Thursday, April 15, 1993

ATS 1

  1966-110A


Applications Technology Satellite 1, the first ATS to be launched, was actually ATS B. Launch of Atlas SLV-3 no. 5101 from complex 12 at Cape Canaveral came at 0212 UT on 1966 Dec 7. Agena D 6151 separated from the spent Atlas stage and fired to insert the ATS B payload into a 183 x 36758 km x 31 deg transfer orbit. At 1846 UT the apogee motor fired, leaving the payload in near-geostationary orbit drifting 7 deg W/d. Within a few days, ATS I was on station at 151 deg W. By 1968 it had been moved to 149 deg W, where it would remain for 14 more years. The inclination of the orbit was increased by perturbations, reaching 10 deg by 1981. On 1982 Jan 20 the satellite was moved off station, and transferred to 164-170 deg E to serve the US Pacific Island territories. It remained within a few degrees of this position until 1985 Mar 29 and was decommissioned in Apr 1985.


ATS 1 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1966 Dec 7  0212:01 Launch by Atlas Agena D 
  T+2:09 BECO 
  T+2:12 Booster jettison 
  T+4:53 SECO 
  T+5:12 VECO 
 0217:16 T+5:15 Atlas sep  -4097 x 182 x 30.97  
 0218:01 T+6:00 Agena 6151 MES-1 
 0218:10 T+6:09 Fairing sep 
 0220:42 T+8:41 Agena MECO-1  88.25 185 x 195 x 31.1 
 0231:31 T+19:30 Agena MES-2 
 0232:49 T+20:48 Agena MECO-2  650.4 183 x 36795 x 31.3 
 0235:08 T+23:07 Agena D sep  644.4 184 x 36583 x 31.29 (TM-X-1784) 
 0258  Agena D perigee?  
 1846  AKM fired 
 1847   1465.97 35852 x 36886 x 0.23 GEO 85.1W+7.5W/d 
1966 Dec 8  1600  Reorient burn 10.5W/d  
1966 Dec 9  1600  Reorient burn  
1966 Dec 12  2242  Braking, 5.5 deg/d  GEO 136.5W+5.5/d 
1966 Dec 16  0330  Braking  GEO 151W 
1966 Dec 16  1530  Braking on station  GEO 151 W+0.09W/d 
1966 Dec    151 W 
1966 Dec 20  0020  Stationkeeping burn  GEO +0.01E/d 
1967 Jan 10  0845   35762 x 35758 x 0.33 GEO 150.8W+0.04E/d 
1967 Apr 3    1436.09 35780 x 35791 x 0.1 GEO 150.2W+0.0E 
1968 Dec 8    x 1.1 149.5W 
1969 May 3   1436.15 35775 x 35799 x 1.5 GEO 150.0W+0.0E 
1969 Jun 11    x 1.6 149.8W 
1970 Jan 2    1436.15 35779 x 35796 x 2.4 GEO 149.1W+0.02E 
1970 Oct 20    x 2.8 148.9W 
1971 Apr    x 3.3 148.9W 
1974 Sep 15    x 6.2 149.1W 
1975 Jan 12    x 6.5 149.0W 
1976 Dec 30    x 8.0 149.1W 
1977 Mar 27    1436.09 35778 x 35794 x 8.1 GEO 149.0W 
1981 Jun 9    x 10.3 149.0W 
1982 Jan 4    1435.97 35758 x 35809 x 10.5 GEO 148.8W 
1982 Jan   Move out of GEO 
1982 Jan 20    1437.13 35777 x 35836 x 10.5 GEO 156.1W+0.2E 
1982 Aug    170E 
1982 Sep 8   Braking  1436.37 35770 x 35813 x 10.8 GEO 169.7E+0.1E 
1982 Oct    168E 
1983 Jun    164E 
1984 Sep    166E 
1984 Nov 16    1435.84 35751 x 35811 x 11.5 GEO 169.7E+0.05W 
1985 Feb    178E+0.1E/d 
1985 Feb 22    GEO 179.8E 
1985 Mar 29   Moved out of 179E slot
1985 Apr   Decommissioned 
1985 Apr 26    1435.19 35732 x 35805 x 11.7 GEO 168.3W+0.2W 
1990?   Drifting, control from Kaena Pt./Hawaii 
1993 Feb 20    1435.86 35753 x 35809 x 14.3 GEO 164.7E+0.05W 
1998 May 11    1434.40 35732 x 35774 x 14.3 GEO 121.8W+0.42W 


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