21765 - INTELSAT 601 (IS-601)

INTELSAT 6 F-1 was a telecommunications satellite launched from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana using the Ariane booster rocket. The spacecraft was capable of handling 120,000 telephone, 3 television broadcasts, and other services simultaneously. Its system of directional antennas allowed the satellite to cover the entire American, European, and African continents by means of a reconfiguration. Owned by the 121-member International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT), it carried 38 C-band and 10 K-band transponders. The massive commsat, built by Hughes Space and Communications Group, stood 11.7 m tall, 3.6 m in diameter. Body mounted solar cells generated 2,250 w at end of life.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 1991-10-29
Launch Vehicle: Ariane 44L
Launch Site: Kourou, French Guiana
Mass: 4259.2 kg
Nominal Power: 2250.0 W