| Intelsat III F-2 | |
| Mission Type: | Communications |
| Operator: | COMSAT for Intelsat |
| Cospar Id: | 1968-116A |
| Satcat: | 03623 |
| Mission Duration: | 5 years (planned) years (achieved) |
| Spacecraft Bus: | Intelsat |
| Spacecraft Type: | Intelsat III |
| Manufacturer: | TRW |
| Dry Mass: | 151 kg |
| Launch Mass: | 293 kg |
| Power: | 183 watts |
| Launch Date: | 19 December 1968, 00:32:00 GMT[1] |
| Launch Rocket: | Delta M |
| Launch Site: | Cape Canaveral, LC-17A |
| Launch Contractor: | NASA |
| Deactivated: | Mid-1971 |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric orbit |
| Orbit Regime: | Geostationary orbit (Now supersynchronous) |
| Orbit Longitude: | 24.0° West |
| Apsis: | gee |
| Trans Capacity: | 2 transponders |
| Trans Coverage: | Global |
| Programme: | Intelsat III |
| Previous Mission: | Intelsat III F-1 |
| Next Mission: | Intelsat III F-3 |
Intelsat III F-2 was a communications satellite operated by Intelsat. Launched in 1968 it was operated in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 24 degrees west for around eighteen months.
The second of eight Intelsat III satellites to be launched, Intelsat III F-2 was built by TRW. It was a spacecraft, with its mass reducing to by entry into service as it burned propellant to reach its final orbit. The satellite carried an SVM-2 apogee motor for propulsion and was equipped with two transponders powered by body-mounted solar cells generating 183 watts of power.[2] It was designed for a five-year service life.[3]
The launch of Intelsat III F-2 made use of a Delta M rocket flying from Launch Complex 17A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch took place at 00:32 GMT on 19 December 1968, with the spacecraft entering a geosynchronous transfer orbit.[1] Intelsat III F-2 subsequently fired its apogee motor to achieve geostationary orbit. It was operated at a longitude of 24° west, over Brazil; however it ceased operations after only a year and a half in orbit, in mid-1971.[4]
Intelsat III F-2 remains in a graveyard orbit as an orbital debris. As of 7 February 2014, it was in an orbit with a perigee of, an apogee of, inclination of 13.73° and an orbital period of 26.60 hours.[5]