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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

SPACE SHUTTLE 

MISSION 

STS-51I 

PRESS KIT 

AUGUST 1985 

ASC-1; AUSSAT-1 LEASAT IV-4; LEASAT IV-3 SALVAGE 
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STS-51 INSIGNIA 

S85-25870 -- The STS-51I insignia is based on a strong patriotic theme with the basic colors of red, white 

and blue suggesting the American flag and a dominant American bald eagle in aggressive flight. The shock 

wave represents that formed by the orbiter during the entry phase of the flight. Surnames of crewmembers 

surround the top part of the circular design. 

The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other 

official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the 

form of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which we do 

not anticipate, it will be publicly announced. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 3

RELEASE NO. 85-118 August 1985 

CONTACTS 

Charles Redmond/Sarah Keegan 

Headquarters, Washington, DC 

(Phone: 202/453-8536) 

David Alter 

Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 

(Phone: 713/483-5111) 

Jim Ball 

Kennedy Space Center, FL 

(Phone: 305/867-2468) 

Ralph B. Jackson 

Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards CA 

(Phone: 805/258-8381) 
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RELEASE NO. 85-118 August 1985 

CONTENTS 

GENERAL RELEASE 5 

 

51I BRIEFING SCHEDULE 8 

GENERAL INFORMATION 9 

SHUTTLE MISSION 51-I QUICK-LOOK FACTS 10 

51-I TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 12 

 

SUMMARY OF MANAGEMENT ACTIVITYES 13 

STS 51-I PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS SUMMARY 14 

PHYSICAL VAPOR TRANSPORT OF ORGANIC SOLIDS (PVTOS) 15 

ASC-1 16 

AUSSAT-1 17 

LEASAT-4 18 

LEASAT SALVAGE MISSION 19 

STS 51-I CREW MEMBER DATA 26 
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RELEASE NO. 85-118 August 1985 

51-I SHUTTLE MISSION TO DEPLOY THREE SATELLITES 

AND REPAIR LEASAT 

Mission 51-I will be another bold endeavor in space when astronauts repair and salvage the lifeless 

Leasat/Syncom IV-F3 satellite on orbit and redeploy it for normal operation. 

Launch of the 20th Space Shuttle mission is currently planned for no earlier than Saturday, Aug. 24, 1985. 

Discovery is scheduled to begin its sixth trip into space with a liftoff at approximately 8:51 a.m. EDT.* The 

window for that date is open for 21 minutes, extending to 9:12 a.m. EDT. 

Highlights of the 8-day mission include the second repair of a satellite in space and deployment of the 

ASC-1/PAM-D for American Satellite Co., the AUSSAT-1/PAM-D satellite for the Australian 

government, and the Leasat IV-F4 satellite for the U.S. Navy. The Physical Vapor Transport of Organic 

Solids (PVTOS) experiment, sponsored by the 3M Corp., will be conducted in Discovery's middeck. 

Joe H. Engle will command the 51-I flight. He was commander of the STS-2 flight. Pilot Richard O. Covey 

will be making his first Shuttle flight. Mission specialist James D. van Hoften, known to his crewmates as 

"Ox," flew on mission 41-C and helped successfully repair the ailing Solar Maximum Mission satellite. 

Mission specialists William F. Fisher and John M. Lounge will be making their first flight into space. 

Van Hoften and Fisher will be performing the extravehicular activity (EVA) for the repair of the Leasat 3 

satellite. In addition, van Hoften will be responsible for the deployment of the Leasat 4 satellite and 

operation of 3M's PVTOS experiment. Fisher will deploy the ASC-l satellite and serve as the space 

mechanic for Leasat 3. Lounge will deploy the AUSSAT-l satellite, maneuver the remote manipulator arm, 

and will be the flight engineer during the ascent and reentry portion of the mission. 

Discovery will be launched into a circular orbit of 219 statute miles and will have a 28.5-degree inclination 

to the equator. A series of orbital maneuvering system and reaction control system burns will place the 

Shuttle in a 278-by-196-statute-mile orbit. 

On flight day 1, the ASC-l satellite will be deployed and the 3M PVTOS experiment will be activated. 

ASC-l will be assigned to a 138-degree west longitude operational location and has a 10-year life 

expectancy. After deployment, the PAM-D will fire and place the spacecraft into a synchronous transfer 

orbit. 

ASC's Star-30 apogee kick motor will be fired at the appropriate time to circularize the orbit at 22,300 

statute miles. Built by RCA Astro Electronics, Princeton, NJ, the satellite will be controlled from Atlanta 

and will provide commercial communications services to all 50 states and Puerto Rico. 

American Satellite Co. provides voice, data, facsimile, and video conferencing communications services to 

more than 450 businesses and government agencies. ASC-l, one of two in the series, will help meet the 

increased demand for services. 

Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids (PVTOS) is the second of some 70 experiments the 3M Corp. 

plans to conduct aboard the Space Shuttle in the next 10 years. 

On this mission, solid materials will be vaporized into a gaseous state to form thick crystalline films on 

selected substrates of sublimable organics. 

The first experiment, Diffusive Mixing of Organic Solvents (DMOS), flown in November 1984 dissolved 

materials which led to a solid crystalline product. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 6

3M researchers will study crystals produced by PVTOS for their optical properties and other characteristics 

that might ultimately have important applications to 3M's businesses in the areas of electronics, imaging 

and health care. 

AUSSAT-l, a Hughes 376 model, will be deployed on flight day 2. The satellite has 11 12-watt 

transponders and four 30-watt transponders to provide domestic communications to Australia's 15 million 

population and to improve air traffic control services. AUSSAT, a corporation wholly owned by the 

government, was formed in 1982 to provide domestic communications to Australia on a commercial basis. 

About 45 minutes after deployment, the first stage rocket will fire and on the fourth apogee, the apogee 

kick motor will be fired by ground controllers in Sydney, Australia, where mission events will be 

conducted from that point on. Australian controllers will conduct about 3 weeks of on-orbit testing on their 

first communications satellite and normal operation is expected by Oct. 1. 

On flight day 3, Leasat 4 will be ejected using the Frisbee-style deployment and 51-I pilot Covey will begin 

a series of phase and height adjust maneuvers for the Leasat F-3 rendezvous. 

The ejection sequence is initiated when the four locking pins are retracted. An explosive device at the fifth 

contact point releases a spring that ejects the satellite in a Frisbee motion. 

When Leasat is 500 feet from the Shuttle, the omnidirectional antenna is automatically raised from its 

stowed position. A series of firings are then required to place the spacecraft into geostationary orbit. Leasat 

has a life expectancy of 10 years. 

The Leasat/Syncom series of satellites are owned and operated by Hughes Communications Services, Inc., 

a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft Co., and leased to the Naval Space Command Operations 

Center in Dahlgren, Va., to provide worldwide communications services to the Naval Electronic Systems 

command. 

Flight day 4 will include more phasing maneuvers to intercept the Leasat 3 spacecraft. Mission specialists 

van Hoften and Fisher will begin preparing the EVA equipment including checkout of the extravehicular 

mobility units (EMU) and manned maneuvering units on the fifth flight day. The PVTOS experiment is 

scheduled to be completed on that day. 

Depressurization of Discovery's crew cabin from 14.7 psi to 10.2 psi is scheduled to begin on flight day 6 

in preparation for flight day 7's EVA, as well as further checkout of the equipment to be used for the 5 1/2-

hour satellite repair operation. 

During the salvage operation, modifications will be made to the satellite to permit ground command of the 

activation sequence. Modifications made during the rendezvous will bypass all hardware likely to have 

been the cause of the failure. 

Leasat 3 was successfully deployed April 13 during the 51-D mission but the spacecraft's automated 

sequencer failed to initiate antenna deployment, spin-up and ignition of the perigee kick motor. That 

mission was extended two days and an unplanned spacewalk was performed for an unsuccessful attempt to 

activate the satellite. The satellite is currently drifting in low-Earth orbit without command and telemetry 

capability. 

Discovery will approach the slow spinning satellite to within a distance of 35 feet. 

Once secured to the end of the Shuttle's 50-foot robot arm, van Hoften will pluck Leasat out of space with a 

special device and present it to Fisher. Fisher will be secured at a work station in Discovery's payload bay 

and will move the satellite's separation lever to the safe position. 

He then will grapple the spacecraft with a special handling bar and continue holding it until van Hoften is 

in position to take over control with the robot arm. 
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Fisher will perform the mechanical repair work to various parts of the spacecraft including installation of 

the ground control electronics box, a unit that will deploy the omni antenna, and he will verify that power is 

on the spacecraft. 

After the salvage is complete, Fisher will stabilize Leasat and van Hoften will install the spin-up bar on the 

spacecraft. Discovery and the repaired Leasat 3 will be maneuvered to the deploy attitude. Van Hoften will 

begin the deploy by lifting the seemingly weightless spacecraft with a spin-up bar to start a rotation of 

about 8/10 rpm. Commander Engle will be carefully station keeping the Discovery with the Leasat and van 

Hoften will continue applying impulses until the spacecraft reaches 2 rpm. At that point, van Hoften will 

separate the spin-up bar from the spacecraft and it will be turned over to Hughes for normal operation. 

On flight day 8, the crew will stow cabin equipment and perform normal flight control system and hot fire 

checkout work. 

Discovery is scheduled to land at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., at 9:58 a.m. EDT, Sept. 1, on orbit 127. 

Touchdown will come at about 8 days, 1 hour and 7 minutes mission elapsed time. 

NOTE: At press time, the planned 51-I mission is baselined for 8 days, with a launch time of 8:51 a.m. 

EDT, Aug. 24; flight day 6 open; Leasat salvage operations on flight day 7; and landing on Sept. 1 (flight 

day 9). A proposed optional Crew Activity Plan is now under consideration. This new plan would be 

baselined as a 7-day mission, launched at 8:39 a.m., Aug. 24, with salvage operations on flight day 6, and 

landing on Aug. 31 (flight day 8). If additional salvage operation time is needed, flight day 7 would be used 

for this effort, with a landing on Sept. 1 (flight day 9). A decision regarding these changes will be made 

realtime. 

(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS.) 
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5l-I BRIEFING SCHEDULE 

Time 

(EDT) Briefing Origin 

T-l Day 

9:00 a.m. PVTOS KSC 

9:30 a.m. ASC-l KSC 

10:00 a.m. AUSSAT-l KSC 

10:30 a.m. Leasat 4 Deployment KSC 

11:00 a.m. Leasat 3 salvage TBD 

2:00 p .m. Prelaunch Briefing KSC 

T-Day 

10:00 a.m. Post-launch Press Conference KSC 

Launch Through End-of-Mission 

Times announced on NASA Select Flight Director Change-of-Shift Briefings JSC 

Landing Day 

11:00 a.m. Post-landing Briefing DFRF 
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GENERAL INFORMATION 

NASA Select Television Transmission 

The schedule for television transmissions from the orbiter and for the change-of-shift briefings from 

Johnson Space Center, Houston, will be available during the mission at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; 

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; Johnson Space Center; and NASA Headquarters, 

Washington, D.C. The television schedule will be updated on a daily basis to reflect changes dictated by 

mission operations. 

NASA has leased from RCA Satcom F-2R, Transponder 13 (half transponder) to carry NASA Select 

television from launch through landing. Satcom F-2R is located at 72 degrees west longitude. Transponder 

13 transmits on a frequency of 3954.5 MHz. 

To support commercial/educational users, NASA leases a full transponder during peak hours of Shuttle 

flights via Satcom F-lR, Transponder 18. Satcom F-1R (C band) is located at 139 degrees west longitude. 

Transponder 18 transmits on a frequency of 4060.0 MHz, horizontal polarization. A schedule of operating 

hours will be available separately. 

Special Note to Broadcasters 

Beginning Aug. 19 and continuing throughout the mission, approximately 7 minutes of audio interview 

material with the crew of 51-I will be available to broadcasters by calling 202/269-6572. 

Status Reports 

Status reports on countdown progress, mission progress, on-orbit activities and landing operations will be 

produced by the appropriate NASA news center. 

Briefings 

Flight control personnel will be on 8-hour shifts. Change-of-shift briefings by the off-going flight director 

will occur at approximately 8-hour intervals. 

Transcripts 

Transcripts of the change-of-shift briefings will be available at the Shuttle news centers. 
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SHUTTLE MISSION 51-I -- QUICK LOOK FACTS 

CREW: Joe H. Engle, Commander 

 Richard O. Covey, Pilot 

 James D. A. van Hoften, Mission Specialist (MS-1) 

 John M. Lounge, Mission Specialist (MS-2) 

 William P. Fisher, Mission Specialist (MS-3) 

Orbiter: Discovery (OV-103) 

Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Pad 397A 

Launch Dates/Times: Aug. 24 8:51 a.m. to 9:12 (EDT) -- 21 min. 

 Aug. 25 8:02 a.m. to 8:12 (EDT) -- 10 min. 

 8:54 a.m. to 8:55 (EDT) -- 1 min. 

 Aug. 26 8:05 a.m. to-8:20 (EDT) -- 15 min. 

 Aug. 27 7:17 a.m. to 7:43 (EDT) -- 26 min. 

Orbital Inclination: 28.5 degrees 

Altitude: 190 by 190 n. mi. (direct insertion) 

 242 by 170 n. mi. (for Leasat/Syncom repair) 

Mission Duration: 8 days, 1 hour, 7 minutes 

 Deorbit burn orbit 126; land on 127 

Landing Date/Time: Sept. 1, 1985; 9:30 a.m. EDT 

Primary Landing Site Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Runway 17 

Weather alternate: Kennedy Space Center, Runway 15 

Abort: Transatlantic Landing (TAL) -- Dakar, Senegal 

 Abort Once Around (AOA) -- Edwards Air Force Base 

 Contingency -- KSC; Edwards; Northrup Strip; Hickam AFB/Honolulu 

International 

 (Hawaii); Andersen AFB, Guam; Dakar, Senegal 

Cargo and Payloads: ASC-l (PAM-D) American Satellite Co. 

 AUSSAT-l (PAM-D) Australian National Satellite Communications System 

 Leasat (Syncom) IV-4 Hughes Communications Services, Inc. 

Extravehicular: Leasat (Syncom) IV-3 Salvage 

Experiments: Physical Vapor Transportation of Organic Solids (PVTOS), 3M Corp. 

Highlights: Launch three satellites 

 Salvage of Leasat (Syncom IV-3) 
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51-I TRAJECTORY SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 

Event/maneuver 

Tig 

MET 

(D:H:M) 

Burn 

Duration 

(Min-Sec) 

Delta v 

(fps) 

Post- Burn 

Apogee/Perigee 

(n. mi.) 

 

Launch 0:00:00 

MECO 0:00:09 

OMS-2 0:00:40 2:58 277.6 190 x 190 

ASC-l Deploy 0:09:37 

 OMS-3 (Sep 1) 0:09:52 0:13 11.0 190 x 190 

AUSSAT-l Deploy 1:00:52 

OMS-4 (Sep 2) 1:01:07 0:13 11.0 190 x 202 

Syncom IV-4 Deploy 1:23:47 

 OMS-5 (Sep 3) 2:00:02 0:09 15.0 190 x 210 

 OMS 2:05:58 0:07 5.9 190 x 213 

 OMS 2:06:44 0:48 42.6 168 x 211 

 RCS 3:06:24 Targeted Real Time 

 RCS 4:03:53 0:11 5.4 168 x 211 

 RCS 4:05:18 Targeted Real Time 

 RCS 5:05:44 Targeted Real Time 

 RCS 5:18:42 Targeted Real Time 

 OMS 5:19:28 0:29 53.0 170 x 240 

 OMS 5:20:46 0:14 13.0 167 x 235 

 OMS 5:22:18 0:11 9.5 169 x 239 

 OMS 5:23:40 0:06 5.1 169 x 240 

 

Syncom IV-3 Deploy 6:06:00 

 RCS Sep 6:06:12 0:04 2.0 169 x 239 

Orbit Adjust 6:21:40 0:47 42.0 169 x 214 

Deorbit 7:23:38 3:30 377.0 

Landing EDW 8:00:38 
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SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES 

NOTE: At press time, the planned 51-I mission is base-lined for 8 days, with a launch time of 8:51 a.m. 

EDT, Aug. 24; flight day 6, open; Leasat salvage operations on flight day 7; and landing on Sept. 1 (flight 

day 9. A proposed optional Crew Activity Plan is now under consideration. This new plan would be 

baselined as a 7-day mission, launched at 8:38 a.m., Aug. 24, with salvage operations on flight day 6, and 

landing on Aug. 31 (flight day 8). If additional salvage operation time is needed, flight day 7 would be used 

for this effort, with a landing on Sept. 1 (flight day 9). A decision regarding these changes will be made 

real-time. 

Flight Day 1 Flight Day 5 

Ascent Waste & Supply Water Dump 

OMS-2 (direct insertion) EVA Equipment Preparation 

Open Payload Bay Doors EMU Checkout 

RMS Checkout Rendezvous Phasing (Plane Change and Phase 

Adjust) 

ASC-l Deploy PVTOS Complete (Run 9) 

OMS Sep Maneuver 

PVTOS Operations Begin -- Run 1 & 2 Flight Day 6 

 Waste & Supply Water Dump 

Flight Day 2 EVA Prep (10.2 psi Cabin) 

AUSSAT-1 Deploy On-orbit TACAN Nav. 

OMS Sep Maneuver Rendezvous Phasing 

Waste & Supply water Dump 

Radiator Performance Flight Day 7 

PVTOS Runs 3 & 4 Rendezvous 

 EVA (Leasat salvage operations) 

Flight Day 3 

Syncom IV-4 Deploy Flight Day 8 

OMS Sep Maneuver Orbit Adjustment & Return to 14.7 psi cabin 

pressure 

Waste & Supply Water Dump FCS C/O 

Rendezvous Phasing Crew Press Conference 

PVTOS Runs 5 & 6 Cabin Stowage 

 

Flight Day 4 Flight Day 9 

Waste & Supply Water Dump Deorbit Preparations 

Rendezvous Phasing Deorbit 

PVTOS Runs 7 & 8 Landing 
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STS 51-I PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS SUMMARY 

Pounds

Total Payload Bay and Middeck Summary 38,660 

Orbiter Plus Cargo at Liftoff 337,661 

Total Vehicle at Liftoff 4,518,803 

Landing Weight 198,516 
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PHYSICAL VAPOR TRANSPORT OF ORGANIC SOLIDS 

Physical Vapor Transport of Organic Solids (PVTOS) is 3M's second microgravity-based scientific 

experiment to fly aboard the Shuttle. The first was the Diffusive Mixing of Organic Solutions (DMOS), 

which flew on mission 51-A in November 1984. 

PVTOS consists of nine independent experimental cells housed in an Experimental Apparatus Container 

which will be mounted on the aft bulkhead in the middeck area. The cells are arranged on a circular 

baseplate which fits into the NASA-supplied container. The container is backfilled with nitrogen to provide 

a safe, inert atmosphere for the experiment. 

The nine PVTOS experimental cells are about 12 inches long and 3 inches in diameter. Each cell houses a 

vacuum-insulated, glass and stainless steel ampoule which contains an organic solid at one end and a 

temperature-controlled substrate at the other end. The solid is vaporized by being heated and migrates 

through a buffer gas to the substrate which consists of a special metal film previously deposited onto a 

laser-cut, polished silicon wafer. Vapors condense on the temperature-controlled substrate at the cooler end 

of the ampoule to form an organic thin film. 

The experiment is controlled by 3M's Generic Electronic Module (GEM), a computer containing a 

microprocessor with bubble memory and providing all the control electronic functions for PVTOS. It 

serves as an interface between the orbiter and the container and between the crew and the container. 

Crew interface is through the handheld keyboard and display terminal. Using this terminal, the crew can 

select and activate the experiment cells, monitor cell temperatures and power levels and perform diagnostic 

tests. 

The nine cells will be activated two at a time during the flight. The ampoules are designed to operate at up 

to 400 degrees Centigrade but vacuum insulation around each limits the surface temperature of the cell 

from 55 to 60 degrees C. Maximum duration of each cell heating is about four hours. Precise temperatures 

and durations depend upon the organic materials used. 

The container with nine PVTOS cells and the GEM computer weighs a total of 165 pounds. The 

experiment is powered by a 28-volt, direct-current connection to the orbiter. GEM draws 70 watts of power 

throughout the flight. The container draws 50 to 60 watts for the 30-minute heat-up phase for each cell and 

20 watts during the duration of each experiment. 
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ASC-l 

The American Satellite Co. provides voice, data, facsimile and videoconferencing communication services 

to U.S. businesses and government agencies. ASC-l is the first wholly-owned commercial communications 

satellite in a system consisting of two operational spacecraft and one ground spare. 

ASC's satellites will operate in both the 6/4 GHz (C-band) and 14/12 GHz (Ku-band) frequencies. The two 

hybrid satellites, with life expectancies of 10 years, have been assigned orbital locations at 81 degrees and 

128 degrees W. longitude. There are both 36 and 72 MHz bandwidth transponders onboard the spacecraft. 

The total radio frequency power is approximately 300 watts. The 36 MHz C-band transponders use 8.5-

watt solid state power amplifiers. These solid state amplifiers provide improved linearity characteristics 

which permit more carriers per transponder due to a marked reduction in intermodulation noise power. 

A unique feature of ASC's satellites is their encrypted command links, a security feature which guards 

against unauthorized access to the satellite command system. ASC-l and -2 will be the first commercial 

spacecraft to have their command links protected by encryption. 

The cube-shaped ASC-l measures 4.3 by 5.3 by 10.5 ft. in the Shuttle cargo bay. With the solar panels 

deployed on orbit, the length increases to 46.5 fit. tip to tip. Weight of the satellite as it arrives on station is 

1,482 lb. 

The ASC spacecraft are built by RCA Astro Electronics, Princeton, NJ The spacecraft tracking, telemetry 

and control complex for the system is located in Atlanta. American Satellite is also relocating its Network 

Operations Control Center (NOOC) from its original site in Vernon Valley, NJ, to the Atlanta complex to 

consolidate satellite and network control functions in a single integrated facility. 
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AUSSAT-1 

AUSSAT, the Australian national satellite communications system, will provide a wide range of domestic 

services to the entire continent and its offshore islands. This includes direct television broadcast to 

homesteads and remote communities, high quality television relays between major cities, digital data 

transmission for both telecommunications and business use, voice applications for urban and remote areas, 

centralized air traffic control services and maritime radio coverage. AUSSAT-l is the first in a system of 

three to be operated by Australia's national satellite company, AUSSAT Proprietary Ltd. 

AUSSAT-l uses two telescoping cylindrical solar panels and a folding antenna for compactness during 

launch. After the satellite nears its orbital position, the antenna erects and the outer solar panel deploys, 

exposing the inner solar array. 

AUSSAT's antenna system will provide seven transmit beams and three receive beams. 

Five transmit beams serve the Homestead and Community Broadcasting Satellite Service (HACBSS): four 

contiguously placed over the western, central, northeast and southeast regions of the Australian continent 

and one over Papua, New Guinea. The other two are national beams which provide continental coverage 

for Fixed Satellite Service. 

The AUSSAT satellite will carry 15 channels, each 45 MHz wide. Four will use high power, 30-watt 

traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) to provide radio and television services to Australia's remote 

areas. The remaining 11 channels will operate with 12-watt TWTAs. It will be possible to connect the 

communications channels individually to the transmit beams by ground command. This arrangement will 

provide traffic flexibility for the system. 

The satellite's diameter is nearly 7.2 feet. Stowed for launch its height is 9.2 ft. In orbit, with antennas 

deployed and aft solar panel extended, the height will increase to 21.6 m. Its initial on-station weight will 

be about 1,322 pounds. 

The AUSSAT satellites, with a mission life of seven years, will operate at the 14/12 GHz Ku band. Two 

spacecraft will be located above the equator just north of Papua, New Guinea, at 156 degrees east and 164 

degrees east longitude. The third satellite will be located at 160 degrees east longitude. 

The master control station for the AUSSAT system will be in Sydney and backup control equipment will be 

installed in Perth. Monitoring equipment will be installed at Earth stations in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and 

Adelaide. 

Hughes Space and Communications Group built the three satellites and two telemetry, tracking, command 

and monitoring stations. 
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LEASAT 4 

Leasat 4, also known as Syncom IV-4, is the fourth satellite in the Leasat system, which will be leased by the 

Department of Defense to replace the older FleetSatcom spacecraft for worldwide UHF communications 

between ships, planes and fixed facilities. A Hughes HS 381 design, the Leasat spacecraft is designed expressly 

for launch from the Space Shuttle and uses the unique Frisbee, or rollout, method of deployment. 

The first two spacecraft were deployed during the 41-D and 51-A Shuttle missions. Leasat 3 was deployed 

successfully during mission 51-D but failed to activate itself. The satellite is currently drifting in low Earth orbit 

without command and telemetry capability and a salvage operation is scheduled for flight day 7 of mission 51-I. 

Interface between the spacecraft and the payload bay is accomplished with a cradle structure. The cradle 

permits the spacecraft to be installed, lying on its side, with its retracted antennas pointing toward the nose of 

the orbiter and its propulsion system pointing toward the back. Mounting the antennas on deployable structures 

allows them to be stowed for launch. Five trunnions (four longeron and one keel) are used to attach the cradle to 

the Shuttle. Five similarly-located internal attach points are used to attach the spacecraft to the cradle. 

Another unique feature of the Leasat series of satellites is no requirement for a separately-purchased upper 

stage, as have all the other communications satellites launched to date from the Shuttle. 

The Leasat satellites contain their own unique upper stage to transfer them from the Shuttle deploy orbit of 

about 182 mi. to a circular orbit 22,300 mi. over the equator. 

Each satellite is 20 ft. long with UHF and omnidirectional antennas deployed. Total payload weight in the 

Shuttle is 17,000 lb. The satellite's weight on station at the beginning of its planned 7-year life will be nearly 

3,060 lb. Hughes' Space and Communications Group builds the satellites. 

Ejection of the spacecraft from the Shuttle is initiated when locking pins at the four contact points are retracted. 

An explosive device then releases a spring that ejects the space-craft in a "Frisbee" motion. This gives the 

satellite its separation velocity and gyroscopic stability during the 45-minute coast period between deployment 

and ignition of the perigee kick motor. The satellite separates from the Shuttle at a velocity of about 1.5 feet per 

second and a spin rate of about 2 rpm. 

A series of maneuvers, performed over a period of several days, will be required to place Leasat into its 

synchronous orbit over the equator. The process starts 45 minutes after deployment from Discovery with the 

ignition of the solid propellant perigee motor, identical to that used as the third stage of the Minuteman missile, 

which will raise the high point of the satellite's orbit to about 9,600 mi. 

Two liquid fuel engines that burn hypergolic propellants, monodimethyl hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, are 

used to augment the velocity on successive perigee transits, to circularize the orbit and to align the flight path 

with the equator. 

The first off three such maneuvers raises the apogee to 12,300 mi., the second raises the apogee to 16,100 mi. 

and the third to geosynchronous orbital altitude. At this point the satellite is in a transfer orbit with a 182-mi. 

perigee and a 22,300-mi. apogee. The final maneuver, again performed by the liquid propellant engines, 

circularizes the orbit at the apogee altitude. 

Hughes Communications Services, Inc., will operate the worldwide Leasat satellite communications system 

under a contract with the Department of Defense, with the U.S. Navy acting as the executive agent. The system 

will include five Leasat satellites, one of which will be a ground spare, and the associated ground facilities. 

Users will include mobile air, surface, subsurface and fixed Earth stations of the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force 

and Army. The satellites will be positioned for coverage of the continental United States and the Atlantic, 

Pacific and Indian oceans. Leasat 1 and 2 occupy geostationary positions at 105 degrees West and 15 degrees 

West respectively. Leasat 3 will be positioned at 77 degrees East and Leasat 4 at 178 degrees East. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 19

LEASAT SALVAGE MISSION 

STATION KEEP AT 35 FEET !

! EV1 ON MFR 

! EV2 ON PFR AT LESA 

EV1 INSTALL CAPTURE MR AND STABILIZE (A) 

RMS AND EV1 PRESENT PIVOT TRUNNIONS TO 

EV2 STOW SEPARATION LEVER AND INSTALL (B) 

EV1 INSTALL GRAPPLE BAR AND EGRESS MFR 

RMS GRAPPLE (C) 

EV2 

! AT KEEL INSTALL SHORTING PLUGS (D) 

! AT NOZZLE INSTALL S&A PINS (E) 

! AT 135° REMOVE ACCESS COVER 

! AT 90° REMOVE TEST ACCESS COVER (F) 

! MATE 'I' CONNECTORS 

! INSTALL REPLACEMENT 

! 

! AT 135° ROUTE CABLE FROM 90° 

! MATE I CONNECTOR 

! MOUNT SBU 

! AT TOP OF SYNCOM REMOVE DESPUN TEST (G) 

! MATE RPU 

! ENABLE RDU RELAYS 

! DEPLOY OMNI 

! CAP CONNECTORS 

! INSTALL NEW COVER 

! AT NOZZLE REMOVE S&A PINS 

 REPLACE NOZZLE COVER 

EV2 STABILIZE SYNCOM WITH HANDLING MR 

RMS RELEASE. EV1 TO MER 

EV1 INSTALL SPINUP BAR (H) 

EV2 START SBU TIMERS (I) 

MANEUVER SYNCOM AND ORBITER TO DEPLOY 

SPIN UP OPERATIONS (I) 

EV1 = James "Ox" van Hoften 

EV2 = William "Fish" Fisher 

MFR = Manipulator Foot Restraint 

RMS = Remote Manipulator System (robot arm) 

SBU = Spun Bypass Unit 

RPU = Remote Power Unit 

RDU = Remote Decoder Unit 
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STS-51I CREWMEMBERS 

S85-36062 – The official portrait of the STS-51I crewmembers, taken in the airlock of the crew 

compartment trainer includes, front row, astronauts Joe H. Engle (left), crew commander; and Richard D. 

Covey (right), pilot. Back row (l.-r.) includes James D. van Hoften, John M. (Mike) Lounge and William F. 

Fisher -- all mission specialists. 

No copyright is asserted for this photograph. If a recognizable person appears in the photo, use for 

commercial purposes may infringe a right of privacy or publicity. It may not be used to state or imply the 

endorsement by NASA or by any NASA employee of a commercial product, process or service, or used in 

any other manner that might mislead. Accordingly, it is requested that if this photograph is used in 

advertising and other commercial promotion, layout and copy be submitted to NASA prior to release. 

PHOTO CREDIT: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 27

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

JOE H. ENGLE, Colonel, USAF, is mission commander. Born Aug. 26, 1932, in Dickinson County, 

Kans., he became a NASA astronaut in 1966. Engle was back-up lunar module pilot for Apollo 14; 

commanded the second orbital test flight of Space Shuttle Columbia; served as deputy associate 

administrator for Manned Space Flight at NASA Headquarters in 1982, returning to flight status at JSC in 

1983. 

He received a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Kansas. 

Engle was a test pilot in the X-15 research program at Edwards Air Force Base from 1963 until his 

assignment as NASA astronaut in 1966; served with 474th Fighter Day Squadron and 390th Tactical 

Fighter Squadron at George Air Force Base, Calif.; has flown more than 135 different types of aircraft (25 

different fighters) and logged more than 10,800 hours -- 7,300 in jets. 

RICHARD O. COVEY, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, is the 51-I pilot. Born Aug., 1, 1946, in Fayetteville, 

Ark., he was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1978. Covey was T-38 chase pilot for the second and third 

Shuttle flights; and was a member of the Mission Control team for STS-5 and 6 as spacecraft 

communicator (CAPCOM). 

Covey received a bachelor of science in engineering sciences from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1968 

and a master of science in aeronautics and astronautics from Purdue University. 

He was an operational fighter pilot from 1970 to 1974; flew 339 combat missions during two tours in 

Southeast Asia; was director and pilot for electronic warfare testing of the F-15 "Eagle"; and has flown 

more than 3,000 hours in over 20 types of aircraft. 

JAMES D. A. van HOFTEN, Ph.D., is a mission specialist. Born June 11, 1944, in Fresno, Calif., he 

became a NASA astronaut in 1978. van Hoften was mission specialist on STS 41-C during which crew 

deployed the Long Duration Exposure Facility, retrieved and repaired the ailing Solar Maximum Satellite 

and flight tested the manned maneuvering units in two extravehicular activities; and has logged 168 hours 

in space, including ten hours of EVA flight time. 

Van Hoften received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of California, 

Berkeley; and a master of science and doctor of philosophy in hydraulic engineering from Colorado State 

University. 

Van Hoften was a U.S. Navy pilot from 1969 to 1974, assigned to carrier USS Ranger and participated in 

two cruises to Southeast Asia where he flew about 60 combat missions. 

He resumed academic studies in 1974 and completed a dissertation on the interaction of waves and 

turbulent channel flow for his doctorate; was assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of 

Houston until his selection as astronaut candidate; and taught fluid mechanics and conducted research on 

biomedical fluid flows in artificial internal organs and valves. He has logged 3,000 hours flying time, the 

majority in jets. 
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BIOGRAPHICAL DATA 

JOHN M. LOUNGE, civilian, is a mission specialist. Born June 28, 1946, in Denver, he joined the NASA 

astronaut corps in 1980. Lounge, employed at Johnson Space Center since July 1978, was lead engineer for 

integration of spin-stabilized upper stage payloads into future Shuttle flights and served as a member of the 

Skylab reentry flight control team. He has served as launch support team member at KSC for the first three 

Shuttle missions; and has specialized in the Shuttle's computer system. 

Lounge received a bachelor of science degree in physics and mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy 

and a master of science degree in astrogeophysics from the University of Colorado. 

Following graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy, Lounge completed Naval flight officer training at 

Pensacola, Fla., and took advanced training as radar intercept officer in the F-4J Phantom; completed a 9-

month Southeast Asia cruise aboard the USS Enterprise, participating in 99 combat missions; transferred to 

the Navy Space Project office in Washington, D.C., for 2-year tour as staff project officer; and resigned his 

U.S. Navy commission in 1978. 

WILLIAM P. FISHER, MD, is a mission specialist. Born April 1, 1946, in Dallas, he was selected as a 

NASA astronaut in 1980. Fisher's assignments include B-57 scientific equipment operator for high altitude 

research; extravehicular mobility unit and extravehicular activity procedures; hardware and software development for PAM-D; CAPCOM for STS-8 and STS-9; and concurrently served as deputy director of 

NASA government and contractor-furnished equipment. 

Fisher received a bachelor of arts from Stanford University in 1968, a doctorate in medicine from the 

University of Florida and a master of science in engineering from the University of Houston. 

After medical school, Fisher completed surgical residency at the University of California, Los Angeles 

Harbor General Hospital in Torrance, Calif., he specialized in emergency medicine from 1977 to 1980; and 

is currently practicing emergency medicine at Clear Lake Hospital, Houston. He has logged over 1,100 

hours in prop, rotary-wing and jet aircraft. 
Edited by Richard W. Orloff, 01/2001/Page 29

SHUTTLE FLIGHTS AS OF AUGUST 1985 

19 TOTAL FLIGHTS OF THE SHUTTLE 

STS-51F 

07/29/85 - 08/06/85 

STS-51B 

04/29/85 - 05/06/85 

STS-9 

11/28/83 - 12/08/83 

STS-41G 

10/05/84 - 10/13/84 

STS-5 

11/11/82 - 11/16/82 

STS-41C 

04/06/84 - 04/13/84 

STS-51G 

06/17/85 - 06/24/85 

STS-4 

06/27/82 - 07/04/82 

STS-41B 

02/03/84 - 02/11/84 

STS-51D 

04/12/85 - 04/19/85 

STS-3 

03/22/82 - 03/30/82 

STS-8 

08/30/83 - 09/05/83 

STS-51C 

01/24/85 - 01/27/85 

STS-2 

11/12/81 - 11/14/81 

STS-7 

06/18/83 - 06/24/83 

STS-51A 

11/08/84 - 11/16/84 

STS-1 

04/12/81 - 04/14/81 

STS-6 

04/04/83 - 04/09/83 

STS-41D 

08/30/84 - 09/05/84 

 

OV-102 

Columbia 

(6 flights)

OV-099 

Challenger 

(8 flights)

OV-103 

Discovery 

(5 flights)