Intelsat III F-6

{{Short description|Communications satellite}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2017}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = Intelsat III F-6

| image =

| image_caption =

| mission_type = Communications

| operator = Intelsat

| website =

| COSPAR_ID = 1970-003A

| SATCAT = 04297

| mission_duration = 5 years (planned)

| spacecraft_bus =

| spacecraft_type =

| manufacturer = TRW Inc.

| BOL_mass = {{convert|151|kg|lb}}

| launch_mass = {{convert|293|kg|lb}}

| dimensions =

| power = 183 W

| launch_date = {{start-date|January 15, 1970, 00:16:03|timezone=yes}} UTC{{cite web|url=http://planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt|title=Launch Log|first=Jonathan|last=McDowell|work=Jonathan's Space Page|access-date=April 21, 2017}}

| launch_rocket = Delta M

| launch_site = Cape Canaveral LC-17A

| launch_contractor =

| disposal_type =

| deactivated =

| orbit_epoch = January 15, 1970{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1970-003A|title=INTELSAT 3 F-6|first=Goddard Space Flight Center|last=NASA|work=NSSDC Master Catalog|access-date=April 21, 2017}}

| orbit_reference = Geocentric

| orbit_regime = Geostationary

| orbit_periapsis = {{convert|35,773|km|mi|sp=us}}

| orbit_apoapsis = {{convert|35,801|km|mi|sp=us}}

| orbit_inclination = 0.9°

| orbit_eccentricity = 0.00033

| orbit_period = 1,436.1 minutes

| orbit_longitude =

| apsis = gee

| trans_band =

| trans_frequency =

| trans_bandwidth =

| trans_capacity =

| trans_coverage =

| trans_TWTA =

| trans_EIRP =

| trans_HPBW =

| programme = Intelsat III

| previous_mission = Intelsat III F-5

| next_mission = Intelsat III F-7

}}

Intelsat III F-6 was a communications satellite owned by Intelsat. The satellite had an estimated useful life of 5 years.

Design

The sixth of eight Intelsat III satellites to be launched, Intelsat III F-6 was built by TRW. It was a {{convert|293|kg|lb|adj=on}} spacecraft equipped with two transponders to be powered by body-mounted solar cells generating 183 watts of power.{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.astronautix.com/craft/intlsat3.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020223094128/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/intlsat3.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 23, 2002|title=Intelsat 3|first=Mark|last=Wade|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Astronautica|access-date=April 21, 2017}} It had a design life of five years and carried an SVM-2 apogee motor for propulsion.{{cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/intelsat-3.htm|title=Intelsat-3|first=Gunter|last=Krebs|work=Gunter's Space Page|access-date=April 21, 2017}}

Launch

Intelsat III F-6 was launched on a Delta M rocket, flying from Launch Complex 17A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch took place on January 15, 1970, with the spacecraft bound for a geosynchronous transfer orbit.

See also

{{Portal|Spaceflight}}

References