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Other Designations: Defense Satellite Communications System. Class: Communications. Type: Military. Nation: United States. Agency: USAF. Manufacturer: TRW. DSCS provides secure voice and data communications for the US military. The contract is managed by the DCA (Defense Communications Agency) for the USAF. Spacecraft: Spin stabilised with a despun antenna platform. Body mounted solar cells produced 535 watts. Three NiCd batteries provide 36 AHr total. Hydrazine propulsion system. Payload: Two 20 watt X-Band transponders with 500 MHz bandwidths. Steerable narrow beam antennas and drive mechanism for communications privacy. Capacity is 1300 voice channels or 100 Mbps of data. Compatible with ground-portable units.
SpecificationDesign Life: 5 years. Total Length: 4.0 m. Maximum Diameter: 3.0 m. Total Mass: 562 kg.
DSCS II Chronology
03 November 1971
DSCS II-02 Program: DSCS. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3C. Mass: 520 kg. Perigee: 35,819 km. Apogee: 35,824 km. Inclination: 13.6 deg. Defense Satellite Communications System. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
13 December 1973
DSCS II-03 Program: DSCS. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3C. Mass: 566 kg. Perigee: 36,413 km. Apogee: 36,661 km. Inclination: 13.9 deg. Defense Satellite Communications System; 13 deg W. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
20 May 1975
DSCS II-06 Program: DSCS. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3C. FAILURE: Partial Failure. Mass: 566 kg. Perigee: 160 km. Apogee: 256 km. Inclination: 28.6 deg. Unusable orbit. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
12 May 1977
DSCS II-08 Program: DSCS. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3C. Mass: 565 kg. Perigee: 37,053 km. Apogee: 37,352 km. Inclination: 12.0 deg. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
25 March 1978
DSCS II F-10 Program: DSCS. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3C. FAILURE: Failure.
14 December 1978
DSCS II-11 Program: DSCS. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3C. Mass: 550 kg. Perigee: 37,515 km. Apogee: 37,749 km. Inclination: 9.8 deg. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
21 November 1979
DSCS II-13 Program: DSCS. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3C. Mass: 611 kg. Perigee: 36,270 km. Apogee: 36,295 km. Inclination: 9.4 deg. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
30 October 1982
DSCS II-15 Program: DSCS. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Titan 34D. Perigee: 35,468 km. Apogee: 36,094 km. Inclination: 6.5 deg. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
Bibliography:- 126 - Bramscher, Robert G, Spaceflight, "A Survey of Launch Vehicle Failures", 1980, Volume 22, page 351.
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Last update 12 March 2001.
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