Fltsatcom Credit - USAF

The FLTSATCOM system provided world-wide, high-priority UHF communications between naval aircraft, ships, submarines, and ground stations and between the Strategic Air Command and the national command authority network. Fully operational in January 1981, the FLTSATCOM constellation was replaced by the UFO (UHF Follow-on) spacecraft.

The 3-axis stabilized satellite was powered by two solar arrays (13.2 m across) that generated over 1400 W. Three hexagonal modules with aluminum structure made up the bus. A hydrazine propulsion system was used for stationkeeping (120 kg fuel).

The payload consisted of twelve transponders with UHF/SHF uplink and UHF downlink. The large 4.9 meter diameter UHF receive antenna was made of silver-filled mesh. There was an offset mast UHF transmit antenna. Flights 6 and 7 carried experimental EHF transponder (20 W) to evaluate new ground terminals.

Design Life: 7 years. Typical orbit: Geosynchronous. Length: 1.30 m (4.20 ft). Maximum Diameter: 2.50 m (8.20 ft). Mass: 2,032 kg (4,479 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Atlas Centaur SLV-3D, Atlas G.

• 1978 February 9 - Fltsatcom 1 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas Centaur SLV-3D. Mass: 1,884 kg (4,153 lb). Perigee: 36,119 km (22,443 mi). Apogee: 36,170 km (22,470 mi). Inclination: 14.60 deg. Period: 1,454.40 min.

  Fleet Satellite Communications. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Launch vehicle put payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Americas at 100 deg W in 1978-1987; over the Pacific Ocean 177 deg W in 1987-1992; over the Atlantic Ocean 15 deg W in 1992-1996;over the Indian Ocean 72 deg E in 1996-2001. Last known longitude (26 July 1999) 71.17 deg E drifting at 0.004 deg W per day.

• 1979 May 4 - Fltsatcom 2 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas Centaur SLV-3D. Mass: 1,884 kg (4,153 lb). Perigee: 36,227 km (22,510 mi). Apogee: 36,331 km (22,574 mi). Inclination: 13.50 deg. Period: 1,461.30 min.

  Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Launch vehicle put payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 23 deg W in 1979-1980; 72 deg E in 1980-1992 As of 5 September 2001 located at 90.48 deg W drifting at 6.234 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 12.01W drifting at 6.223W degrees per day.

• 1980 January 18 - Fltsatcom 3 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas Centaur SLV-3D. Mass: 1,884 kg (4,153 lb). Perigee: 35,669 km (22,163 mi). Apogee: 35,851 km (22,276 mi). Inclination: 9.10 deg. Period: 1,434.80 min.

  Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Launch vehicle put payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 22 deg W in 1980-1990 As of 28 August 2001 located at 174.83 deg W drifting at 0.082 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 84.20W drifting at 0.376E degrees per day.

• 1980 October 31 - Fltsatcom 4 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas Centaur SLV-3D. Mass: 1,800 kg (3,900 lb). Perigee: 35,769 km (22,225 mi). Apogee: 35,803 km (22,246 mi). Inclination: 9.20 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Launch vehicle put payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 171 deg E from 1981. Last known longitude (25 July 1999) 172.61 deg E drifting at 0.001 deg W per day.

• 1981 August 6 - Fltsatcom 5 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas Centaur SLV-3D. FAILURE: Failure of the fiberglass fairing during ascent. Mass: 1,884 kg (4,153 lb). Perigee: 36,221 km (22,506 mi). Apogee: 36,300 km (22,500 mi). Inclination: 8.90 deg. Period: 1,460.40 min.

  Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Launch vehicle put payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The Atlas G Centaur delivered a badly damaged but operating FLTSATCOM spacecraft to its correct orbit. Investigation showed that the most likely cause was failure of the fiberglass fairing during ascent. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 90 deg W in 1981; 90-114 deg W in 1982; 44 deg W in 1982-1986 As of 5 September 2001 located at 140.32 deg W drifting at 6.003 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 31.85E drifting at 6.002W degrees per day.

• 1981 January 1 - FLTSATCOM constellation declared operational -

  The FLTSATCOM system provided world-wide, high-priority UHF communications between naval aircraft, ships, submarines, and ground stations and between the Strategic Air Command and the national command authority network.

• 1986 December 5 - USA 20 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas G. Mass: 2,310 kg (5,090 lb). Perigee: 35,740 km (22,200 mi). Apogee: 35,832 km (22,264 mi). Inclination: 0.90 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Launch vehicle put payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 100 deg W in 1987-1999 Last known longitude (27 July 1999) 100.33 deg W drifting at 0.027 deg W per day.

• 1987 March 26 - Fltsatcom 6 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas G. FAILURE: Lightning strike zapped guidance at T+51 seconds. Fault was directly attributed to a random memory upset that forced rocket to veer off course. Destroyed by range safety. Mass: 2,300 kg (5,000 lb).

• 1989 September 25 - USA 46 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas G. Mass: 2,310 kg (5,090 lb). Perigee: 35,777 km (22,230 mi). Apogee: 35,797 km (22,243 mi). Inclination: 4.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Last in series of 8. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). Launch vehicle put payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 23 deg W in 1989-1999.

• JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Accessed at: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.

• Krebs, Gunter, Gunter's Space Page, University of Frankfurt, 1996. Accessed at: http://www.skyrocket.de/space.

• McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.

• USAF Satellite Database, USAF Institute of Technology, 1995. Accessed at: ftp://archive.afit.af.mil/pub/space/.

• Lockheed Martin Coporation, Atlas Family Fact Sheets, September 1998.. Accessed at: http://www.lmco.com/ILS/txtmain/ils_lsysinfo.htm.