Galaxy-A Press Kit

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National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Washington. D.C20546AC 202 755-8370 ID I I

IMAEDIATEFor Release

Gal axy-APress Kit Project

RELEASE NO: 83-101

Contents

GENERAL RELEASE 2.......................................... . 2

DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLE ..................................... . 6

FLIGHTSEQUENCE OF EVENTS . .............................................. . 8

LAUNCH OPERATIONS ........................ .10

NASA/IN.DUSTRY LAMNC AEA'T ......................... ll

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. .. .. , .. .



NA SAeNational Aeronautics and

Space Administration25th Anniversaty

Washington DC 20546 W58-1983

AC 202 755-8370

For Release

David Garrett

Headquarters, Washington, D. C. IM'iEDIATE

(Phone: 202/755-3090)

Weida G. TuckerKennedy Space Center, Fla.

(Phone: 305/867-2468)

Charles Recknagel

Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

(Phone: 301/344-5566)

RELEASE NO: 83-101

NASA TO LAUNCH GALAXY-A SATELLITE

NASA will launch the Galaxy-A communications spacecraft on

Delta 170 from Launch Complex 17B, Eastern Space and Missile

Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., no earlier than

June 28. There are three "windows" for launch on that date:

from 6:36 to 7:10 p.m. EDT; from 7:33 to 7:57 p.m. EDT; and from

8:20 to 9:57 p.m. EDT.

June 22, 1983

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3

The Galaxy-A satellite, owned by Hughes Communications,

Inc., a group of wholly owned subsidiaries of Hughes Aircraft

Co., will relay television programming to cable systems in the

continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. The satellite

carries a total of 24 operating transponders. The 18 primary

transponders have been sold to six cable prograrmying companies.

One of the remaining six standard transponders has been corrrnitted

to another major programmer and the rest are in various stages of

negoti ation.

Galaxy-A will be positioned in a stationary orbit 35,890

kilometers (22,300 statute miles) above the equator at 134

degrees west longitude, roughly due south of Juneau, Alaska. It

will operate in the 6/4 Ghz C-band and has a design lifetime of

at least nine years.

The Galaxy-A, built for Hughes Communications, Inc., by the

Hughes Aircraft Company's Space and Co-mmunications Group, is the

first in a series of three Galaxy satellites.

The second and third Galaxy satellites, to be launched in

September 1983 and June 1984 respectively, will relay video,

voice, data, and facsimile communicationsin the continental U.S.

for large corporations, long haul carriers, and broadcasters.

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4

The Operations Control Center for the Galaxy satellites is

located at Hughes Conmunications' headquarters in El Segundo,

Calif., with telemetry and command terminals in Fillmore, Calif.,

and Brooklyn, N.\.

The Delta 170 rocket, a 3920/PAM! version of the launch

vehicle, consists of an Extended Long Tank First Stage, the

thrust of its Rocketdyne RS-27 engine augmented by nine Castor IV

strap-on solid motors; the new improved Aerojet AJIO-118W second

stage; and a Payload Assist Module (PAM), which functions as the

final stage.

The entire vehicle is a uniform 2.4 meters (8 feet) in

diameter (excluding the strap-on solid motors) and 35.35 m (116

ft.) in height. McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Corp., Huntington

Beach, Calif., is the prime contractor for production and launch

of the Delta vehicle.

Following launch by the first two stages of the Delta 3920,

G7alaxy-A will be inserted into an elliptical transfer orbit by

the PAM, rather than a conventional third stage. The PAM, built

by McDonnell Douglas, is attached to the satellite.

To produce a near-stationary orbit, an apogee kick motor

(Thiokol Corporation's Star 30 solid propellant rocket) mounted

in the satellite itself will be fired.

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5

Positioning of the spacecraft will follow, using the

satellite's on-board attitude-positioning gas system.

The Hughes Operations Control Center will direct Galaxy-A

(Galaxy-i after achieving orbit) through transfer orbit to its

final position in stationary orbit. Once the satellite reaches

its assigned position, subsystem testing and station-keeping

activities will be carried out by Hughes.

Galaxy-A has a diameter of 216 cm (85 in.) and is 277 cm

(109 in.) high when stowed aboard its Delta launch vehicle. In

orbit, the aft solar panel deploys and the antenna reflector

erects for a combined height of 683 cm (269 in.), or the

equivalent of a two-story building. With its full load of 136 kg

(300 lb.) of station keeping fuel, Galaxy- A weighs 519 kg (1,141

lb.).

Nominal orbit characteristics are:

Transfer Orbit:

Apogee Altitude 36,408 km 22,624 statute miles

Perigee Altitude 185 km 115 statute miles

Inclination 23.51 degrees

Argument of Perigee 178 degrees

Operational Orbit: 35,890 km 22,300 statute miles

Stataon Longitude 134 degrees (W)

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORYLATION FOLLOWS.)



6

I1!E DELTA 3920 VEHICLE/PAM-D

Delta vehiclesare built by the McDonnell Douglas

Corporation, and launched by a combined NASA/McDonnell Douglas

team. The Delta is used to launch a wide variety of scientific

and applications spacecraft, from both Cape Canaveral Air Force

Station in Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Some applications satellites are the TIROS, NIMBUS and ITOS

weather observers, usually launched from Vandenberg into north-

south polar orbits; the LANDSATs, earth resources technology

satellites, also from Vandenberg; many types of communications

satellites from Cape Canaveral; and SMS and GOES synchronous-

orbit weather observers, from the Cape. The scientific

spacecraft, launched from both launch sites, include planetarymagnetic field mapping satellites, solar activity observers,

atmospheric data gatherers,and the diversified Explorer

series. More medium-weight payloads have been launched on Delta

vehicles than all other launch systems in its class combined.

First-Stage

The first stage of the Delta, built by McDonnell Douglas, is

22.6 m (74 ft.) in length and 2,4 m (8 ft.) in diameter. The

main engine, built by Rocketdyne, burns RP-1, a highly refined

kerosene, and liquid oxygen. It produces 912,000 Newtons(205,000 lb.) of thrust at sea level, and burns for about 228

seconds.

Nine CastorIV strap-on solid rocket boosters, built by

Thiokol greatly increase the power of the Delta first stage.Each solid produces 284,672 Newtons (64,000 lb.) thrust at

liftoff. This increases to 418,112 Newtons (94,000 lb.) atmaximum; the average thrust for the 58-second burn time is

379,280 Newtons (85,270 lb.). Six of the solids ignite at

liftoff, and three after the first six burn out. The average

first stage thrust while the six solids, the main engine, and two

4450-Newton (1,000-lb.) thrust verniers are burning is 3,196,333

Newtons (718,600 lb.). Gross vehicle weight will be about

191,728 kilograms (422,700 lb.) at liftoff.

The second stage, built by Aerojet, is approximately six m

(20 ft.) long and 175 cm (69 in.) in diameter through the mainbody. The primary structure consists of two propellant tanks,

mounted one above the other and sharing a central dividingbulkhead. One tank contains the Aerozine-50 fuel and the other

the nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer.

The single engine, called the Aerojet ITIP (Improved

Transtage Injector Program) produces 44,000 Newtons (9,900 lb.)

of thrust and can burn for about 430 seconds.



7

The Aerojet stage replaces a smaller one that produced

almost as much thrust but had a total burn time of only 300

seconds. The 130 seconds of increased burn time makes the

Aerojet stage much more powerful overall.

Like the older second stage, the Aerojet ITIP can be

restarted in space, providing mission flexibility. This stagealso contains the Delta Redundant Inertial Measurement System(DRIMS), which controls the flight of both the first and secondstages.

The second stage has a 2.4-m (8-ft.)-wide and 28-cm (11-

in.)-high structural assembly called the miniskirt attached 1.07

m (3.5 ft.) from its top. This miniskirt rests on a-2.4-m (8-

ft.)-diameter interstage barrel, 4.7 m (15.5 ft.) high, whichextends upward from the top of the first stage. A 7.9-m (26-

ft.)-high fairing sits on top of the miniskirt, completing the

exterior view of the vehicle. The second stage hangs down inside

the interstage and extends up into the fairing, protected fromcontact with the dense lower atmosphere during first stagef i ht.

Payload Assist Module

This version of the Delta vehicle does not have a third

stage. Instead, a Payload Assist Module (PAM) solid propellantstage is attached to the spacecraft, and provides the final

increment of velocity required to reach the transfer orbit. TwoPAM. stages are available, a -D for Delta vehicles and a larger -A

or Atlas-Centaur class payloads. Both are also designed to beused as added stages on spacecraft released into low Earth orbit

from the Space Shuttle orbiter.

The PAM-D is mounted to the top of the second stage via a

spin table, in a manner similar to that of the original Delta

solid propellant third stage. The miniskirt supports the weight

of the second stage, the PAM-D, and the spacecraft. Small

rockets around the perimeter of the spin table are fired prior to

second and final stage separation, to spin the PAA'-D and the

spacecraft up to about 50 rpm. This spinning motion stabilizes

the stage throughout its burn, ensuring an accurate trajectory.

No other guidance system is required.

The PAAI-D, built by McDonnell Douglas, uses a STAR-48 solid

propellant motor. This stage uses 1,996 kg (4,400 lb.) of

propellant and burns for 85 seconds, while providing an average

thrust of 84,500 Newtons (19,000 lb.).

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10

LAUNCH OPERATIONS

NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center is responsible for the

preparationand launch of Delta 170 which will carry the Galaxy-A

satellite into orbit.

On April 15 the Delta first stage and interstage were

erected on Pad B of Complex 17 at Cape Canaveral Air Force

Station. On April 16-19, the nine solid strap-on rocket motors

were mounted in place around the base of the first stage. The

first stage was mated with the second stage on April 20.

Flectrical and mechanical qualifications tests were performed on

May 12. A simulated flight was conducted on June 3, *and a flight

sequence test was performed on June 9.

The Gnlaxy-A spacecraft arrived at the Cape Canaveral Air

Force Station on March 22 , and underwent initial checkout. On

May 17 , the reaction control system ordnance was installed. Atelemetry tracking and control test and a spacecraft functional

test were performed on May 18. On May 19, the reflector ordnance

was installed. Mating of the solar array panels with the

spacecraft was completed on May 20. On May 23, critical

clearance checks were performed on the spacecraft, and the apogee

kick motor was checked for leaks. The solar array panels were

deployed on May 24 and solar panel functional checks were

performed. A practice countdown was conducted on May 26.

The spacecraft was moved to the Delta Spin Test Facility on

May 31, and the spacecraft mated with its apogee kick motor. The

safe and arm device and the inner aft thermal barrier were

installed on June 1. The spacecraft was serviced with

propellants on June 2, and a spacecraft functional test was

performed on June 3. The spacecraft was to be moved to the pad

on June 20 and mated with it s booster stage, and a spacecraft

functional test was to be run on that same day. On June 21, a

launch rehearsal and a safe and arm rotation test were scheduled

to take place. The fairing, which will protect the spacecraft on

its flight through the atmosphere, was to be installed on June

23.

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NASA/INDUSTRY LAUNCH TEAM

NASA HEADQUARTERS

Lt.Gen. J. A. Abrahamson Associate Administrator for

Space Flight

Robert E. Smylie Associate Administrator forSpace Tracking and Data Systems

Joseph B. Mahon Director, Special Programs

Peter Eaton Chief, Expendable Launch VehiclePrograms

Henry Clarks Delta Program Manager.

GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

Dr. Noel IV. inners Director

John.J. Quann Deputy Director

William C. Keathley Director, Project Management

Robert C. Baumann Acting Delta Project Manager

William A. Russell, Jr. Deputy Delta Project Manager

J. Donald Kraft Manager, Delta Mission Analysis

and Integration

Philip B. Frustace Galaxy-1 Mission IntegrationManager

Robert 1. Seiders Network Support Manager

Ralph Banning Network Director

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

Richard G. Smith Director

Thomas S. Walton Director, Cargo Operations

Charles D. Gay Director, Expendable VehiclesOperations

Wayne L. McCall Chief, Delta OperationsDivision

Jim Weir Head, Cargo Support Branch

Barry Olton Spacecraft Coordinator

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12

ONTRACES

McDonnell Douglas Delta Launch Vehicle

Astronautics Co.Huntington Beach, Calif.

Rocketdyne Division First Stage Engine (RS-27)

Rockwell International

Canoga Park, Calif.

Thiokol Corp. Castor IV Strap-on Solid

Huntsville, Ala. Fuel Motors

Aerojet Liquid Rocket AJ10-118K (ITIP) Second Stage

Sacramento, Calif. Engine

General Motors Corp. Guidance ComputerDelco DivisionSanta Barbara, Calif.

McDonnell Douglas Payload Assist Module (PAM)

Astronautics Co. Third StageHuntington Beach, Calif.

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