .. . . . .4 -WELTAR-C PACECRAPT................................. 5LAUNCH OPERATIONS ................................... 5NASA/WESTAR-C TEAM.......................... . ....... 6-7CONTRACTORS ..................................... * . ........ 7 '

July 25, 1979 1'2 (N


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FistDecade... 5ANe sLip-ding Space Administrationaty 4; Ia' o,dir~g National Aeronautics and

'd 1969-1979 Washington. D.C. 20546AC 202 755-8370

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

John KleyGoddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.(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 colortelevision, 600 two-way telephone calls or millions of bi~ts ofhigh-speed data for commercial users in th e United Scates. p

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Westar-C (Westar-3 when in orbit) will be placed into ageosynchronous 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 theseries, 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 orbitwith 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 ofinclination will be 24.28 degrees.

At either the fourth or ninth apogee, the on-board apogeekick motor will be fired by controllers at Western Union'sSatellite Control Center at Glenwood, N.J. to circularize theorbit and align the spacecraft with the equator and will thenmonitor the satellite as it "drifts" to its assigned positionat 91 degrees west longitude.

When the satellite arrives "orn station,' controllers willffie t/n-board hydrazine thrusters to stop the drift. synchronousor.it will be at 35,)00 km (22,300 mi.). At this altitude, thespeed of the satellite in orbit. matches the rotational speed ofthe Tarth and the satellite hovers over the equator at itsassigned longitude.

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The Delta launch vehicle project is managed for NASA's |Office of Space Transportation Systents by the agency's GoddardSpace 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, ICalif.

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

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DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLEAWestar-C will be launched by a three-stage Delta 29l4launch vehicle. This launching will be the 149th for NASA'sDelta which has a success record of better than 90 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 solidsLiftoff weight: 131,895 kg (293,100 lb.)Liftoff thrust: 1,765.315 newtons (396,700 lb.)including strap-on solidsThe first Delta stage is a McDonnell Douglas modifiedThor booster incorporating nine strap-on Thiokol solid-fuelrocket motors. The Thor booster is powered by a Rocketdyneengine using liquid oxygen and liquid hydrocarbon propellants.The main engine is gimbal mounted to provide pitch and yawcontrol from liftoff to main engine cutoff.The second stage is powered by a TRW liquid fuel, pressure-fed engine that is also gimbal mounted to provide pitch andyaw control. A nitrogen gas system uses fixed nozzles for rollcontrol during powered and coast flight, as well as roll andyaw control during coast and after second stage cutoffs.Tne third stage is a Thiokol TE-364-4 spin-stabilizedsolid propellant motor secured in the spin table mounted tohe second stage. The firing of eight solid propellant rocketmotors fixed to thp spin table accomplishes spin-up of thethird stage spacecraft assembly.The Delta 2914 will inject Westar-C into a transfer orbithaving an apogee of 36,500 km (22,685 mi.). At this pointNASA/Delta technical responsibilities are completed. Commandand control, tracking and data analyses become the responsi- ,bility of Western Union's Satellite Control Center at Glenwood,N.J. At either fourth or ninth apogeethe center will commandthe apogee kick motor to fire to circularize the orbit at35,900 km (22,300 mi.).

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

Wetr- s h tid na eie f oesi cmunc - -- ~tionsatelite plaedto obit y We' rnUnio. Thsaelt astefl41n hrctrsis

Wegt 72k 126 b)atlucThesatellisthe thidrdmishape serid ofrindopesaticoncuni-tionsatelsites placedainto orIt by Westernd Union. T300elacaellts whas the i al owng-chard acteristis:se orvdHuloeight:o156 oentiwhenther (61.5 ie inchs th at'DA1 -metr 191cm(7.1in.)wiecruadietolannaex

tedsaovtetoTohe satlieiprmsapedrand. uring optennation con-

with respect to the spinning spacecraft, remaining constantlyaimed at the United States.Small hydr~zine thrusters will be used to move the space-craft in orbit,"compensate for drift effects or hold the space-craft on station.Westar-C, a 12-channel spacecraft, can transmit one colortelevision program, or 600 two-way telephone calls or 60 mil-lion data bits per second.

TheKenedySpace' Center's Cargo Operations Directorateis responsible to thc Goddard Space Flight Center for manage~-ment of thL- preparation and launch of the Delta launch vehiclethat will carry Westar-C.Delta 149 will be launched from Complex 17A at the AirForce Eastern Test Range, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,FlV.

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NASA/ESTAR-C TEAM

NASA HeadggartersJohn F. Yardley Aseociate Administrator for SpaceTransportation SystemsJoseph B. Mahon Director, Expendable LaunchIvehicystemsPeter T. Eatdn Manager, Delta ProgramI,' oddard.Space Flight CenterRobert E. Smylie Acting DirectorJohn H. Boeckel Acting Director, Project ManagementDavid W. Grimes Delta Project ManagerRobert Goss Manager, Delta Mission Analysisand IntegrationFrank J. Lawrence Westar-C Mission Integration

Managerrillian dawkins Mission Operations and NetworkSupport ManagerRay Mazur Mission Support

KennedY Space CenterLee R. Scherer DirectorF. A. Rigel Acting Director, Cargo OperationsChuck Gay Director, Deployable Payloads.OperationsWayne L. McCall Chief, Delta Operations DivisionGayle Hager Spacecraft Coordinator

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Western Union Telegraph Co.

Phil P. Schneider Executive Program Manager, WestarJack Van Cleve Mission DirectorJohn J. Albert Launch Operations Director andProgram ManagerP. W. Ziegler Launch ConsultantJames Judson Spacecraft Director, GlenwoodStation

CONTRACTORS

Hughes Aircraft Co. SpacecraftCulver City, Calif.McDonnell Douglas Delta launch vehicleAstronautics Co.Huntington Beach, Calif.

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westar-c press kit

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