The ESA/OTS-B satellite is scheduled to be launched on a Delta vehicle from the Eastern Test Range no earlier than May 4, 1978. The European Space Agency (ESA) will reimburse NASA for the cost of providing launch support of this mission in accordance with the Supplemental Agreement No. 3 dated March 14, 1978 to the NASA/ESA contract signed March 24, 1976. The satellite is designed to conduct communication technology experiments as a forerunner of the European Communication Satellite (ECS) System which is to be operational in the 1980 s operating at the 11-14 GHz level. The launch vehicle for the ESA/OTS-B mission will be the Delta 3914. It includes nine Castor IV strap-on motors on the extended long tank Thor booster with RS-27 engine, TR-20 1 second stage and TE-364-4 third stage. The vehicle will place the satellite into synchronous transfer orbit with apogee of 36,842 km, perigee of 185 km and inclination of 27.4 degrees. The OTS-B is a backup replacement of the OTS-A satellite which failed to achieve orbit because of failure of the Delta launch vehicle during ascent on September 13, 1977. The satellite Aerojet Apogee Boost Motor (ABM) will be fired 37 hours after launch at fifth apogee to circularize the orbit and the satellite will then be drifted to a final synchronous location above the equator at 10 degrees East longitude (over Africa). The spacecraft prime contractor is Hawker Siddeley Dynamics (Stevenage, England). The European Space Operations Center (ESOC) at Darnstadt will take over spacecraft responsibility after injection into transfer orbit.


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    Titel :

    ESA Orbital Test Satellite (OTS-B) - Delta Launch


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1978


    Format / Umfang :

    29 pages


    Medientyp :

    Report


    Format :

    Keine Angabe


    Sprache :

    Englisch