%NationalAeronautics and

Space Administration
Washington. D.C. 20546
AC 202 755-8370

For Release IMMEDIATE 3

a.1

Press Kit Project Palapa-A

(Indonesia-A)
RELEASE NO: 76-117

.1.

Contents

GENERAL RELEASE ............................... . 1-5 *

DELTA 2914 LAUNCH VEHICLE............

6
TYPICAL LAUNCH SEQUENCE FOR PALAPA-A. .........
* 7-8
LAUNCH OPERATIONS. ......................
9
DELTA/PALAPA LAUNCH TEAM ..........................
9-10

A
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11

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration
Washington, D.C. 20546 2
AC 202 755-8370

For Release:
David Garrett
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. IMMEDIATE
(Phone: 202/755-3090)

Joe McRoberts
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(Phone: 301/982-4955)

RELEASE NO: 76-117

NASA TO LAUNCH SATELLITE FOR INDONESIA

A 600-year-old dream of national unity is about to

become reality for Indonesia with the launching of a com-

munications satellite, Palapa-A, for that councry by NASA

from Cape Canaveral, Fla., July 8.

The spacecraft will be placed in synchronous orbit

35,800 kilometers (22,300 miles) above the equator by a

Delta rocket and then will drift at a rate of two to three

degrees a day to its on-station position at 83 degrees E.

longitude. It is expected to be in operation on Aug. 17

when Indonesia celebrates its 31st anniversary of independence.

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At that time some 3,000 inhabited islands among the

13,000 islands in the archipelago will be united with instan-
taneous telephone, radio, TV, telex and data communications
via the satellite. This was the reason Indonesian authori- i 1
ties decided on satellite communications -- to provide fi.
immediate and nationwide unity via satellite communications.

There is one Earth station in each of Indonesia's 26

provinces which can transmit and receive from Palapa.thus
binding 120 million Indonesian people together in a way
impossible to achieve without the satellite.

Indonesian officials selected satellite communications

because of tremendous problems to be -overcome in establishing

communications links among the islands by conventional means.
It just wasn't economically feasible to install wires or
microwave towers over thousands of miles of ocean, islands, 4i
unmapped hills and forests. In addition, it couldn't be
done quickly, and certainly not instantaneously, as in the

case of Palapa.

The name for the satellite comes from a 14th century

prime minister's-vow not to eat the then popular delicacy,

palapa, until the whole of Indonesia was united.

m

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Although national unity didn't come during the life-

time of the prime minister, Gajah Mada of the Kingdom of 7

Majapahit, present Indonesian officials say his dream will i

now be realized with the satellite.

Forty Earth stations located in the major cities of

the nation form the initial ground'neitwollk of the two-

satellite system, with a total of 50 stations planned.

Palapa-B is scheduled for launch in the fall of 1977.

Spacecraft separation from the third stage of the

Delta rocket takes place about 26 minutes after liftoff.
Control of the satellite then shifts from NASA- to the
Western Union control station in Glenwood, N.J., until
the Jakarta station can take over full control.
ma

The Jakarta station will monitor and control the other

ground stations in the system as well as transmit the sig-
nal that fires the spacecraft's onboard apogee kick motor
which takes it out of its elliptical 11-hour transfer orbit
and places it into synchronous orbit at 83 degrees E. longi-
tude. The apogee kick motor will be fired on the eighth
orbit which will occur about three days after launch.

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The two spacecraft are identical to the Canadian Anik

and Western Union's WESTAR satellites with the exception

of the antenna which has been modified to provide optimum

illuminatioh of the Indonesian land mass.

The 12-transponder satellite has an average capacity

of 4,000 voice circuits or 12 simultaneous color television

channels. It measures 3.7 meters (11 feet) in height (in-

cluding the antenna) and 1.9 m (6.2 ft.) in diameter. The

antenna is a shaped beam solar transparent 1.5 m (4.8 ft.)

diameter parabolic dish.

Launch sleight of the spacecraft is 575 kilograms, (1,267

pounds) including the apogee kick motor which weighs 293 kg

(645 lb.). Design lifetime is seven years.

The Indonesian government wilt reimburse NASA for cost

bof the launch vehicle, launch services and other adminis-

trative costs and has arranged for all ground station sup- -
I

port required for the launch and control of the satellite.

There are no requirements for NASA ground station tracking

or command support.

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The Delta&-project is managed for NASA's Office of Space

t Flight by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is responsible for launch opera-

tions. Prime contractor for the Delta rocket is McDonnell

Douglas Astronautics Co., Huntington Beach, Calif. Prime

contractor for the Palapa spacecraft is Hughes Aircraft

Co., El Segundo, Calif.

MII

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.)

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DELTA 2914 LAUNCH VEHICLE

First Stage

The first stage is a McDonnell Douglas extended long 4

tank Thor booster incorporating nine strap-on Thiokol
Castor II solid-fuel rocket motors. The booster
by a Rocketdyne RS-27 engine 'Ising liquid oxygen is powered
and liquid
hydrocarbon propellants. The main engine is gimbal-mounted
to provide pitch and yaw control from liftoff to main engine
Cutoffs (MECO), while roll control is provided by the booster
liquid fueled vernier engines.

Second Stage

The McDonnell Douglas second stage is powered by a TRW

liquid-fuel, pressure-fed TR-20)1 engine that also is gimbal-
mounted to provide pitch and yaw control through the second. 5
stage burn. A nitrogen gas system uses eight fixed nozzles
for roll control during powered and coast flight, as well
as pitch and yaw control during coast and after second stage
cutoffs. Two fixed nozzles, fed by the propellant tank
helium pressurization system, provide retrothrust after
third stage separation. Fifty-two minutes after spacecraft
separation, the second stage will be reignited for a two-
second non-operational experimental burn. Data on this burn
will be collected for studies related to future Delta
missions.

Third Stage
4 >
The third stage is the TE-364-4 spin-stabilized, solid
propellant Thiokol motor. It is secured in the spin table
mounted to the second stage. The firing of eight solid
propellant rockets fixed to the spin table accomplishes
X
spin-up of the third stage spacecraft assembly.
Injection Into Synchronous Transfer Orbit

The Delta vehicle will inject Palapa-A into

orbit having an apogee of, 36,323 km (22,570 mi.), aperigee
transfer
of
230 km (150 mi.) and an inclination to the equator of 24.66
degrees. At this point NASA/Delta responsibilities end.
Command, control, tracking and data analysis become the
responsibilities of the Western Union Control Stations at
Glenwood, N.J., and Indonesian Control Station at Jakarta.

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LAUNCH OPERATIONS

The Kennedy Space Center's Expendable Vehicles

Directorate plays a key role in the preparation and launch
of the thrust-augmented Delta rocket carrying Paiapa-A.

Delta 125 will be launched from Pad.A at Complex 17,

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Delta first stage 'and interstage were erected on

Pad A on June 14. The nine solid strap-on rocket motors
were mounted in place 'around the base of the first stage
June 15-16 and second stage was erected on June 17.

The Palapa-A spacecraft was received during early

June, checked out and mated with the Delta third stage.
The third stage/spacecraft assembly is to be mated with
Delta on June 30 and the payload fairing which will pro-
tect the spacecraft during its flight through the atmos-
phere is to be erected atop the vehicle on July 6.

DELTA/PALAPA LAUNCH TEAM

NASA Headquarters

John F. Yardley Associate Administrator

for Space Flight

Joseph B. Mlahon Director of Expendable

Launch Vehicle Programs

Peter T. Eaton Manager, Delta Program

Goddard Space Flight Canter

Dr. Robert S,. Cooper Director

Robert Lindley Director of Projects

Management

Charles R. Gunn Delta Project Manager

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Goddard Center (cont'd.)

William R. Russell Deputy Delta Project

Manager, Technical ! ,
Robert Goss Chief, Mission Analysis
and Integration Branch,
Delta Project Office and
NASA Project Manager for
Palapa Program

William Burrowbridge Delta Mission Integration

Engineer -X

Thomas Spencer Network Support Manager

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

Hugh A. Weston, Jr. Chief, Delta Operations

Division

Wayne L. McCall Chief Engineer, Delta

Operations

Lawrence F. Kruse Spacecraft Coordinator

Jun 1

June 18, 1976