April-May 1981:satellite digest

Intelsat 5A(F2)

1980 Dec 6.980

Box+2 panels

35638

35734

0.86

1430.87

ESMR

1980-98A

indefinite

Atlas-Centaur

Intelsat/NASA (1)

Cosmos 1226

1980 Dec 10.87

Cylinder:2 long,1.5 dia

Plesetsk

1980-99A

1000 years

964

1012

82.94

104.95

C-1

USSR/USSR (2)

Cosmos 1227

1980 Dec 16.51

Cylinder+sphere:6 long, 2.4 dia

228

299

72.84

89.82

Plesetsk

1980-101A

12 days (R)

1980 Dec 28

A-2

USSR/USSR (3)

Cosmos 1228-1235

1980 Dec 23.95

Spheroids

1395

1465

74.00

114.48

Plesetsk

1980-102A-H

9000 years

C-1

USSR/USSR (4)

Prognoz 8

1980 Dec 25.17

Spheroid+4 vanes

Tyuratam

1980-103A

12 years

979

197369

65.83

5688

A-2-e

USSR/USSR (5)

Ekran 6

1980 Dec 26.49

Cylinder+2 panels:5 long,2 dia

Tyuratam

1980-104A

indefinite

35737

35832

0.06

1435.87

D-1-e

USSR/USSR (6)

Cosmos 1236

1980 Dec 26.67

Cylinder+sphere:6 long,2.4 dia

Plesetsk

1980-105A

170

364

67.13

89.88

A-2

USSR/USSR (7)

Supplementary notes:

(1) First launch of the latest generation of Intelsat*, capable of carrying 121X10 simultaneous telephone calls together with two television channels. Intelsat 5 is three-axis stabilised using control thrusters; earlier satellite types were spin stabilised with despun antennae. It is stationed above the Atlantic Ocean.

(2) Navigation satellite.

(3) Orbital data are at Dec 17.1. Dec 21.0. Dec 21.1

(4) Multiple launch of eight satellites, possibly for military communications.

(5) High altitude magnetospheric observatory.

(6) Domestic television relay satellite broadcasting to small receiving stations in remote communities. The satellite is stationed above 99 degrees east longitude.

(7) Long-life reconnaissance satellite.

Amendments:

1980-79A. Progress 11 undocked from Salyut6 1980 Dec 9.43. It was deorbited over the Indian Ocean 1980 Dec 11.58.