United States Air ForceAtlas SLV-3D CentaurLaunch Complex 36A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Intelsat 503
Launched
December 15, 1981
Image: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Summary
Intelsat 503 launched on an United States Air Force Atlas SLV-3D Centaur from Launch Complex 36A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on December 15, 1981. It was United States Air Force's 779th launch, 15th this year and humanity's 2,512th orbital launch attempt. It was the 29th Atlas SLV-3D Centaur flight and the 4th this year. The payload was bound for Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO). INTELSAT 503, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 174 × 35,987 km orbit inclined 23.7°. 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Atlas SLV-3D Centaur · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Communications · Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO)
- Milestone
- 29th Atlas SLV-3D Centaur flight · 4th this yearUnited States Air Force's 779th launch15th this yearhumanity's 2,512th orbital launch attempt121st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
INTELSAT 503 · NORAD 12994 · 1981-119 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- INTELSAT 503
- Object ID
- 1981-119A
- Epoch
- 1981-12-15 18:51:32 UTC
- Mean motion
- 2.27059603 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.7323191
- Inclination
- 23.6988°
- Ascending node
- 259.1215°
- Arg. of perigee
- 178.8328°
- Mean anomaly
- 185.2795°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 9.999e-7
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: Direct-GEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; 1 still in orbit
- INTELSAT 503 · NORAD 12994
Centaur AC-55 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Geostationary communications satellite
Pad
Launch Complex 36A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
30th launch from Launch Complex 36A, 3rd this year · 378th from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
71 launches from this pad · 1,131 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
131 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Intelsat 503 launch?
Intelsat 503 launched on December 15, 1981. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Intelsat 503?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Intelsat 503?
Atlas SLV-3D Centaur, flown by United States Air Force. Atlas SLV-3D Centaur spec sheet
Where did Intelsat 503 launch from?
Launch Complex 36A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.
What orbit did Intelsat 503 reach?
INTELSAT 503, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 174 × 35,987 km orbit inclined 23.7°.
How many satellites did Intelsat 503 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).