Table 1
Table 1
Table 1
ATS 1 to 5 Characteristics
a, b
Satellite
Characteristics ATS 1 (B) ATS 2 (A) ATS 3 (C) ATS 4 (D) ATS 5 (E)
Cylinder
Diameter (in.) 58 56 58 56 56
Height (in.) 54 72 54 72 72
Initial orbital weight (lb) 775 702 775 670 670
Solar cells and NiCd
175 130 175 130 130
batteries (W initial)
Gravity Gravity Gravity
Stabilization Spin Spin
gradient gradient gradient
Design life (yr) 3 3 3 3 3
Sunchronous
equatorial, Synchronous
149°W, Synchronous equatorial,
100 × 600 130 × 480
Actual orbit moved to equatorial, 70°W, above
nmi nmi
164°W in 105°W synchronous
1982, drifting orbit by 1995
by 1995
Synchronous
Intended orbit 6000 nmi
equatorial
Launch date 7 Dec 1966 6 Apr 1967 8 Nov 1967 10 Aug 1968 12 Aug 1969
Decay date 2 Sep 1969 17 Oct 1968
Launch vehicle Atlas-Agena Atlas-Agena Atlas-Agena Atlas-Centaur Atlas-Centaur
Experiments
C-band
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
communications
VHF
Yes Yes
communications
Millimeter wave
Yes
propagation
L-band
Yes
communications