Telstar 3C
From The Space Library
 | |
| Organization | American Telephone and Telegraph Company (United States) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications |
| Launch date | September 1, 1984 |
| Launch vehicle | STS-41D |
| Carrier rocket | Space Shuttle |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, United States |
| COSPAR ID | 1984-093D |
| Mass | 1225.0 kg |
| Alternate Names | 15237 |
| Additional Information | Here |
| PDMP Information | Here |
| Data Collection | {$Data Collection} |
Telstar 3C was an AT&T communications satellite deployed by the shuttle Discovery during the STS-41D mission. It was placed in a geosynchronous orbit at 86 degrees W and had a design life of 10 years. The spacecraft was launched with the main communications reflector and the outer cylinder stowed, a configuration the made it possible to launch either with expendable rocket boosters or from the space shuttle. The compact stowed configuration allowed the spacecraft to stand upright in the cargo bay, occupying a minimum of linear space. It was 7 feet, 1 inch (2.16 meters) in diameter. Its height with antennas and the telescoping solar panel deployed was 22 feet, 5 inches (6.84 meters). Like their predecessor satellites, the Telstar 3 satellites operated at 6/4 GHz (C-band). Simultaneous long distance telephone call capacity was 21,600. The satellite furnished voice, video, and high speed data services to the continental US, Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.
