NASAs News '

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration
Washington. DC 20546
AC 202 755-8370

For Release IMMEDIATE

Press Kit Project COMSTAR D-2

RELEASE NO: 76-127

Contents
GENERAL RELEASE ....................................... .1-2

ATLAS/CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE .......................... 3-5

TYPICAL LAUNCH SEQUENCE FOR COMSTAR D-2.................. 6

NASA TEAM ............................................. 7-8

NA\SA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Washington. DC 20546
AC 202 755-8370

For Release
Bill O'Donnell
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. IMMEDIA2E
(Phone: 202/755-3090)

RELEASE NO: 76-127

NASA TO LAUNCH SECOND COMSTAR FOR COMSAT GENERAL

COMSTAR D-2, the second in a series of domestic

communications satellites of COMSAT General Corp., is

scheduled for launch by NASA July 22 at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

The Atlas/Centaur vehicle and associated support activ-

ities will be provided on a cost-reimbursable basis by NASA

to COMSAT General, a subsidiary of Communications Satellite

Corp. (COMSAT).

The COMSTAR satellite has been leased by COMSAT

General to American Telephone and Telegraph Co. (AT&T) as

part of its nationwide communications network. Each

COMSTAR has a capacity for more than 14,000 two-way high

quality voice circuits.

-more-
 i If

-2-

Three in-orbit COMSTARS are planned for the system

which will be capable of providing communications co the

50 states and Puerto Rico. The first COMSTAR was launched

May 13 and the third is scheduled for launch in 1978.

A fourth will serve as a ground spare.

The COMSTAR satellites operate from geosynchronous

orbits at 36,000 kilometers (22,300 miles) altitude.

Launch window July 22 opens at 6:04 and closes at

7:13 p.m. EDT.

NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, has

management responsibility for the Atlas/Centaur development

and operation. NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,

is responsible to Lewis Research Center for vehicle checkout

and launch.

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS)

 -3-

ATLAS/CENTAUR LAUNCH VEHICLE

The Atlas/Centaur is NASA's standard launch vehicle for

intermediate-weight payloads. It is used for the launch of
Earth-orbital, Earth-synchronous and interplanetary missions.
Centaur was the nation's first high-energy, liquid-
hydrogen/liquid-oxygen propelled rocket. Developed and
launched under the direction of NASA's Lewis Research Center,
it became operational in 1966 with the launch of Surveyor 1,
the first U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon's surface.
Since that time, both the Atlas booster and Centaur
second stage have undergone many improvements. At present,
the vehicle combination can place 4,530 kilograms (10,000
pounds) in low Earth orbit, 1,880 kg (4,150 lb.) in a syn-
chronous transfer orbit and 900 kg (2,000 lb.) on an inter-
planetary trajectory.
The Atlas/Centaur, standing approximately 40.8 meters
(134 feet) high, consists of an Atlas SLV-3D booster and
Centaur D-lA second stage. The Atlas booster develops 1,920
kilonewtons (431,3D0 lb.) of thrust at liftoff using two
822,920-newton (185,000 lb.) thrust booster engines, one
266,890-N (60,000 lb.) thrust sustainer engine and two ver-
nier engines developing 2,890 N (650 lb.) thrust each. The
two RL-10 engines on Centaur produce a total of 133,450 N
(30,000 lb.) thrust. Both the Atlas and the Centaur are
3.048 m (10 ft.) in diameter.
Until early 1974, Centaur was used exclusively in com-
bination with the Atlas booster. Now it Ls also used with
a Titan III booster to launch heavier payloads into Earth
orbit and interplanetary trajectories.
The Atlas and the Centaur vehicles have been updated
over the years. Thrust of the Atlas engines has been in-
creased about 222,400 N (50,000 lb.) since its debut in the
space program in the early 1960s.
The Centaur D-1A has an integrated electronic system
that performs a major role in checking itself and other
vehicle systems before launch and also maintains control
of major events after liftoff.

-more-
 -4-

The new Centaur electronics handles iiav gation and guidance

tasks, controls pressurization and venting, ropellant man-
agement, telemetry formats and transmission and initiates
vehicle events. Most operational needs can ne met by
changing the computer software.

The Centaur D-lAR also incorporates a redundant hydro-

gen peroxide attitude control system that is tolerant of a
peroxide "engine out" situation.

Typical Launch Vehicle Characteristics

Liftoff weight including spacecraft: 148,j'5 kg (326,400 lb.)

Liftoff height: 40.8 m (134 ft.)

Launch complex: 36-B

Atlas Booster Centaur Stage

Weight 130,469 kg 17,781 kg

(with propellants) (287,630 lb.) (39,200 lb.)

Height 21.3 m (70 ft.) 19.5 m (64 ft.

with payload
fairing)

Thrust 1,920 kn 133,450 N

(431,300 lb.) (30,000 lb.)
at sea level. in vacuum,

Propellants Liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen

and RP-1 and liquid
hydrogen

Propulsion MA-5 svstem two Two 66,723-N

822,921-N (185,000 (15,000-lb.)
lb.) thrust booster thrust RL-10
engines, one engines, 12
266,893-N (60,00 small hydrogen
lb.) thrust su6- peroxide thrusters.
tainer engine, -wo
2,891-N (650-1:.)
thrust vernic-
engines.

-more-
 -5-

Atlas Booster Centaur Stage

Velocity 8,877 kmph (5,517 33,339 kmph

(Earth relative) mph) at booster (20,714 mph)
engine cutoff at spacecraft
(BECO), 12,294 separation.
kmph (8,076 mph)
at sustainer
engine cutoff
(SECO).

Guidance Preprogrammed pro- Inertial guidance.

file through BECO.
Switch to inertial
guidance for sus-
tainer phase.

-more-
 I ,I -6- I r co

a, cn co *n o * *
i o cn

H
O) \- m s
.ri U)
-0
P< 1 N c

4J 0
C
.H r_r4 4.)
-fi
H Hc o c o
H o - H H
. . . .
Ic 0 cn ao . . .
CN
.
k cn c '.0
,N * *. M ' .0 CO tO (N O'
1-
N, 0 0' LA
H H H H H tO '. CO
a; O' LA '0 H1

Co '.0 Co
co C4
. rCT
-. (N
kD '. (NI H1% H1 un
(N U) al~~C L*n Ln k
C (N * * * -i
I 3 m v
DH * * LA CN (N r1
N O N
'* ' ' -
*rI O' 10 (N m v '0 .H
(N tN H LA LA '.0
M ~ C' LA LA H- (N

Eq En
0t' ci)
a) r, ko ko
r' . '.0
0 S~ 4) . . H,
%3 .
U a) '. C 1O (N . N
__0 N '0
*. - HI LA m
0
O 0 * *
H c1o o0 '0 ci -.

o H.
H CO O CO aE O
C' '
rz.4@r v L N
O CO cn H
Z OI CO (N n (

U 0 H cn
Z;0
cn 0 0 N H an Co
( (N
C CO
CY) cn C% LA c IV CO rN
CA > (N Co
- .
rN r: LA C' Co O M s .
- I = rN '.o
4J a % -
UE co CO H H (N (N
OC0 LA LA CC 00
MC

M
Z; U
cn n co (N cn
0 n '0 (N
M
0' (N (N (N N '. cn N C
5 I cn n
LA co r?
4
V)1 Co
0 tn CO O
$.4> N M C= - - - ' - '

H H H H (N (N C
cn
< rO 1 o
H
. . . . .
E
0c rC L N H
Ln cn% .c
(4 ::v

CO CO O cn1 % r%D r > C

O E4 Cn c- ni
(N (N 0 H H H H (N
P4 U) cO H r H N (N

0 0
((3 *,1
*r4 4)
0 4-)
4.) - - 2 4
. H4
0 (1 4. .-. ()N H - . (
r cZ -H - ( 4
to ) 4.)
4) S - 0
4J4.) Q-4 M
ai U)
t
0
0
U (
0
U (
U
't
3
3
0
4.
) : t)
a) X *r,, 4.'
S-E:
i4 :i 4-1 0 7
r>
*n O s:: O (n 44) H 'C
10 U "
5.
-rI
( .- S hS . 0
4-1 Si 4UO S U ) H
4r- 0 44 0 $
4 4 4
4 ) *d 4.) .0
0 4) H 4) \ i
U O
4) 0 U) = 4 0 4 4-P ) 4 4-
444 U 0 U7Oa) U 00 w z ( 0 (
r 0 g:-n a)
0 Q) 0 () o u 0w a) 4J %
H H U U) P )
H U1) U U Z U U
rz. a

-more-
 -7-

NASA TEAM

NASA Headquarters

John F. Yardley Associate Administrator

for Space Fl.ight

Joseph B. Mahon Director of Expendable

Launch Vehicle Programs

F. R. Schmidt Manager, Atlas/Centaur

Lewis Research Center

Dr. Bruce T. Lundin Director

Dr. Seymour C. Himmel Associate Director for

Flight Programs

Andrew J. Stofan Director of Launch Vehicles

Henry 0. Slone Centaur Systems Manager

Kenneth A. Adams COMSTAR I Mission Project

Engineer

Richard A. Flage Launch Vehicle Test

Integration Engineer

Richard E. Orzechowski Launch Vehicle Range

Integration Engineer

Kennedy Space Center

Lee R. Scherer Director

Miles Ross Deputy Director

Dr. Walter J. Kapryan Director, Space Vehicles

Operations

George F. Page Director, Expendable Vehicles

John D. Gossett Manager, Centaur Operations

- more -
 -8-

Kennedy Space Center (cont'd)

Creighton A. Terhune Engineering Manager,

Centaur Operations

J. M. HarringtOn Complex 36 Operations

Manager

James N. McKnight Project Engineer, COMSTAR

Spacecraft

COMSAT General

Robert D. Briskman Assistant Vice President

and Director of COMSTAR
Program

Jul.y 14, 1976