AUSSAT A1
From The Space Library
Revision as of 20:37, 27 February 2013 by Special:Contributions/ (Talk)
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Organization | AUSSAT Proprietary Ltd. (Australia) |
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Mission type | Communications |
Launch date | August 29, 1985 |
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 |
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.