Intelsat V F-3
Intelsat 503, previously named Intelsat V F-3, was a communications satellite operated by Intelsat. Launched in 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.
| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | Intelsat |
| COSPAR ID | 1981-119A[1] |
| SATCAT no. | 12994[1] |
| Mission duration | 17 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Intelsat-V bus |
| Manufacturer | Ford Aerospace |
| Launch mass | 1,928.2 kilograms (4,251 lb) |
| BOL mass | 1,012 kilograms (2,231 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | December 15, 1981, 23:35 UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-36B |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Decommissioned |
| Deactivated | January 1998 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Eccentricity | 0.73207 |
| Perigee altitude | 165 kilometres (103 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 35,947 kilometres (22,336 mi) |
| Inclination | 23.7 degrees |
| Period | 633.5 minutes |
| Epoch | December 15, 1981 |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 21 C-band 4 Ku band |
Intelsat V | |
Intelsat V F-2 was part of an advanced series of satellites designed to provide greater telecommunications capacity for Intelsat's global network. The satellite was deactivated on January 1998.
The satellite was successfully launched into space on December 15, 1981, at 23:35 UTC, by means of an Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR vehicle from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, United States. It had a launch mass of 1,928 kg. The Intelsat 503 was equipped with 4 Ku-band transponders more 21 C-band transponders for 12,000 audio circuits and 2 TV channels.