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The technology and capability of the INTELSAT 5 series satellites and the Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle are described. Data relative to launch windows, flight plans, radar, and telemetry are included along with selected trajectory information and a sequence of flight events.
The launch schedule for Intelsat 5-B, the prime Intelsat satellite to provide communications services between the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, is presented. The planned placement of the satellite into an elliptical transfer orbit, and circularization of the orbit at geosynchronous altitude over the equator are described. Characteristics of the Atlas Centaur launch vehicle, AC-56, are given. The launch operation is summarized and the launch sequence presented. The Intelsat team and contractors are listed.
Launch of the FLTSATOOM-E, into an elliptical orbit by the Atlas Centaur launch vehicle is announced. The launch and relevant launch operations are described. A chart of the launch sequence for FLTSATCOM-E communication satellite is given.
The launch sequence of the Intelsat 5-C satellite is announced. A brief description of the satellite and the Atlas Centaur launch vehicle is given. Prelaunch operations are included.
Plans for the Intelsat 5D (F4) satellite launch are presented. The spacecraft and its subsystems are described and the mission is summarized. The Atlas Centaur launch vehicle is also described.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-8 spacecraft was launched on April 13, 1994, at 06:04:02 coordinated universal time (UTC), with separation from the Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle occurring at 06:33:05 UTC. The launch was followed by a series of complex, intense operations to maneuver the spacecraft into its geosynchronous mission orbit. The Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) was responsible for GOES-8 attitude, orbit maneuver, orbit determination, and station acquisition support during the ascent phase. This paper summarizes the efforts of the FDF support teams and highlights some of the unique challenges the launch team faced during critical GOES-8 mission support. FDF operations experience discussed includes: (1) The abort of apogee maneuver firing-1 (AMF-1), cancellation of AMF-3, and the subsequent replans of the maneuver profile; (2) The unexpectedly large temperature dependence of the digital integrating rate assembly (DIRA) and its effect on GOES-8 attitude targeting in support of perigee raising maneuvers; (3) The significant effect of attitude control thrusting on GOES-8 orbit determination solutions; (4) Adjustment of the trim tab to minimize torque due to solar radiation pressure; and (5) Postlaunch analysis performed to estimate the GOES-8 separation attitude. The paper also discusses some key FDF GOES-8 lessons learned to be considered for the GOES-J launch which is currently scheduled for May 19, 1995.
The footage shows the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory's (SOHO) payload mating with the Atlas Centaur launch vehicle in the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility (SAEF-2).
Live footage of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Spacecraft located at the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility (SAEF 2) is presented. A representative from the European Space Agency (ESA) SOHO project, and Kenneth Sizemore, Project Manager Goddard Space Flight Center, discuss the objectives of the SOHO mission, which are to provide an understanding of how the sun works and also its interaction with the Earth's environment. SOHO will be positioned between the sun and the Earth and will give the scientist an unobstructed view of the Sun for two years. SOHO will be positioned along with Atlas IIAS which is an Atlas Centaur launch vehicle featuring two solid rocket boosters. Launch is set for November 1995.
Explicit equations for steering Atlas-Centaur multistage launch vehicle to lunar trajectory
Apollo 12 and Atlas Centaur 67 are two launch vehicles that have experienced triggered lightning strikes. Serious consequences resulted from the events; in the case of Atlas Centaur 67, the vehicle and the payload were lost. These events indicate that it is necessary to develop launch rules which would prevent such occurrences. In order to develop valid lightning related rules, it is necessary to understand the effects of the plume. Some have assumed that the plume can be treated as a perfect conductor, and have computed electric field enhancement factors on that basis. The authors have looked at the plume, and believe that these models are not correct, because they ignore the fluid motion of the conducting plates. The authors developed a model which includes this flow character. In this model, the external field is excluded from the plume as it would be for any good conductor, but, in addition, the charge must distribute so that the charge density is zero at some location in the exhaust. When this condition is included in the calculation of triggering enhancement factors, they can be two to three times larger than calculated by other methods which include a conductive plume but don't include the correct boundary conditions. Here, the authors review the relevant features of rocket exhausts for the triggered lightning problem, present an approach for including flowing conductive gases, and present preliminary calculations to demonstrate the effect that the plume has on enhancement factors.
Postflight analysis of AC-8 Atlas Centaur vehicle with Surveyor payload model
Flight dynamics and control analysis of Centaur vehicle
Design for 1969 test flight options and spacecraft configurations, and two launch vehicles - Voyager project
Prelaunch calculation of wind profile effect using axial load and bending moments for Atlas and Centaur launch vehicles
The NASA Glenn (then Lewis) Research Center (GRC) led several expendable launch vehicle (ELV) projects from 1963 to 1998, most notably the Centaur upper stage. These major, comprehensive projects included system management, system development, integration (both payload and stage), and launch operations. The integration role that GRC pioneered was truly unique and highly successful. Its philosophy, scope, and content were not just invaluable to the missions and vehicles it supported, but also had significant Agencywide benefits. An overview of the NASA Lewis Research Center (now the NASA Glenn Research Center) philosophy on ELV integration is provided, focusing on Atlas/Centaur, Titan/Centaur, and Shuttle/Centaur vehicles and programs. The necessity of having a stable, highly technically competent in-house staff is discussed. Significant depth of technical penetration of contractor work is another critical component. Functioning as a cohesive team was more than a concept: GRC senior management, NASA Headquarters, contractors, payload users, and all staff worked together. The scope, content, and history of launch vehicle integration at GRC are broadly discussed. Payload integration is compared to stage development integration in terms of engineering and organization. Finally, the transition from buying launch vehicles to buying launch services is discussed, and thoughts on future possibilities of employing the successful GRC experience in integrating ELV systems like Centaur are explored.
Structural integrity of interstage adapter panel flutter on Atlas Centaur
Solid propellant rocket engine environmental and static testing for use as retrograde thrustor in Atlas-Centaur space vehicle
Analog digital evaluation of load reduction autopilot on Atlas Centaur AC-5 vehicle