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PRESS KIT

ATLAS/CENTAUR.68. FLTSATCOM F-8 LAUNCH

CONTENTS

GENERAL NEWS RELEASE/NOTE TO EDITORS ...................... 1ATLAS/CENTAUR. AUNCH VEr-ICLE .............................. 3ATLAS/CENTAUR-68 LAUNCH VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS . . . . . . . . . . . .FLEET SATELLITE COPXUNICATIONS SYSTEM ..................... 4FLTSATCOM F.. 8 CHARACTERISTICS .............................. 5ATLAS/CENTAUR-68 LAUNCH VEHICLE PREPARATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FLTSATCOM F-8 SATELLITE PRELAUNCH PROCESSIKG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6DOWNRANGE LAUNCii SUPPORT .................................. 7ATLAS/CENTAUR-68, FLTSATCOM F-8 FLIGHT EVENTS SEQUENCE . . . .8PREVIOUS ATLAS/CENTAUR VEHICLE FLIGHTS .................... 10ATLAS/CENTAUR-68, FLTSATCOM F-8 LAUNCH TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1LAUNCH COMPLEX 36: A NEW ERA .............................. 9

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National Aeronautics andSpace AdministrationWashington,D.C.20546AC 202-453-8400

Jim CastHeadquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-8536)For Release:

September 18, 1989Mary Ann Pet0Lewis Research Center, Cleveland(Phone: 216/433-2902)Lisa MaloneKennedy Space Center, Fla.(Phone: 4 0 7 / 8 6 7 - 2 4 6 8 )1st Lt, John KennedyAir Force Space Systems Division, Cos Angeles(Phone: 213/643-0254)Jack IsabelGeneral Dynamics, San Diego, Calif.(Phone: 619/547-9000)

RELEASE: 89-145NASA TO LAUNCH NAVY COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE

Agency officials today announced a target date of no earlierthan September 22 for the 68th and final launch of a NASAAtlas/Centaur vehicle. Atlas/Centaur-68 is scheduled to placethe last in a series of Navy FLTSATCOM communications spacecraftinto a geosynchronous Earth orbit. Launch will take place fromComplex 36B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The 30-minute launch window opens at 4:15 a.m., EDT.This final chapter in NASA's Atlas/Centaur history has rootsdating back to May 1962, when the first launch took place. Sincethen, the program has earned its place in history with missions

such as Ranger and Surveyor probes to the Moon; Mariner flightsto Mars, Venus and Mercury; and several series of communicationssatellite launches including FLTSATCOM, Intelsat and Comstar.FLTSATCOM satellites -- five have been sucessfully placedinto orbit -- are the spaceborne portion of a worldwide Navy, AirForce and Department of Defense system to enable communications,between naval aircraft, ships, submarines, ground stations,Strategic Air Command elements and Presidential Command Network.

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The FLTSATCOM program is managed by the Space and NavalWarfare Systems Command. The Air Force Space Systems Division,Los Angeles, is responsible for production, launchvehicle/spacecraft integration and tracking and dataacquisition. FLTSATCOM spacecraft are built in Redondo Beach,Calif., by the Defense and Space Systems Group of TRW, Inc.

Atlas/Centaur is built f o r NASA by General Dynamics SpaceSystems Division, San Diego, Calif. General Dynamics, under anagreement signed with NASA in 1988, has assup:ed operation andcontrol of Launch Complex 3 6 and in the future, will providecommercial Atlas launch transportation services for both theGovernment and the private sector from that site. With NASAoversight, General Dynamics will serve in the capacity of LaunchDirector for the upcoming mission.- end -

NOTE TO EDITORSEvents and logistics associated with the upcoming launch ofAt la s/Cen t u - 6 8 fol ow :

NEWS COKFERENCES: An L-2 day prelaunch conference is presentlyscheduled f o r 2 p.m., EDT, on Wednesday, September 2 0 . Theconference will be held in the E&O Building Conference Room, CapeCanaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). If sufficient on-site pressinterest exists, a postlaunch conference alFo may be held at thesame location at approximately T+l hour. Conference participantswill include NASA, DoD and General Dynamics program officials.Local press questions only will be accommodcted.PRESS VIEWING: Press viewing of the launch will be from PressSite 1, CCAFS.ACCREDITATION AND BADGING: Requests for accreditation andbadging for the launch should be directed to the Kennedy SpaceCenter Public Information Branch, Phone: 4 0 7 / 8 6 7 - 2 4 6 8 . Specialaudio-visual requirements (remote camera setups will beaccommodated) should be directed to the KSC audio visual office,Phone: 4 0 7 / 8 6 7 - 7 8 1 9 .NASA SELECT COVERAGE: Audio and video of the prelaunch andpostlaunch (if held) news conferences will be carried via NASASELECT television. Launch commentary and video also will becarried via NASA SELECT beginning at 3 a.m. EDT, launchmorning. NASA Select is available via GE Satcom F2R, Transponder13, 72 degrees W. Longitude, 3960 MHz, vertical polarization.

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ATLAS/CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE

The Atlas/Centaur is N A S A ' s standard launch vehicle forintermediate weight payloads. It is used to launch payloads intolow-Earth orbit, geosynchronous-Earth orbit and on interplanetarytrajectories.

Centaur was the nation's first high-energy, liquidhydrogen/liquid oxygen propelled rocket. Developed and launchedunder the direction of NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland,it became operational in 1966 with the launch of Surveyor 1, thefirst U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on the lunar surface.Since that time, both the Atlas booster and Centaur secondstage have undergone many improvements. At present, the vehiclecombination can place 13,500 pounds in low-Earth orbit, 5,100pounds in a synchronous transfer orbit and 2,180 pounds on an

interplanetary trajectory.The Atlas/Centaur, approximately 137 feet high, consists ofan Atlas SLV-3G booster a n d Centaur D-1AR second stage. TheAtlas booster develops 438,922 pounds of thrust at liftoff usingtwo 188,750 thrust booster engines, one 60,500 pound thrustsustainer engine and two vernier engines developing 461 p o u n d sthrust each. The two RL-10 engines on Centaur produce a total of

33,000 pounds of thrust. Both the Atlas and Centaur are 10-feetin diameter.Until early 1974, Centaur was used exclusively incombination with the Atlas booster. It was subsequently used

with a Titan I11 booster to launch heavier payloads into Earthorbit and interplanetary trajectories.The Atlas and the Centaur vehicles have been updated overthe years. Thrust of the Atlas engines has been increased about50,000 pounds since their first use in the space program in theearly 1960's.The Centaur D-1AR has an integrated electronic system thatperforms a major role in checking itself and other vehiclesystems before launch and a l s o maintains control of major eventsafter liftoff. The new Centaur system handles navigation andguidance tasks, controls, pressurization and venting, propellant

management, telemetry formats and transmission and initiatesvehicle events. Most operational needs can be met by changingthe computer software.

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ATLAS/CENTAUR-68 LAUNCH VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS

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A/C-68 liftoff weight including spacecraft is 360,917pounds. Liftoff height is 1 3 7 feet. Launch Complex 3 6 (Pad B)is used f o r the launch operation.ATLAS BOOSTER CENTAUR STAGEFueled Weight 3 2 0 , 7 0 1 l b s . 3 8 , 8 2 4 l b s .

Height: 76 feet

Thrust: 4 3 8 , 9 2 2 l b sat sea levelPropellants: Liquid oxygenand RP-1

61 feetwith payload fairing3 3 , 0 0 0 l b sin vacuumLiquidliquid oxygen/hydrogen

Propulsion: MA-5 system two Two 16,500 pound188,750 l b thrust thrust RL-10booster engines, one engines, 12 small60,500 l b thrust hydrazine thrusterssustainer engine, two461 l b thrust vernierengines

Velocity: 6,584 rnph at booster 2 2 , 5 1 3 mphengine cutoff ( B E C O ) , at spacecraft9,486 mph at sustainer separationengine cutoff (SECO)Guidance: Preprogrammed profile Inertial guidancethrough BECO. Switch

to inertial guidancef o r sustainer phase

FLEET SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMThe Fleet Satellite Communications System, managed by the

U.S. Navy, provides near global satellite communications for highpriority requirements of the Navy, Air Force and other Departmentof Defense communications needs.Five satellites presently comprise the FLTSATCOMconstellation. Two satellites in the planned eight-satelliteseries were lost -- the Flight 4 spacecraft was damaged duringlaunch in 1981 and did not operate and the Flight 6 spacecraftand launch vehicle were destroyed by an apparent lightning strikeduring launch in 1987.

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Each FLTSATCOM spacecraft has 23 communications channels inthe ultra-high and super-high frequency bands. Ten of thechannels are used by the Navy for worldwide communications amongits land, sea and air forces. Twelve of the channels are used bythe Air Force as part of the Air Force Satellite CommunicationsSystem for command and control nuclear capable forces. A 500kilohertz channel on the satellite is allotted to NationalCommand Authority.

The ground segment of the fleet satellite system consists oflinks among designated and mobile users, including most U.S. Navyships and selected Air Force and Navy aircraft, submarines,global ground stations and presidential command networks. Theseterminals are being managed and acquired by the individualservices.

FLTSATCOM FLIGHT-8 CHARACTERISTICS (A/C-68)WEIGHT: The final FLTSATCOM spacecraft (designated Flight-8)along with its apogee kick motor, with solid propellant, weighsapproximately 5,100 pounds going into transfer orbit.S I Z E : The Flight-8 spacecraft body is 8 feet in diameter and2 2 . 8 feet high. Main parabolic antenna is 16 feet in diameterwith an 80-inch solid center surrounded by a wire mesh screen.Once in orbit, the folded screen is deployed by ground command.A 13.5 foot helical receive antenna, 13-inches in diameter at thebase, is mounted outside the edge of the transmit antenna dish.The receive antenna also is folded within the Centaur fairingduring launch and deployed by separate ground commands.POWER: Primary electrical power f o r the Flight-8 spacecraft isprovided by two deployable solar array paddles which supplyapproximately 1,200 watts of power. In addition, three nickel-cadmium batteries, each having 24-sealed, 34-amp-hour cells,provide power during eclipse operations.DESIGN LIFE: 5 yearsORBIT: The satellites are three-axis stabilized ingeosynchronous orbit, 22,250 nautical miles above the Earth'sequator.MAJOR CONTRACTOR: TRW Space and Defense Systems Group, RedondoBeach, Calif.

ATLAS/CENTAUR-68 LAUNCH VEHICLE PREPARATIONSKennedy Space Center is responsible for pre-launchprocessing and testing of the Atlas Centaur-68 vehicle.this activity occurred at Launch Complex 36 on the Cape CanaveralAir Force Station (CCAFS).

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The launch of AC- 68 originally was planned for 1 9 8 7 , b u t waspostponed after a leak was discovered during a terminal countdowndemonstration test in June of that year. The leak, near theCentaur number one engine gimbal. assembly, resulted in a decisionto demate the Centaur stage.During the disassembly process, a workstand was dislodged,fell and struck the Centaur liquid hydrogen tank, causing therupture and loss of the tank. An investigation board concludedthat the tank was ruptured when a leg of the falling workstandpenetrated the tank skin.A new Centaur stage had to be fabricated and both the Atlasbooster and Centaur upper stage were shipped back to the GeneralDynamics plant in San Diego.The current Atlas/Centaur vehicle arrived by C5A tra.sportplane at the Skid Strip on CCAFS on May 24. The Atlas firststage was erected in the gantry of Pad B on Launch Complex 36 onJune 6 and the interstage adapter was attached the next day. TheCentaur stage was hoisted into the gantry and mated to the Atlasstage on June 8. The vehicle was powered up for integratedtesting on June 20.A terminal countdown demonstration, which includes loadingthe vehicle with propellants, was conducted Aug. 22. This testserved as a launch team certification and is designed to simulateas closely as possible all pre-liftoff events on launch day,including the loading of propellants.A flight events demonstration, an electrical test whichsimulates post-liftoff events and exercises all components aboardthe vehicle used during powered flight, was conducted on Sept. 7.

are conducted from the blockhouse at Complex 36 by a joint NASA-General Dynamics Space Systems launch team.All launch vehicle and pad operations during the countdown

FLTSATCOM F-8 SATELLITE PRELAUNCH PROCESSINGThe FLTSATCOM F-8 spacecraft was shipped from the TRW plantin Redondo Beach, Calif., and arrived at Hangar AM on CapeCanaveral Air Force Station on July 31.The satellite was removed from its environmentallycontrolled storage canister and testing was resumed. The systemstests were completed on Aug. 11.The satellite was transported to the Explosive Safe Area(ESA-60) on Aug. 21. The apogee k i c k motor, the solid propellantrocket used to circularize the orbit at geosynchronous altitude,was installed on Aug. 21 and 22 a t this facility.

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Encapsulation of the spacecraft in the nose fairing, whichprotects the spacecraft during the portion of flight within theEarth's atmosphere, was accomplished on Sept. 11.

Launch Complex 36 on Sept. 12, where it was hoisted into positionatop the Atlas Centaur rocket. A composite electrical readinesstest was completed on Sept. 14, to demonstrate the operation ofa l l airborne electrical systems and components used in-flight.

The satellite was scheduled to be transferred to Pad B at

Spacecraft prelaunch processing, testing acd launch vehiclcintegration are managed and conducted by a joint Air Force/TRWtest team at CCAFS.

Launch vehicle telenetry and data will be establis'edthrough the NASA Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network and theAir Force Eastern Test Range. Initial launch coverage will comefrom the Merritt Island Launch Area station located at KennedySpace Center and the USAF's Tel-4 station located on south KSC,followed by the NASA station on Bermuda. As the vehicle movesdownrange, tracking support will be provided by other NASAstations at Ascension Island and Canberra, Australia.The Eastern Test Range also will supply telemetry and datafrom its stations at Tel-4, Jupiter I n l e t , Fla., and from itsdownrange tracking station on the island of Antigua. A pair ofAdvanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft stationed over the

Atlantic Ocean between Ascension Island and Africa will cover thetime interval of the second main engine burn on the Centaur stageand the subsequent spacecraft separation.NASA and Department of Defense radars will provide downrangetrajectory information to range safety personnel and computers.The radars are located at Cape Canaveral, Tel-4 Patrick Air ForceBase, Jupiter Inlet, Bermuda and Antigua.

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FLI GHT EVENTS SEQUENCE: ATLAS/CENTAUR-68, FLTS ATCO M F-8EVENT

Liftoff

TIME AFTER ALTITUDE DISTANCE SPEEDLIFTOFF (miles) DOWNRANGE (mph)(milesT-0 _- -_ -_ - - - - - - - -------

Atlas Booster 2 min 3 5 sec 3 7Engine CutoffJettison Atlas 2 rnin 3 8 sec 3 9Booster EngineJettison Centaur 3 min 0 sec 51Insulation Panels

5 5 5 , 7 0 3

6 0 5 , 70 4

9 3 6 , 1 24

Jettison Nose 3 min 43 sec 71 1 6 9 7 055FairingAtlas Sustainer/ 4 min 3 0 sec 8 9Vernier Engines Cutoff 2 6 6 8 , 4 6 6

Atlas/Centaur 4 rnin 3 2 sec 8 9 2 7 1 8 , 6 9SeparationFirst Centaur 4 min 4 3 sec 9 7 2 9 5 8,441Main Engines StartCentaur Main 9 min 5 5 sec 1 0 2 1 , 2 9 4 1 6 , 5 2Engines CutoffSecond Centaur 23 rnin 5 6 sec 101 5 , 0 1 3 16 8 6Main Engines StartSecond Centaur 2 5 rnin 32 sec 110 5 , 6 0 0 22,013Main Engines CutoffCentaur/Payload 2 7 rnin 4 7 sec 1 7 9 6 , 3 9 1 2 1 7 9 1Separation(These numbers may vary, depending on exact launch date, launchtime and spacecraft weight)

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GENERAL DYNAMICS/LAUNCH COMPLEX 3 6 : A NEW ERA

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General Dynamics, under an agreement signed with NASA in1988, has assumed operation and control of Launch Complex 36,CCAFS. Following the upcoming Atlas/Centaur-68 mission, thecompany plans to provide com!ercial Atlas launch services fromthat site for both NASA and private customers.

General Dynamics' first commercial launch of its Atlas Ivehicle is scheduled for 1990 with a launch rate capability offour launches per year from Complex 36B. The Atlas Iconfiguration accommodates an 11-foot-diameter as well as a 14-foot-diameter fairing enabling the vehicle to perform a broaderrange of missions. General Dynamics also is developing acommercial derivative of its military Atlas I1 vehicle. Thecommercial configuration is called Atlas IIA, which will offer 25percent higher performance than Atlas I. Atlas I1 class vehiclesbegin launch operations in 1992.To date, General Dynamics has contracted for commerciallaunch services with four users. A EUTELSAT I1 spacecraft isscheduled for a 1990 launch with options for two additionallaunches. NASA, on behalf of the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration, has contracted for commercial launchservices for up to five Geostationary Operational EnvironmentalSatellites ( G O E S ) . The first GOES launch is scheduled for1990. In addition, N A S A has awarded the 1990 launch of itsCombined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite to GeneralDynarr.ics for a commercial Atlas launch.General Dynamics also is under contract from Hughes tolaunch 10 of the new generation UHF Follow-On comiunicationssatellites, and Intelsat has contracted f o r two launches on AtlasIIAs.

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- 10 -PREVIOUS ATLAS CENTAUR VEHICLE FLIGHTS

PROGRAM INITIATION DATE: 1958 FIRST FLIGHT: May 8 , 1962LAUNCHES TO DATE: 67 LAUNCH VEHICLE SUCCESSES: 57LAST 20 FLIGHTSLAUNCHDATE

AUG 8,1978NOV 13,1978MAY 4 , 1979SEP 20, 1979JAN 17, 1980OCT 3 0 , 1980FEB 21, 1981M A Y 23, 1981DEC 15, 1981MAR 4 , 1982SEP 28, 1982MAY 19, 1983JUN 9, 1984MAR 22, 1985JUN 29, 1985SEP 28, 1985DEC 4 , 1986MAR 26, 1987

DEC 6 , 1980

AUG 6 , 1981

(S/Successful

LAUNCHVEHICLE SPACECRAFTAC-51AC-52AC-47AC-53AC-49AC-57AC-54AC-42AC-56AC-59AC-55AC-58AC-60AC-61AC-62AC-63AC-64AC-65AC-66AC-67

PIONEER VENUS-2HEAO BFLTSATCOM-2HEAO 3FLTSATCOM-3FLTSATCOM-4INTELSAT VCOMSTAR D-4INTELSAT VFLTSATCOM-5INTELSAT VINTELSAT VINTELSAT VINTELSAT VINTELSAT VINTELSAT VAINTELSAT VAINTELSAT VAFLTSATCOM-7FLTSATCOM-6

F/Failure)*

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FINAL PAYLOADORBIT ACHIEVEDHELIOLEOGSOLEOGSOGSOGSOGSOGSOGSOGSOGSOGSOGSOGSOGSOGSOGSO

S/F*SSSSSSSSSFSSSSFSSSSF

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ATLAS/CENTAUR-68, FLTSATCOM F-8 LAUNCE TEAMNASA HeadquartersJ.B. Mahon Deputy Associate Administrator forSpace Flight (Flight Systems)C.R. Gunn Director of Unmanned Launch Vehiclesand Upper StagesJ.P. Castellano Chief, Intermediate and Large LaunchVeh clesKennedy Space CenterGen. F.S. McCartney, DirectorJohn T. Conway Director, Payload Management and

James L. Womack Director, Expendable Vehicle OperationsJames E. Weir Chief, Payload Support Management BranchS. M. Francois Chief, Launch Operations DivisionDavid C. Bragdon Spacecraft Coordinator

Operations

Lewis Research CenterDr. J.M. Klineberg DirectorV.J. Weyers Director of Space Flight SystemS.V. Szabo Director of EngineeringJ.W. Gibb Manager, Launch Vehicle Project OfficeR.E. Orzechowski FLTSATCOM Mission ManagerE. Procasky A/C-68 Chief Engineer

FLTSATCOMCol. S.P. Purdy FLTSATCOM Program DirectorCmdr. J.O. Hall Asst. Dep. Director for FLTSATCOMCapt. B.J. Sapp FLTSATCOM Prograin ManagerCapt. T.R. Newman FLTSATCOM Launch Operations ManagerGeneral DynamicsD.R. Dunbar GDCLS/Atlas/Centaur Vice President andTechnical DirectorB.J. Sherwood GDCLS/Program Manager FLTSATCP3MF.E. Watkins GDSS-CCAFS Director Base OperationsS.K. Baker GDSS-CCAFS Eng r . Managerm Atlas 1/11Launch OperationsR.J. Moberly GDSS/Atlas/Centaur Program ManagerW.F. Sauer GDSS/A/C-68 Chief EngineerTRW

B. Beckham Program Manager FLTSATCOMF. Wohrman Launch Operations Director

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