Intelsat
The International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) is the world's largest commercial satellite communications services provider. It is an international consortium that owns and manages a constellation of communications satellites (Intelsats) to provide international broadcast services. Ownership and investment in ITSO (measured in shares) is distributed among ITSO members according to their respective use of services. Investment shares determine each member's percentage of the total contribution needed to finance capital expenditures. The organization's primary source of revenue comes from satellite usage fees which, after deduction of operating costs, are redistributed to ITSO members in proportion to their shares as repayment of capital and compensation for use of capital. Satellite services are available to any organization (both ITSO members and non-members), and all users pay the same rates.
The consortium began on August 20, 1964 as the International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium with 11 participating countries. In 1973, the name was changed and there were 80 signatories. ITSO currently has over 100 members and provides service to over 600 Earth stations in more than 149 countries, territories and dependancies. Intelsat maintains it headquarters in Washington, DC.
Spacecraft operations are controlled through ground stations in Fucino (Italy), Clarksburg (Maryland, USA), Beijing (PRC), Raisting (Germany), Perth (Australia), and Paumalu (Hawaii, USA).
Since its inception, ITSO has used several versions (blocks) of its dedicated Intelsat satellites. ITSO competes each block of spacecraft independently, leading to a variety of contractors over the years. Summary sheets are provided for each block.
Related QuickLook Pages:
- Intelsat 1
- Intelsat 2
- Intelsat 3
- Intelsat 4A
- Intelsat 4
- Intelsat 5
- Intelsat 5A
- Intelsat 6
- Intelsat K
- Intelsat 7, 7A
- Intelsat 8, 8A
Launch Facts
 | ||||||
 | ||||||
| Name | Int'l Desig. | Date | Site | Vehicle | Orbit | Mass(kg) |
| Notes | ||||||
| ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 1 (Early Bird) | 1965-028A | 4/6/65 | ESMC | Delta D | GEO | 39 |
| Over Atlantic | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 2A | 1966-096A | 10/26/66 | ESMC | Delta E | HEO | 140 |
| Unusable orbit due to AKM failure | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 2B (Pacific 1) | 1967-001A | 1/11/67 | ESMC | Delta E | GEO | 87 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 2C (Atlantic 2) | 1967-026A | 3/23/67 | ESMC | Delta E | GEO | 192 |
| Over Atlantic | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 2D (Pacific 2) | 1967-094A | 9/28/67 | ESMC | Delta E | GEO | 87 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 3 F-1 | none | 9/18/68 | ESMC | Delta M | FTO | 293 |
| Control system failure; destroyed by range safety | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 3 F-2 | 1968-116A | 12/19/68 | ESMC | Delta M | GEO | 293 |
| Over Brazil | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 3 F-3 | 1969-011A | 2/6/69 | ESMC | Delta M | GEO | 293 |
| 63 deg E | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 3 F-4 | 1969-045A | 5/22/69 | ESMC | Delta M | GEO | 293 |
| 174 deg E | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 3 F-5 | 1969-064A | 7/26/69 | ESMC | Delta M | LEO | 269 |
| 3rd stage failure; left in unusable orbit | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 3 F-6 | 1970-003A | 1/15/70 | ESMC | Delta M | GEO | 293 |
| 336 deg E | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 3 F-7 | 1970-032A | 4/23/70 | ESMC | Delta M | GEO | 293 |
| 341 deg E | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 3 F-8 | 1970-055A | 7/23/70 | ESMC | Delta M | HEO | 270 |
| Unusable orbit | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4 F-2 | 1971-006A | 1/26/71 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 706 |
| 24.5 deg W | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4 F-3 | 1971-116A | 12/20/71 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1410 |
| Over Atlantic | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4 F-4 | 1972-003A | 1/23/72 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1410 |
| Over Pacific | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4 F-5 | 1972-041A | 6/13/72 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1410 |
| Over Indian Ocean | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4 F-7 | 1973-058A | 8/23/73 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1410 |
| Over Atlantic Ocean | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4 F-8 | 1974-093A | 11/21/74 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1410 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4 F-6 | none | 2/20/75 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | FTO | 1410 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4 F-1 | 1975-042A | 5/22/75 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 727 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4A F-1 | 1975-091A | 9/26/75 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1500 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4A F-2 | 1976-010A | 1/30/76 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1500 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4A F-4 | 1977-041A | 5/26/77 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1500 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4A | none | 9/29/77 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | FTO | 1500 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4A F-3 | 1978-002A | 1/7/78 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1511 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 4A F-6 | 1978-035A | 3/31/78 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 826 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5 F-2 | 1980-098A | 12/6/80 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 2000 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5 F-1 | 1981-050A | 5/23/81 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1928 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5 F-3 | 1981-119A | 12/15/81 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1870 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5 F-4 | 1982-017A | 3/5/82 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1928 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5 F-5 | 1982-097A | 9/28/82 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 2000 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5 F-6 | 1983-047A | 5/19/83 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1928 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5 F-7 | 1983-105A | 10/19/83 | Kourou | Ariane 1 | GEO | 1928 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5 F-8 | 1984-023A | 3/5/84 | Kourou | Ariane 1 | GEO | 1928 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5 F-9 | 1984-057A | 6/9/84 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | LEO | 1091 |
| Failure of Centaur upper stage left stranded in useless orbit | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5A F-10 | 1985-025A | 3/22/85 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 2013 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5A F-11 | 1985-055A | 6/30/85 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1098 |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5A F-12 | 1985-087A | 9/29/85 | ESMC | Atlas Centaur | GEO | 1096 |
| Telephone communications; 31 deg E | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5A F-14 | none | 5/30/86 | Kourou | Ariane 2 | FTO | |
| 3rd stage failed to ignite; destroyed by range safety | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5A F-13 | 1988-040A | 5/17/88 | Kourou | Ariane 2 | GEO | 2013 |
| Replaced Intelsat 5 F-3; 53 deg W | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 5A F-15 | 1989-006A | 1/27/89 | Kourou | Ariane 2 | GEO | 1977 |
| International communications; 18 deg W | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 6 F-2 | 1989-087A | 10/27/89 | Kourou | Ariane 44L | GEO | 4215 |
| 24.5 deg E | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 6 F-3 | 1990-021A | 3/14/90 | ESMC | Titan 3 | LEO | 4215 |
| 2nd stage separation failure; unusable orbit | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 6 F-4 | 1990-056A | 6/23/90 | ESMC | Titan 3 | GEO | 4215 |
| International communications; 63 deg E | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 6 F-5 | 1991-055A | 8/14/91 | Kourou | Ariane 44L | GEO | 4296 |
| International communications; 14.5 deg W | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 6 F-1 | 1991-075A | 10/29/91 | Kourou | Ariane 44L | GEO | 4330 |
| International communications; 27.5 deg W | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat K | 1992-032A | 6/10/92 | ESMC | Atlas 2A | GEO | 2928 |
| 21.5 deg W | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 7 F1 (Intelsat 701) | 1993-066A | 10/22/93 | Kourou | Ariane 44LP | GEO | 3650 |
| International communications | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 7 F2 (Intelsat 702) | 1994-034A | 6/17/94 | Kourou | Ariane 44LP | GEO | 3695 |
| 1 deg W | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 7 F3 (Intelsat 703) | 1994-064A | 10/6/94 | ESMC | Atlas 2AS | GEO | 3656 |
| 177 deg E | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 7 F4 (Intelsat 704) | 1995-001A | 1/10/95 | ESMC | Atlas 2AS | GEO | 3656 |
| 66 deg E | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 7 F5 (Intelsat 705) | 1995-013A | 3/22/95 | ESMC | Atlas 2AS | GEO | 3669 |
| 50 deg W | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 7 F6 (Intelsat 706) | 1995-023A | 5/17/95 | Kourou | Ariane 44LP | GEO | 4180 |
| 53 deg W | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 7 F8 (Intelsat 708) | none | 2/15/96 | Xichang | CZ-3B | FTO | |
| ||||||
| Intelsat 7 F7 (Intelsat 707) | 1996-015A | 3/14/96 | Kourou | Ariane 44LP | GEO | 4175 |
| 26 C-band, 14 K-band transponders | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 7 F9 (Intelsat 709) | 1996-035A | 6/15/96 | Kourou | Ariane 44P | GEO | |
| 36 transponders | ||||||
| ||||||
| Intelsat 801 | 1997-009A | 2/27/97 | Kourou | Ariane 44L | GEO | |
| voice and video communications from 64 deg. E slot. | ||||||
| ||||||
![[MSL Home]](../buttons/msl.gif){kind=small}
![[Feedback]](../buttons/feedback.gif){kind=small}
![[Glossary]](../buttons/glossary.gif){kind=small}
Information in The Mission and Spacecraft Library is provided without warranty or guarantee. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.