| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | COMSAT / INTELSAT |
| COSPAR ID | 1981-119A [1] |
| SATCAT no. | 12994 |
| Mission duration | 7 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Intelsat V |
| Manufacturer | Ford Aerospace |
| Launch mass | 1928 kg |
| Dry mass | 1012 kg |
| Dimensions | 1.66 x 2.1 x 1.77 metres |
| Power | 1800 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15 December 1981, 23:35:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR (AC-55) |
| Launch site | CCAFS, LC-36B |
| Contractor | General Dynamics |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Graveyard orbit |
| Deactivated | January 1998 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 174.0° East (1981-1992) 177.0° West (1992-1995) 157.0° East (1995-1998) |
| Epoch | 15 December 1981 |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 21 C-band 4 Ku-band |
Intelsat V | |
Intelsat V F-3, then named Intelsat 503, was a communications satellite operated by COMSAT. Launched on 15 December 1981, it was the third of fifteen Intelsat V satellites to be launched. The Intelsat V series was constructed by Ford Aerospace, based on the Intelsat V satellite bus. Intelsat V F-3 was part of an advanced series of satellites designed to provide greater telecommunications capacity for Intelsat's global network.
The satellite was box-shaped, measuring 1.66 by 2.1 by 1.77 metres; solar arrays spanned 15.9 metres tip to tip. The arrays, supplemented by nickel-hydrogen batteries during eclipse, provided 1800 watts of power. The payload housed 21 C-band and 4 Ku-band transponders. It could accommodate 15,000 two-way voice circuits and two TV channels simultaneously. It had a launch mass of 1928 kg.[2] The satellite was deactivated in January 1998.
The satellite was successfully launched into space on 15 December 1981 at 23:35:00 UTC, by means of an Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR vehicle from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, United States.
