Telstar 3D
From The Space Library
 | |
| Organization | American Telephone and Telegraph Company (United States) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications |
| Launch date | June 17, 1985 |
| Launch vehicle | STS-51G |
| Carrier rocket | Space Shuttle |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, United States |
| COSPAR ID | 1985-048D |
| Mass | 630.0 kg |
| Alternate Names | 15826 |
| Additional Information | Here |
| PDMP Information | Here |
| Telecommunications Information | Here |
The communications satellite Telstar 3D was launched from the STS Shuttle Discovery (STS-51G) for the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T). It was placed in a geosynchronous orbit at 125 degrees W and had a design life of 10 years. It was launched with the main communications reflector and the outer cylinder stowed, a configuration that 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. It was 7 feet, 1 inch (2.16 meters) in diameter. 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 capacity was 21,600. The satellites furnished voice, video, and high speed data servies to the continental US, Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.
