Project Intelsat 5

With 12,000 voice circuits and 2 television channels, intelsat 5, the first of a new generation of international telecommunication satellites, has almost double the communication capability of early satellites in the series. The 1,928 kilogram (at a lunch) satellite will be placed into geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic Ocean to provide communications between North America and Europe. The characteristics of the Atlas Centaur launch vehicle to be used are described and the flights events of the launch sequence are tabulated.