Professional Documents
Culture Documents
NASA FA CTS
An Educational Services Publication of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(C-S-63)
PROJECT SYNCOM
W63 18423
Three fixed synchronous communications satellites, equidistant around the equator, could provide
global coverage.
The United States has begun a space experi- equally spaced in a circular orbit over the equa-
ment that could lead to a global communications tor, could serve almost the whole world.
network using as few as three active-repeater
satellites. The project is called Syncom, short Other experiments in satellite communications
for synchronous communications satellite. are aimed at operational networks using satellites
randomly spaced in orbits from several thousand
A stnchronous satellite is defined as one which
to 12,000 miles above earth. As many as 50
moves in a circular orbit with a period equal to
such satellites would be needed to match the
that of the earth's rotation (24 hours). More-
coverage of a synchronous system. (See NASA
over, if the satellite is moving in a west to east
FACTS, Project Relay, G-12-62.)
direction and its orbit lies in the plane of the
earth's equator, the satellite will be stationary
with respect to the earth's surface.' Syncom represents the initial attempt at getting
and keeping a satellite in synchronous orbit. Al-
The coverage at synchronous altitude (22,300 though a stationary orbit is desirable for an op-
miles) is so vast that one communications satellite erational communications satellite system, the first
over the Atlantic Ocean would link the greater Syncom, while synchronous, is not stationary; its
parts of four continents-North and South Ameri- orbit is inclined 33 degrees to the equator. This
ca, Europe, and Africa. As few as three syn- is because the Delta vehicle used for the project
chronous satellites, effectively controlled and does not have the energy capability required to
I Page 2
. -- . -~----- - - - - - -- - - - -- - - --
f - -(NASA -FACTS C-5-63) . Page 5
A spacecraft is spin-stabilized when it rotates ning object rotates. The other pair of jets is
like a gyroscope. This spinning keeps the satel- located on the curved surface of Syncom, on op-
lite pointing steadily in a given direction. In ef- posite sides.
fect, a spin-stabilized spacecraft such as Syncom Because the axial jets are off center, pulsing
is a gyroscope that has no bearings that can either of them whenever it is pointing in a given
wear out and reduce its precision. direction can reorient Syncom. Since the satel-
Syncom's whirl is started by spinning a turn- lite spins, a sustained flow of gas from the jet
table located between the second and third stages neutralizes all forces tending to reorient the
of the Delta launch vehicle. Just before the third satellite and results in changes of Syncom's orbi-
stage is fired, this device rotates the rocket up to tal velocity. Whether the satellite picks up or
160 revolutions per minute. The rocket im- reduces speed depends upon whether the jet is
parts its spin to the spacecraft. pointed with or against the direction of Syncom' s
linear motion .
Speed and attitude are controlled after inser-
The axial jets are generally employed for
tion into synchronous orbit by two pairs of gas
movement of Sync om from over the Indian Ocean
jets. One pair is located at the same end of to over the Atlantic Ocean. They are also used
the spacecraft as the apogee-kick rocket, and
for attitude control of Syncom .
these are called the axial jets because they exert
When Syncom is on station over the Atlantic,
a thrust parallel to the spin axis, which runs from
its attitude is reoriented so that its spin axis is
the communications antenna to the apogee rocket
perpendicular to its orbital plane. The pair of
motor. (See labeled photograph, page 8.) A
jets that are opposite each other on Syncom's
spin axis is an imaginary line around which a spin-
curved surface are then used for velocity correc-
tion. Each exerts a force through the satellite's
Syncom's air-transportable 30-foot diameter an-
tenna set up at Lakehurst Naval Air Station,
center of gravity and perpendicular to its spin
New Jersey . axis. As a result, pulsing one of the jets when-
ever it is pointed in the proper direction can
either increase or decrease Syncom's speed.
TRANSPONDER RECEIVER
NITROGEN,
ORIENTATION JET NITROGEN
VELOCITY JET
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE TANK
NICKEL-CADMIUM
BATTERIES
CO -AXIAL SLOTTED ARRAY
COMMUNICATIONS ANTENNA
TRANSPONDER-
TRANSM IT TER
TWT
TELEMETRY AND
COMMAND WHIP
ANTENNA
COMMAND
RECE IVER
NITROGEN
GAS TANK
TERMINATION TIMER
SUN
SENSOR
APOGEE
MOTOR NOZZLE
Part s of the internal electronics a nd g as p ropellant system a re among equipment revealed in view of
Syncom ' s interio r.
N AS A FACTS format is designed for bulleti n- b oard display NASA FACTS will be mailed t o addressees w h o request It
uncut, o r for 8 x lO Y, looseleaf noteboo k in s e rtion when from : Office of Educational Programs and Se r vices, NASA,
cu t a lo n g dotted lines and folded along so li d li nes . For 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Wa s hington 25 , D.C.
notebook ring insertion, punch at solid dot s in the margin s.
- -- ---- - -- - - - - -- --- - --