AUSSAT A1

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AUSSAT A1
Organization AUSSAT Proprietary Ltd. (Australia)
Mission type Communications
Launch date August 29, 1985 (1985-08-29)
Launch vehicle STS-51I
Carrier rocket Space Shuttle
Launch site Cape Canaveral, United States
COSPAR ID 1985-076B
Mass 655.0 kg
Experiments Here
Alternate Names AUSSAT 1,OPTUS A1,15993
Additional Information Here
PDMP Information Here
Telecommunications Information Here
Data Collection {$Data Collection}


This spacecraft was Australia's first dedicated communications spacecraft. It was a Hughes HS-376 satellite, and it operated with extremely tight pointing accuracies using a new triple dish spot beam antenna designed specifically for Australia. It provided the first continuous television and radio facility to thousands of remote Australian homesteads and communities. It also provided a real-time communications relay for Australian air traffic control, receiving aircraft signals relayed from VHF grand stations. The satellite was spin-stabilized and ejected from the payload bay attached to a PAM perigee kick stage. Operating location was at 156 degrees E longitude.