MARECS 1

 1981-122A

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The MARECS program used the British Aerospace OTS/ECS comsat bus as a basis for a maritime communications satellite platform. MARECS A, known as MARECS 1 after launch, was launched in Dec 1981 on the fourth Ariane test flight.

MARECS 1
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1981 Dec 20	0129:00	Launch by Ariane LO4	CSG ELA1
		T+2:27 St 1 MECO
		T+2:32 St 1 sep
		T+2:32 L33 burn
		T+4:13 Fairing
		T+4:47 St 2 MECO
		T+4:57 St 2 sep at 136 km
		T+4:58 HM7 burn 9:11
	0143:09	T+14:09 HM7 MECO
		T+15:20 spinup
	0144:40	T+15:40 MARECS/CAT sep
	0145	T+16m MARECS sep from CAT
1981 Dec 21			631.94 219 x 35811 x 10.5
1981 Dec 21	1413:19	Star 30 AKM 20s burn
	1413:39	AKM burnout	GEO 33.5W dr
1981 Dec 23			1430.72 35619 x 35742 x 2.3 GEO 33.7W+1.3E
1982 Jan 2		on station	GEO 26W
1982 Feb 10			1436.04 35774 x 35796 x 2.2 GEO 26.0W
1982 Mar		INMARSAT Atlantic Primary, start ops
1982 Jun			GEO 26W
1985 Apr 26			1436.09 35773 x 35799 x 0.8 GEO 25.9W
1986 Mar 3			1436.07 35771 x 35801 x 0.4 GEO 26.0W
1986 Mar 5		mv out	1424.16 35536 x 35568 x 0.4 GEO 24.8W+3.0E
1986 Mar 10		Drift W, replaced by MARECS 2
1986 May 12			1436.15 35764 x 35811 x 0.5 GEO 178.0E
1986 Jun 9		POR Spare	GEO 178E
1986 Oct 8			GEO 178E
1988 Jun 10			1436.12 35771 x 35802 x 2.3 GEO 177.8E
1990 Aug 3			1436.08 35771 x 35801 x 4.2 GEO 178.0E
1991 Mar 25		Solar panel failure due to ESD
1991 May 23			1436.09 35777 x 35795 x 4.2 GEO 178.0E
1991 Jun		removed from active service
1991 Jun		Replaced by MCS-D
1991 Aug 29			1436.21 35772 x 35804 x 4.5 GEO 20.3E
1991 Sep 30			1436.02 35769 x 35800 x 4.5 GEO 20.1E
1992 Feb 9		move to 22E	1435.85 35769 x 35794 x 4.8 GEO 21.2E
1992 Mar 3		mv in	1435.74 35731 x 35827 x 4.9 GEO 22.5E
1994 Feb 24			1436.07 35773 x 35798 x 6.4 GEO 22.4E
1996 Aug 16			1436.01 35728 x 35841 x 8.0 GEO 22.6E