Dec 15 1981
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(New page: NASA launched INTELSAT 5-C F3 from ESMC at 6:35 p.m. EST on an Atlas-Centaur into a highly elliptical transfer orbit with 35.953-kilometer apogee, 165.8-kilometer perigee, and 23.7...)
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NASA launched INTELSAT 5-C F3 from ESMC at 6:35 p.m. EST on an Atlas-Centaur into a highly elliptical transfer orbit with 35.953-kilometer apogee, 165.8-kilometer perigee, and 23.7° inclination. Firing of the apogee motor by INTELSAT would put it in geostationary orbit at 15 °E for tests by Telespazio at Fucino, Italy. It would later become the primary Atlantic communications satellite at 335.5°E, replacing INTELSAT 5 F1, which would move to an Indian Ocean location at 62°E to begin service next March after launch of another communications satellite as a spare.
The two-ton F3, capable of 12,000 simultaneous telephone conversations plus two international color television channels, was third of the 5 and 5A series of 15 communications satellites planned by INTELSAT to handle international communications, such as telephone, telegrams, telex, data, and television. (NASA MOR 0-491-203-81-03 [prelaunch] Dec l/81, [postlaunch] Jan 9/82: NASA Dly Actv Rpt, Dec 16/81; Spacewarn, Dec 29/81; INTELSAT Releases 81-27-l, 81-32-l; AID, Dec 22/81, 268)
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