Friday, August 27, 2004
Rex 2
1996-014A
REX-II was built for the USAF Rome Lab by CTA Space Systems/McLean to study ionospheric propagation for communications technology. It was selected as the guinea-pig payload for the Pegasus XL return to flight after its first two failures. In the event, the launch on 1996 Mar 9 was flawless.
REX-2 had a mass of 110 kg and extended a 6-m long gravity gradient boom. It successfully used GPS for attitude control for the first time, and was turned over from CTA to the USAF on 1996 Apr 23. After its primary mission was completed it was turned over to the US Naval Academy for training use.
The REX spacecraft apparently had 4 extendable solar panels and was 3-axis nadir stabilized, but was reportedly still using the Ministar bus. Size was 0.76 dia 0.56h.
| REX II | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Mar 9 | 0038 | L1011 takeoff from VAFB RW 30/12 | |
| 0133 | Pegasus XL drop | ||
| Stage 1 sep | |||
| Stage 2 sep, start coast | |||
| 0143 | Stage 2 sep (T+10:08) | ||
| 0144? | Stage 3 burn | ||
| 0145 | Stage 3 sep | ||
| 1996 Apr 23 | Turned over to USAF control | ||
| 1999 Jul | Primary experiments deactivated | ||
| 1999 Jul | Turned over to USNA | ||
| 2003 Jan | Still working | ||
| 2004 Aug 1 | Retired | ||
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Monday, August 23, 2004
Intelsat 4A6
1978-035A
The final IVA to be launched was F-6, in Mar 1978. It was stationed over the Indian Ocean, and in late 1978 replaced IV F-1 as the IOR Primary satellite.
| Intelsat 4A F-6 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 Mar 31 | 2336:01 | Launch by Atlas Centaur | CC LC36 |
| T+2:20 BECO | |||
| T+2:23 Booster sep | |||
| T+3:05 Insulation panels sep | |||
| T+4:02 SECO | |||
| T+4:09 Atlas sep | |||
| T+4:19 MES-1 | |||
| T+4:31 Fairing | |||
| 2346 | T+10:20 MECO-1 189 km vrel 7.786 | ||
| 1978 Apr 1 | 0000 | T+24:53 MES-2 559 km vrel 7.320 | |
| 0001 | T+25:29 MECO-2 628 km | ||
| 0004 | T+28:34 Centaur sep | 641.03 549 x 35949 x 21.85 (RAE) | |
| 0011 | T+35:34 end blowdown | ||
| 0600? | Apo 1 85E | ||
| 1600? | Apo 2 71W | ||
| 1978 Apr 2 | 0300? | Apo 3 130E | |
| 0230? | AKM (speculative) over 130E | ||
| 1978 Apr 13 | 1436.13 35731 x 35843 x 0.3 GEO 154.9E+0.02W | ||
| 1978 May 25 | 1446.89 35980 x 36014 x 0.3 GEO 112.7E+2.7W | ||
| 1978 Jun 8 | 1447.01 35979 x 36020 x 0.2 GEO 74.6E+2.7W | ||
| 1978 Jun 22 | mv in | 1436.13 35773 x 35801 x 0.2 GEO 62.9E | |
| 1978 Sep 30 | GEO 62.9E | ||
| 1978 Nov 19 | Replaced IV F-1 | ||
| 1979 Jan | IOR Primary | GEO 63E | |
| 1980 Nov 12 | 1435.95 35778 x 35789 x 0.1 GEO 63.8E | ||
| 1982 Sep 12 | 1436.21 35778 x 35799 x 0.1 GEO 62.9E | ||
| 1982 Sep 22 | mv out | GEO 63E | |
| 1982 Nov 18 | mv in | 1436.07 35781 x 35791 x 0.1 GEO 174.0E | |
| 1982 Dec | POR Primary | GEO 174E | |
| 1984 Mar 29 | 1436.12 35782 x 35791 x 0.0 GEO 173.9E | ||
| 1985 Aug | GEO 174E | ||
| 1986 Mar 1 | 1436.09 35783 x 35790 x 0.3 GEO 174.0E | ||
| 1986 Mar 13 | 1436.09 35783 x 35790 x 0.3 GEO 173.9E | ||
| 1986 Mar 18 | mv out | 1436.37 35781 x 35802 x 0.3 GEO 173.7E+0.08W | |
| 1986 Apr | mv out | GEO 174E | |
| 1986 Jun 12 | mv in | 1436.17 35775 x 35796 x 0.6 GEO 170.1E | |
| 1986 Oct 6 | GEO 170.0E | ||
| 1986 Dec 17 | 1436.01 35774 x 35795 x 1.0 GEO 170.1E | ||
| 1986 Dec 29 | Orbit raise | 1438.13 35816 x 35836 x 1.0 GEO 164.0E+0.5W | |
| 1987 Aug 12 | 1437.55 35792 x 35838 x 1.6 GEO 47.1E+0.4W | ||
| 1989 Mar 31 | 1437.6 35769 x 35860 x 1.7 | ||
| 1993 Dec 31 | 1435.2 35739 x 35797 x 7.3 | ||
| 1997 Feb 3 | 1435.32 35751 x 35791 x 9.3 GEO 16.29E+0.2/d | ||