NSSDCA/COSPAR ID: 1991-055A
INTELSAT 6 F-5 was an international mammoth communications satellite launched from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana using the Ariane booster rocket. It was placed at an altitude of 36,000 km above the equator, at 14.5 deg W over the Atlantic ocean. Owned by the 121-member International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT), it carried 38 C-band and 10 K-band transponders providing telephone, TV and data services to large ground stations and small terminals. It could handle 120,000 telephone calls and 3 color TV broadcasts simultaneously. Built by Hughes Space and Communications Group, the satellite stood 11.7 m tall, 3.6 m in diameter. Body mounted solar cells generated 2,250 w at end of life. It had a 10 year design life but is expected to achieve 14 years of service.
Launch Date: 1991-08-14
Launch Vehicle: Ariane 44L
Launch Site: Kourou, French Guiana
Mass: 4224.9 kg
Nominal Power: 2250 W
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office