 | ATS-1
Credit - NASA
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Other Designations: Applications Technology Satellite. Class: Technology. Type: Communications. Destination: Geosynchronous Orbit. Nation: USA. Agency: NASA, NSF. Manufacturer: Hughes. During its 18 year lifetime, ATS-1 examined spin stabilization techniques, investigated the geostationary environment, and performed several communications experiments. Its VHF experiment tested the ability to act as a link between ground stations and aircraft, demonstrated collection of meteorological data from remote terminals, and evaluated the feasibility of using VHF signals for navigation.
ATS-1 transmitted educational programs and provided health, research, and community services to the US and several Pacific island countries, including the Cook, Mariana, Marshall and Caroline Islands, West and American Samoa, Melanesia, New Zealand, and Australia. The mission also provided the first full-Earth cloud cover images. The spin stabilized spacecraft had an aluminum structure, with a drum solar array providing 180W BOL. Other systems included 2 6 Ah NiCd batteries, a hydrazine stationkeeping system, a nutation damper, two sun sensors, and two accelerometers. Payloads included ion detectors, spectrometers, a camera, a C-band communications experiment (also used for international television broadcasts) and a VHF communications package
Design Life: 3 years. Typical orbit: GEO (over Pacific), incl. = 10.1 deg. Length: 1.30 m (4.20 ft). Maximum Diameter: 1.40 m (4.50 ft). Mass: 352 kg (776 lb).
ATS-1 Chronology - 1966 December 7 - ATS 1 - Program: ATS. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC12. Launch Vehicle: Atlas. Mass: 352 kg (776 lb). Perigee: 35,728 km (22,200 mi). Apogee: 35,783 km (22,234 mi). Inclination: 12.50 deg. Period: 1,434.50 min.
Applications Technology Satellite; communications and meteorological experiments. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Americas at 151 deg W in 1966-1968?; over the Americas at 149 deg W in 1968-1982; over the Pacific Ocean 170 deg E in 1982-1985 As of 3 September 2001 located at 167.30 deg E drifting at 0.065 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 59.28W drifting at 0.332E degrees per day.
Bibliography:- McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
- JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Web Address when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.
- Lockheed Martin Coporation, Atlas Family Fact Sheets, September 1998.. Web Address when accessed: http://www.lmco.com/ILS/txtmain/ils_lsysinfo.htm.
- McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. Web Address when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html.
- NASA Report, ATS-I solar cell radiation damage experiment, first 120 days, Web Address when accessed: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19670026605_1967026605.pdf.
- NASA Report, Preliminary launch vehicle flight evaluation report NASA Applications Technological Satellite /ATS/ program flight no. 1, NASA ATLAS - Agena no. 19 /launched December 6, 1966/, Web Address when accessed: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19670031002_1967031002.pdf.
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© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.
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