1994-064A
Intelsat 703 was launched on 1994 Oct 6 at 0635:02 UT by Atlas Centaur AC-111. The satellite is a 3-axis stabilized Space Systems/Loral FS-1300 with 26 C-band and 10 Ku-band transponders and will serve the Pacific Ocean region. The Martin Marietta Atlas IIAS Centaur delivered the satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. The MA-5A main engine and two of the four Castor IVA solid rocket boosters ignited at liftoff; the other two solids ignited at 0636:02. The first two solids were jettisoned at 0636:14 and the second two at 0636:57. The MA-5A propulsion system on the Atlas consists of two booster engines and a central sustainer engine. At 0637:47 the booster engines were shut down, and at 0637:50 the tail section of the Atlas IIA fell away leaving the main sustainer engine exposed. At 0638:31 the payload fairing around the Intelsat payload was discarded - AC-111 was now high enough that aerodynamic protection was not needed. The Atlas sustainer cut off at 0639:53 and the Atlas IIA stage separated onto its suborbital trajectory at 0639:55. Intelsat 703 was now attached to the AC-111 Centaur IIA. At 0640:17 the two RL10-4A liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engines on the Centaur ignited and burned until 0645:17. The combination was now in a parking orbit. After a coast period, AC-111 reignited at 0659:29. It shut off at 0701:12, and separated from Intelsat 703 at 0703:22. Intelsat 703 was now in a 283 x 38575 km x 25.9 deg orbit. The apogee was higher than initially expected and will let the satellite save fuel on reaching its final orbit. Over the next few days it fired its R4D liquid apogee engine to enter first a 7598 x 38540 km x 11.2 deg orbit (Oct 9) and then a 35670 x 38552 km x 0.2 deg orbit (Oct 11). This final orbit is a little higher than geostationary; on Oct 11 at 1815 UT the satellite was over 138 deg East and drifting 16 degrees per day.
Ownership was transferred in 1998 to New Skies.
| Intelsat 703 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Oct 6 | 0635:02 | Launch by Atlas Centaur | |
| 0636:14 | SRB 1-2 sep | ||
| 0636:57 | SRB 3-4 sep | ||
| 0637:47 | BECO | ||
| 0637:50 | Booster sep | ||
| 0638:31 | Fairing sep | ||
| 0639:53 | MECO | ||
| 0639:55 | Atlas sep | ||
| 0640:17 | Centaur MES1 | ||
| 0645:17 | Centaur MECO1 | ||
| 0659:29 | Centaur MES2 | ||
| 0701:12 | Centaur MECO2 | ||
| 0703:22 | Centaur sep | 283 x 38575 x 25.9 | |
| 1994 Oct 6 | 688.06 284 x 38593 x 25.9 | ||
| 1994 Oct 8 | 1030? | LAM-1 at 120E | |
| 1994 Oct 8 | 769.42 4293 x 38578 x 15.5 | ||
| 1994 Oct 9 | 1240? | LAM-2 at 94E | |
| 1994 Oct 9 | 838.16 7598 x 38540 x 11.2 | ||
| 1994 Oct 10 | 1600? | LAM-3 | |
| 1994 Oct 11 | 0850? | LAM-4 | |
| 1994 Oct 11 | 1504.40 35671 x 38555 x 0.2 GEO 140.7E+16.4W | ||
| 1994 Oct 12 | 2240? | LAM-5 | |
| 1994 Oct 12 | 1434.22 35667 x 35832 x 0.2 GEO 121.0E+0.5E | ||
| 1994 Oct 14 | 1437.06 35671 x 35939 x 0.2 GEO 120.7E+0.1W | ||
| 1994 Nov | Move to POR | ||
| 1994 Dec 9 | 1436.07 35774 x 35797 x 0.1 GEO 177.0E | ||
| 1994 Dec 26 | 1436.10 35776 x 35796 x 0.1 GEO 177.0E | ||
| 1996 May 27 | mv out | GEO 177E | |
| 1996 Jun 22 | mv in | GEO 56E | |
| 1996 Nov 20 | 1436.11 35772 x 35800 x 0.0 GEO 57.0E | ||
| 1998 Nov 30 | To New Skies NV | ||
| 1999 Oct 14 | 1436.01 35681 x 35888 x 0.1 GEO 57.1E | ||
| 2002 May 5 | 1436.10 35773 x 35799 x 0.2 GEO 57.0E | ||
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