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NATIC NAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION TELS WO 2-4155
WASHINGTON, D C 20546
WO 3-6925

- FOR RELEASE: Thursday, IMMEDIATE

August 13, 1964
RELEASE 0o: 64-193

NASA'S SYNCOM C
SATELLITE IS SET

FOR LAUNCHING

An attempt to achieve the world's first truly stationary

orbit will be made by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration when it launches Syncom C, the third synchronous-
orbit communications satellite, from Cape Kennedy aboard a Thrust
Augmented Delta (TAD) launch vehicle no earlier than Aug. 18.

If successful, Syncom will appear to remain over one spot

O < Earth rather than move back and forth over the
Equator.

This will be the first launch for the TAD. It was chosen for
the Syncom mission because of its extra power necessary to boost
the satellite into a 22,300-mile equatorial orbit over the Pacific.

Syncom is scheduled to make two looping, eccentric orbits be-

fore it is kicked into stationary orbit on its third apogee over
Sumatra by its apogee-kick motor. Syncom C will then be moved to
its desired position at the International Date Line by control jets
on the satellite.

In this position the spacecraft will be able to communicate with

surface stations located at Clark Air Force Base in t~n. Piilippines,
Q Guam, and at Camp Roberts, Calif.

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 -2- -

"A..A -uorted
in the Syncom program by the U.S. Army
SatelliLte Communications Agency, Fort Monmouth, N.J., which pro-
vides the surface stations in the United States and overseas.

Work is underway to make it possible to transmit the 1964

Olympic~s from Japan via Syncom to television viewers in the United
States. Japan is installing the transmitting equipnment and an
antenna at ihe U.I Navy's Point Mugu, Calif., facility is being
modified to receive the transmissions from Japan in October.

Synctnu C also will be able to transmit two-way telephone

conversations as well as teletype and facsimile pictures.

The fist three months after launch, during the technical C

phase of the operation, NASA will control the spacecraft supported
by the Department of Defense.

Syncom C will be launched toward the east by the TAD whose

three solid fuel motors strapped to the first stage will give the
booster additional thrust at lift-off.

After second stage burn the vehicle is aligned by gas jets

on the second stage to properly orient the two stages and the
spacecraft for third powered flight. During second stage coast
flight the vehicle will be in a trajectory inclined about 28 degrees
with the Equator.

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 When the third stage is fired it places the spacecraft in
a transfer orbit which has a minimum altitude of 700 miles, a
maximum altitude of 22,900 miles and is about 16 degrees off
alignment with the Equator.

After third stage burn, the spacecraft will coast for about
5J hours to its first apogee over the Indian Ocean.

About 11 hours after first apogee the spacecraft, now separated

from the third stage, will be over tha West Coast of South America
at its second apogee. Here the satellite will be re-aligned with
an attitude change of a out 10 degrees, making it more parallel with
the Equator on the next apogee when the kick motor fires. However,

U unch performance too far from the expected orbit at this point
could result in a decision to fire the kick rocket on the fourth
apogee rather than the third.

In another 11 hours, the satellite will be fired on command

from Earth.

Data received from the spacecraft will be complete enough to

allow the project director at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,
Greenbelt, Md., to notify a ground station at Salisbury, Australia,
to fire the final stage. It desirable, the firing order may be sent
to the USNS Kingsport, a floating communications station anchored
at Guam.

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 With this couranand the satellite will be kicked out of Lhe
looping elliptical orbit and put into a circular, synchronous
orbit. It will then be in alignment with the Equator provided all
previous maneuvers were successful.

After a few hours, data from Syncom will provide enough in-
formation to determine whether the spacecraft is drifting east or
west and at what rate. If it is moving east at the proper speed no
corrections will be made. Otherwise a hydrogen peroxide gas Jet
will be fired from a ground station to provide the desired drift
rate about seven degrees a day.

After about ten days another gas Jet will be fired to stop the
drift and hold the satellite on-station.

At this point the satellite will seem to remain in one spot

over the Earth. In reality, Syncom will be keeping pace with the
rotation of the Earth much like a horse or car moving on an outside
track of a race course. In this case, in order to keep up with the
speed of the globe rotating 1,040 miles an hour underneath, the
satellite will be traveling at about 6,800 miles an hour at its
22,300 mile altitude in order to match the Earth's equatorial speed.

Syncom was designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Co. The
launch vehicle was built by Douglas Aircraft Co.

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 Earlier Syncoms, I and II, were launched Feb. 14, and
July 26, 1963, respectively. Syncom I achieved synchronous orbit
but all communications with it ceased about 20 seconds after the
apogee-kick motor was fired. Syncom II achieved a synchronous
orbit and has worked flawlessly ever since. It is now being moved
over the Pacific from its original on-station position at 55 degrees
west over Brazil.

Both these satellites move above and below the Equator in a

figure eight pattern rather than remaining over one point on the
Equator.

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(Technical Information Follows)

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l4

SYNCOM C TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Contents

Tit.e Page

Choice of Equatorial Orbit .7....

Syncom C Improvenents . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Electronics ...... .. .. ...... 9
Propulsion and Control . . . . . . . .1. . 11
The Launch Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
First Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Second Stage . . . . . . . . . . ...
Third Stage
The Flight ..
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
.. .. ..
333333 14

15
Syncom Team . . . ............ 16
Department of Defense Participation . . . . 18
SATCOM, Syncom and NASA . . . . . . . . . . 18
Illustrations

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 Cloice of Equatorial Orbit
The choice of a synchronous equatorial orbit for Syncom C
came about for the following reasons:

1. Such an orbit is ideal for a comminications satellite

system as well as being the logical next step from Syncom II.
2. After the successful operation of Syncom II, the TAD,
not available for the original Syncom project plans, made avail-
able the extra booster power and thrust of the new X-258 upper
stage to attempt a stationary orbit at relatively little additional
cost.
3. The inclusion of a second hydrogen peroxide gas system
n the spacecraft will allow more gas for maneuvering the satellite
in space and enhance the chances of success. However, this is a
much more difficult mission than Syncom II with a corresponding
reduction in the probability of complete success.

The technological abilities gained in achieving a stationary

orbit will prove invaluable for many future missions. More
immediately, the added Wtowledge will be put to use in planning
the Advanced Technological Satellites (ATS) program.

Syncom C Improvements
Syncom C resembles its predecessors, Synconi I and II, in
appearance.

Without antennas or apogee motor it is a cylinder 28 inches

in diameter and 15i inches high. The apogee-kick motor protrudes

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 -8-

from one end, communications antennas from the other. Its weight
at separation of the third stage is 145 pounds. About half its
weight is expended with the firing of the kick rocket.

It varies from its predecessors in that it has n-on-p solar

cells, which provide power from the Sun for the spacecraft's
batteries, rather than p-on-n. These are more resistant to radia-
tion. Syncom C has two hydrogen peroxide Jet control systems,
rather than the hydrogen peroxide and nitrogen systems on the
earlier Syncoms. It has no timer for preset firing of the apogee
motor as previous Syncoms and can be fired by ground command only.
Syncom II has two transmitter-receiver units of dual 500 kc and 0
5 me bandwidths respectively, while Syncom C has one 5 me unit and
one of 13 mc for television transmission.

Power

Power is supplied by 3840 n-on-p solar cells mounted on the

outer periphery of the cylinder. The wiring harness of Syncom C
was changed to suit the spacecraft's modifications.

Syncom is built in two units. An outer structure supports

the solar panels and contains the hydrogen peroxide tanks and axial
and radial Jets of the control system, and -most of the electronics.
An inner structure supports the apogee motor and the remaining elec-
tronics. Q J
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- --- =--- -
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Antennas include a slotted array antenna for communications

transmission, a slotted dipole for communications receiving and four
whip antennas in a turnstile arrangement for telemetry and command.

Syncom has a passive temperature control system. That is,

adequate temperature control is achieved by the design and materials
used on the external surface and by properly insulating subsystem
equipment.

Electronics

Most electronic subsystems on Syncom are duplicative. Included

Qlre transponders with two traveling-wave tube transmitters and two
receivers, either receiver of which may be used with either trans-
mitter. One receiver has a 13 me IF bandwidth to enhance TV trans-
mission through Syncom. The other has a bandwidth of 5 me. Syncom's
receiver noise figure is 10 db; the receiving antenna gain is 2 db
through a skirted dipole antenna; the transmitting antenna gain is
6 db.

The antenna receives signals from ground stations on two

frequencies near 7360 me, and supplies them to one of the two re-
ceivers. At any one time, only one of the receivers operates; the
one chosen is selected by command. Two way communications can pass
through either receiver.

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 -10-

The receiver then drives one of the two transmitters, the

traveling wave tube of which delivers two watts to the antenna
at a frequency of about 1815 me. The transmitter also provides a
100 milliwatt tracking beacon signal at 1820 me.

The total transponder power consumption is 15 watts. A

transponder weighs eight pounds, including the traveling wave tube

and high voltage power supply.

Besides acting as a beacon and a communications transponder,

Syncom's communications system also will transpond signals to measure
range and range rate of the satellite to determine its orbit. 0
The turnstile antenna will be used for both command and
telemetry. Telemetry data to be transmitted include temperatures;
power supply voltage and current, signal strength at the communica-
tions receiver and transmitter; solar sensors' output; and pressure
of hydrogen peroxide gas system.

Nineteen signals will be telemetered from the encoders. Analog

inputs will be sequently multiplexed, four channels per second,
onto a frequency-modulated sub-carrier oscillator with a 14.5 kc center
Irequency. Sun sensor and accelerometer outputs directly modulate
the telemetry transmitter.

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 ;ot 14'2) .'c con.m.anu, r' celvers are identical. Each has
4its own raixer, IF amplifier and AM detector. The hybrid network
allows command receivers and telemetry systems to share the turn-
stile antenna which is a minimum of -4.5 db gain. Commands to be
transmitted to Syncom from ground stations include telemetry and
communications system switching, gas jet firing, and apogee motor
firing.

The command decoders consist of the circuitry required to

process the ground commands. Electronics are turned on or off with 12
command signals; another 13 commands are used for control.

O An audio tone is supplied to one of three channels in each

decoder, the enable channel. When this channel detects the tone,
a switch connects the other two channels, the logic and execute
channels. The logic channel sets up the command on receiving the
proper number of pulses from the ground. The command is set up and
verified by telemetry before the command is executed.

Power supply is intended to supply about 25 watts at 28 volts.

Propulsion and Control

The satellite's propulsion system consists of a solid-propellant

rocket motor. It imparts a velocity increase of 4,696 feet per
second to inject the vehicle into a synchronous orbit at a speed of
C ,bout 7,000 mph.

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Attitude and velocity control while in orbit is achieved

through two hydrogen peroxide systems. Four pressurized spherical
tanks (two for each system) mounted opposite each other and connected
by manifolds contain the propellant for each system.

Each of the control systems has two Jets. One Jet fires
parallel to the spin axis of the spacacraft and the other perpen-
dicular to the spin axis.

The systems each contain five pounds of 90 per cent hydrogen

peroxide pressurized ':o -OO pounds per square inch by nitrogen.

Each hydrogen peroxide system has a correction capability of

about 300 feet per second.

The spacecraft is reoriented after required orbital altitude is

attained so that its spin axis is perpendicular to its orbital
plane. Ar. attitude control jet, located on one end of the vehicle,
upon command from the grournd, is pulsed to carry out this function.
The timing of the pulses is based on information about the space-
craft's attitude and spin angle furnished by the solar angle sensors.

Any change of attitude of the satellite on its axis as a res'rit

Of reorientation is removed by a mercury nutation damper.

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Final precise adjustments in the spacecraft's synchronism

are achieved by pulsing a velocity contro'l Jet located on th3
side of the spacecraft.

The Launch Vehicle

The TAD consists of a Delta vehicle with the first stage

modified by three Thiokol solid rocket motors of 53,850 pounds
thrust each, which increases the liftoff thrust from a nominal
172,000 pounds to a nominal 333,550 pounds.

The TAD will fly the higher-thrust X-258 third stage motor
to place the satellite in a near-equatorial, synchronous orbit.

U0 Thiokol TX-33-52 motors are 31 inches in diameter and 237.44

inches in length. Each has a total weight of 9,170 pounds, of
which 7,238 pounds is propellant.

The TX-33-52 rockets are equipped with a destruct charge, a

wiring harness, and an ordnance components kit, wiring tunnel and
nose cone assembly. A flight source, rather than a ground source,
is used to command the solid motors in operation.

Explosive bolts are used to separate the spent casings from the
Thor; they thrust the spent rockets out and away from the Thor.

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 -14- ()
The TAD rocket has the following general characteristics:
Height: 90 feet
Maximum diameter: Eight feet
Liftoff weight: About 71 tons

First stage: Modified Air Force Thor, produced by Douglas Aircraft Co.
Fuel: Liquid (kerosene with liquid
oxygen as oxidizer)
Thrust: 300,000 pournds
Burning time: About two minutes and 25
seconds
Delta space weight: About 64 tons (with solid
rockets)
Second stage: Aero4et General Corp., JA 10-118 Propulsion System
Fuel: Liquid 0
Thrust: About 7,500 pounds
Burning time: About two minutes
Delta space weight: 21 tons more
Third stage: Allegany Ballistics Laboratory X-258 motor
Fuel: Solid
Thrust: About 5,700 pounds (vs 3,000
pounds for X-248)
Burning time: 22.6 seconds (vs 40 seconds
for X-248)
Weight: About 576 pounds ('.s 516 pounds
for X-248)
Length: 59 inches (vs 57.5 inches for
X-248)
18 inches (same as X-248) 0

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 [ -1J
Th)Ž ?lirht

The Thor vehicle fires belore liftoff, and the three solid
rockets, ignited by a flight source, almost immediately on liftoff.
The solid motors burn for approximately 27 seconds, followed by a
13-second liftoff period. At liftoff plus 70 seconds, the empty
solid casings are jettisoned.

Four seconds after liftoff, the Bell Telephone Laboratories

guidance system begins a four-step program wherein the vehicle is

rolled to a flight azimuth of 95 degrees from true north. This
includes a combined yaw, pitch and roll maneuver. The program lasts

-26 seconds.

I
| The BTL guidance system commands main engine cutoff 148.7
seconds after liftoff, and the second stage fires four seconds
later.

First stage separation occurs 4.3 seconds after main engine

cutoff (MECO). After second stage ignition, a pitch program is
initiated at MEC0 plus six seconds, which. -ns at second stage cutoff
(SECO) minus 16 seconds.

After SECO, the second stage and spacecraft coast for more than
20 minutes (1255.2 seconds) to second stage apogee nearly over the
equator. During this time the vehicle is pitched and yawed so that
the spacecraft will have the desired transfer orbit perigee at third

O tage burnout.

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Just before second stare apogee, the spin rockets which
spin-up the third stage are fired. Two seconds later, the second
stage gas retro system is activated and the second stage is
separated. Third stage is ignited four seconds after second stage
separation and burns for 22.6 seconds.

If all goes well Syncom will be injected into the transfer

orbit about 695 miles above the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast
of Africa.

The third stage is Jettisoned 70 seconds after its ignition

and Syncom and its fourth stage coast on the transfer ellipse for
approximately 5.6 hours to its first apogee over the In'ian Ocean.

Syncom Team

Syncom is a program of the Office of Space Science and

Applications directed by Associate Administrator for Space Science
and Applications, Dr. Homer E. Newell. Director of the Communications
and Navigation Programs Division is Leonard Jaffe. Syncom Project
Officer is Harry N. Stafford.

OSSA's Launch Vehicle and Propulsion Programs Division is

directed by Vincent L. Johnson and the Delta Program Manager is T. B.
Norris.

Syncom project management and Delta project management and

::n hing is under the direction of the Goddard Space Flight Center,
<:-lt, NMd., Dr. Harry J. Goett, Director.

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Robc,,t J. Dircey is GE.I'C Project IManai or for Syncom; Don V.

Fordyce, '2ynoromProject Coordinator, and Forrest H. Wainscott is

Spacecraft Manager. William R. Schindler is Delta Program Manager.

Robert II.Gray heads the Goddard Field Projects Branch at Cape

Kennedy.

Syncom was designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Co.,

Culver City, Calif. Hughes also operates telemetry and command

ground stations, under the direction of GSFC, at Salisbury, Australia,

on board the USNS Kingsport and at Lakehurst, N.J.

The Delta was built by the Douglas Aircraft Co., Santa Monica,

Calif. Douglas is also responsible for pre-launch and launch

iQ erations.

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Department of Defense Participation

Communications with Syncom C during th4 launch phase will

be provided by Department of Defense surface terminals under
the technical and operational direction of the U.S. Army Satellite
Communications (SATCOM) Agency, which has its headquarters at
Fort Monmouth, N.J. From its Test Operations Center there it will
conduct and evaluate the communications experimental test program
for NASA.

The SATCOM Agency is commanded by Brig. Gen. J. Wilson Johnston.

By agreement between NASA and the Department of Defense, the SATCOM
Agency supports NASA in the Syncom Program.

Ground terminals in the SATCOM research and developmental test

network which will work with Syncom C are operated by U.S. Army
Strategic Communications Command (STRATCOM) personnel commanded by
Maj. Gen. Richard J. Meyer.

SATCOM, Syncom, and NASA

The launch of Syncom C will highlight more than two years of

teamwork between NASA and the Army SATCOM Agency, during which time
the latter has provided NASA with the communication and test facili-
ties for Syncom I and for the highly-successful Syncom II.

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The QATCO01 Agency is Project Manager for the Army's portion

-- surface communications environment -- of the Defense Communications
Satellite Program. Because of the experience it had gained in
previous satellite communications projects, and because it had
surface terminal facilities already developed and in being, the
SATCOM Agency was assigned by Department of Defense in 1962 to
support NASA in the Syncom project.

Since the launch of Syncom II on July 26, 1963, over 2,800

hours of communication have been logged with the satellite,' including
voice, teletype and facsimile photo transmission.

) At the SATCOM Agency's Test Operations Center at Fort Monmouth,

initial testing of Syncom C immediately after launch will consist of
engineering-scientific tests to determine the parameters of the
satellite. First acquisition of Syncom C for communications purposes
is expected to be a link established between Clark Air Base and
the USNS Kingsport at Guam.

Following the engineering check, operational-engineering tests

will begin, including single channel teletype, multi-channel voice,
multi-channel teletype, facsimile, phase delay and other variations
to determine the system's capacity, fidelity, and level of quality.
Testing emphasis will be on multi-channel voice capability.

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 CO-AXIAL SLOTTED ARRAY ANTENNA

TRAVELING-WAVE TUBE

ANTENIA ELECTRONICS -.--. E

QUADRANT NO.I ELECTRONICS

LATERAL HYDROGEN PEROXIDE JET

QUADRANT NO.3 ELECTRONICS

SOLAR CELLS
AXIAL HYDROGEN PEROXIDE JET

ORIENTATION JET SOLAR SENSOR

APOGEE MOTOR
SOLAR SENSOR
NITROGEN VENT VALVE
PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE

OUADRANT NO.2 ELECTRONICS

APOGEE MOTOR NOZZLE

SYNCOM C SPACECRAFT
FIGURE C
 SYNCOM C ORBITING SEQUENCE
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