Below is a listing of previous Astrotech Space Operations missions.
PALAPA - B2R
Launch Date
April 13, 1990
After being recovered in 1984 by the space shuttle crew and brought back to Earth, PALAPA - B2 was renamed B2R and was successfully relaunched.
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
Delta II
INTELSAT VI - F3
Launch Date
March 14, 1990
INTELSAT VI - F3 is a communications satellite operated by Intelsat. Following the launch failure, Intelsat commissioned NASA to launch a replacement perigee motor to raise the satellite's orbit. The satellite arrived in geostationary orbit on 21 May 1992.
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
Titan III
LOSAT (LACE/RME)
Launch Date
February 14, 1990
LACE (Low-Power Atmospheric Compensation Experiment) and RME (Relay Mirror Experiment) were two elements of an SDI effort to validate the technology needed to perform pointing, tracking, and laser beam relay functions for a ballistic missile defense system.
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
Delta II
SYNCOM IV-F5 (Leasat 5)
Launch Date
January 9, 1990
SYNCOM IV-F1 to F5 were the first satellites to be designed for launch from the Space Shuttle payload bay.
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
STS-32 (Columbia)
JCSAT - 2 / SKYNET - 4A
Launch Date
December 31, 1989
Skynet 4 was the third generation of UK Ministry of Defense communications satellites. JCSAT - 2 relayed signals for voice, television, facsimile and high-speed data services for business use throughout Japan.
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
Titan III
BSB-R1
Launch Date
August 27, 1989
British Satellite Broadcasting-R1 (BSB-R1) was a British television direct broadcasting satellite also known as Marcopolo 1.
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
Delta II
PALAPA - B2P
Launch Date
March 20, 1987
PALAPA - B2P was the third PALAPA - B satellite ordered and successfully launched on a Delta II rocket in 1987.
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
Delta II
SATCOM-KU1
Launch Date
January 12, 1986
SATCOM-KU1 was a commercial communications satellites built by RCA and deployed by the STS 61-C shuttle mission.
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
STS-61C (Columbia)
AUSSAT-2 / MORELOS-B / SATCOM-KU2
Launch Date
November 26, 1985
Three communications satellites were deployed during the STS-61B shuttle mission: MORELOS-B (Mexico), AUSSAT-2 (Australia) and SATCOM-KU2 (RCA Americom).
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
STS-61B (Atlantis)
ASC-1 / AUSSAT-1
Launch Date
August 27, 1985
ASC-1 and AUSSAT-1 were two communications satellites deployed by the crew of STS-51I.
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
STS-51I (Discovery)
ARABSAT-A (PAM-D) / MORELOS A / TELSTAR-3D
Launch Date
June 17, 1985
Three communications satellites were deployed by STS-51G: MORELOS-A, for Mexico; ARABSAT-A, for Arab Satellite Communications Organization; and TELSTAR-3D, for AT&T.
Launch Site
CCAFS
Vehicle
STS-51G (Discovery)
TELESAT-1 (PAM-D)
Launch Date
April 12, 1985
TELESAT-1 was a communications satellite deployed by STS-51D. PAM-D motor is the payload assist module, which was processed at Astrotech Space Operations in Florida.
