Intelsat II F-4

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Intelsat II F-4
Mission type Communications
Operator Intelsat
COSPAR ID 1967-094A [1]
SATCAT no. 2969 [1]
Mission duration 3 years planned
3 + 1 2  years achieved
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type Intelsat II
Bus HS-303A
Manufacturer Hughes
Launch mass 162 kilograms (357 lb)
BOL mass 86 kilograms (190 lb)
Power 85 watts
Start of mission
Launch date September 28, 1967, 00:45:00  ( 1967-09-28UTC00:45Z )  UTC [2]
Rocket Delta E1
Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-17B
Contractor NASA
End of mission
Deactivated c. 1971  ( 1972 )
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Geosynchronous
Longitude 176° east (1967-70)
166° west (1971)
Perigee altitude 35,742 kilometers (22,209 mi)
Apogee altitude 35,886 kilometers (22,299 mi)
Inclination 6.00 degrees
Period 23.95 hours
Epoch February 8, 2014, 07:56:55 UTC [3]
Intelsat III F-1 (Intelsat III) →
 

Intelsat II F-4 was a communications satellite operated by Intelsat . Launched in 1967 it was operated in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 176 degrees east and later 166 degrees west. [4]

The fourth and last Intelsat II satellite to be launched, Intelsat II F-4 was built by Hughes Aircraft around the HS-303A satellite bus . It carried two transponders , which were powered by body-mounted solar cells generating 85 watts of power. [5] The spacecraft had a mass of 162 kilograms (357 lb) at launch, decreasing through expenditure of propellant to 86 kilograms (190 lb) by the beginning of its operational life.

Intelsat II F-4 was launched atop a Delta E1 rocket flying from Launch Complex 17B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station . The launch took place at 00:45:00 UTC on September 28, 1967, with the spacecraft entering a geosynchronous transfer orbit . [2] It fired an SVM-1 apogee motor to place itself into its operational geostationary orbit . The spacecraft was operated at a longitude of 176° east until 1970, before being moved to 166° west. In total the satellite remained in service for around three and a half years. [4]

As of February 8, 2014 the derelict Intelsat II F-4 was in an orbit with a perigee of 35,742 kilometers (22,209 mi), an apogee of 35,886 kilometers (22,299 mi), inclination of 6.00 degrees and an orbital period of 23.95 hours. [3]

References [ edit ]

  1. ^ a b "INTELSAT 2 F-4" . National Space Science Data Center . Retrieved February 8, 2014 .
  2. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log" . Jonathan's Space Page . Retrieved February 8, 2014 .
  3. ^ a b "INTELSAT 2-F4 Satellite details 1967-094A NORAD 2969" . N2YO . February 8, 2014 . Retrieved February 8, 2014 .
  4. ^ a b Wade, Mark. "Intelsat 2" . Encyclopedia Astronautica . Archived from the original on February 23, 2002 . Retrieved February 8, 2014 .
  5. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Intelsat-2" . Gunter's Space Page . Retrieved February 8, 2014 .