Nov 30 1985
From The Space Library
The U.S. Navy today took control of Syncom 3 from Hughes Communications Inc., certifying the satellite as a complete, though tardy, success, the Washington Post reported. Space Shuttle astronauts repaired the $85 million satellite in space [see Satellites, Aug. 31] by bypassing a failed circuit and relaunching it on September 1. Hughes ground controllers then tilted the satellite to face the sun, which, with the help of a thermal blanket installed by the astronauts, warmed the solid fuel.
On October 27, Hughes engineers ignited the satellite's engines to take it up to its intended orbit 22,300 miles above the Pacific Ocean, then Hughes and Navy engineers completed a month of testing.
Following the certification, Hughes president Steven Dorfman commented, "We are meeting all our specifications. Six months later than originally intended, we are going into service." The successful repair turned around a loss for Hughes and its insurance carrier, which had paid the company $85 million. Dorfman said the insurer would get back $65 million by sharing revenues with Hughes over the satellites' ten-year lifespan. (W Post, Dec 1/85, A3)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
