Early Bird

  1965-028A

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The Intelsat I (Early Bird) satellite was the first commercial geostationary communications satellite. The spacecraft was built by Hughes and given the model number HS-303A. The spin-stabilized satellite had a JPL Starfinder solid apogee motor.

Early Bird
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1965 Apr 6	2347:49	Launch by Delta DSV-3D	CK
		T+1:50 SRM 1-3 sep
	2350:19	T+2:30 MECO
		Thor 20105 (426) sep
	2350:21	Delta S/N 20101 burn, T+2:32 2:47
	2353:10	Delta SECO M+171	-1213? x 1423 x 28.5
1965 Apr 7	0014:33?	T+26:44? Altair II RH-83 burn, 22s
	0014:55?	Altair II cutoff
	0016:29	T+28:40 Altair sep	662.8 1424 x 36063 x 18.28
1965 Apr 9	1330	Apogee firing at apo 6	1437.30 35023 x 36596 x 0.13
1965 Apr 13		mv.	35606 x 36370 GEO 33.5W?
1965 Apr 13		mv	35606 x 35795
1965 Apr 14		mv	35812 x 35792
1965 Apr 15			GEO 28.5W
1965 Apr 23			35773 x 35802 x 0.12 GEO 30W
1965 Jun5		Altair orbit	679.89 1450 x 36492 x 18.14
1965 Jun 30		Communications inaugurated
1965 Dec 2		Reverse drift	GEO 38.5W
1966 Sep 7			1436.62 35784 x 35808 x 1.4 GEO 36.6W+0.1E
1966 Dec 29			1436.65 35777 x 35817 x 1.7 GEO 119.5W+0.1E
1967 Oct 9			1435.74 35746 x 35812 x 2.3 GEO 18.4W+0.1W
1968 Feb 29			1436.37 35756 x 35827 x 2.3 GEO 25.4E+0.1E
1969 Jan 19		Inactive
1969 Jun 29		Reactivated to replace Intelsat 3
1969 Aug 13		Inactive
1969 Dec 1			1436.38 35757 x 35826 x 4.4 GEO 39.9W+0.1E
1971 Apr 6		Reactivated, drifting
1972 Dec 8			1436.09 35760 x 35812 x 7.2 GEO 47.5W+0.0E
1973 Sep 24			1437.42 35789 x 35835 x 7.8 GEO 102.1W+0.4E
1974 Jan			GEO 136W dr
1974 Sep			GEO 152W dr
1975 Jan			GEO 127W dr
1975 Dec			GEO 47W dr
1976 May			GEO 61W
1976 Sep			GEO 88W
1976 Dec			GEO 125W
1979 Feb			GEO 136W
1985		Reactivated for commemoration
1988		Deactivated
1998 Mar 8			1436.86 35699 x 35903 x 13.9 GEO 61W

Payload:

• C-band communications (6/4 GHz)