Orion 3

 1999-024A

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The Orion Network Systems (Rockville MD) Orion 3 (Asia Pacific) satellite was built by Hughes Space and Comms. Company (HSC). The satellite is partly financed by the Korean DACOM phone company. Orion 3 is owned by HSCII (Hughes Space and Comms International Inc.) until on orbit delivery.

Orion 3 is an HS 601 HP to serve the Asia Pacific region. Mass 4300 kg full, 3.5m dia 5.81m long, 10m span. BOL mass is 2190 kg. Stage 2 has 7ml, 2.4m dia. Loral Orion control at Rockville, MD, with tracking and control in Hawaii. Post-delivery owner would have been Orion Asia Pacific Corp, a subsid of Orion Network Systems Inc. In the event, Hughes remained owner of the satellite. Planned location was 139E.

Launch by Delta 3 in 1999 reached orbit, but the second stage second burn shut down after only 4 seconds. The investigation revealed a problem in the RL10 turbomachinery and a failure of the combustion chamber.

Orion 3
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1999 Apr 23	0205	Scrub at T-2s
1999 May 5	0100:00	Launch by Delta 3 8930	CC LC17B
		T+1:17 SRM 1-6 burnout
		T+1:19 SRM 7-9 burn
		T+1:20 SRM 1-3 sep
		T+1:21 SRM 4-6 sep
		T+2:35 SRM 7-9 burnout
		T+3:45 Fairing sep
		T+4:19 MECO
		T+4:25 VECO
		T+4:27 Stage 1 sep
		T+4:31 Stage 2 burn
	0113	T+13:24 SECO-1	100.04 157 x 1363 x 29.50 (ILAM)
	0121	T+21:50 SES-2
	0121	T+21:51 SECO-2 premature (4s)
	0136	T+36:14 Stage 2 sep
1999 May 6			100.17 159 x 1373 x 29.5
1999 May 8		Orbit raise	102.34 422 x 1316 x 29.1
1999 May 11			102.34 422 x 1316 x 29.1
1999 Jun 17			102.34 421 x 1317 x 29.1
2002 Feb 25			101.85 418 x 1273x 29.0