Word: orbited
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
After circling lifelessly in a low-earth orbit ever since its launch during a Discovery mission last April, the $85 million satellite had finally stirred, apparently revived by the astronauts' daring rescue operation. LEASAT last week was responding to commands from ground controllers, raising hopes that it could be lofted next month into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the earth to take its place in a Navy communications network...
Once safely in a 219-mile-high orbit, Discovery's crew members set about inspecting the condition of its cargo, three communications satellites, and promptly ran into trouble. As they were attempting to temporarily open the sunshield on AUSSAT, an Australian satellite, the shield snagged on AUSSAT's antenna and stuck. Although the astronauts managed to nudge the sunshield completely open with Discovery's 50-ft. robot arm, NASA decided it was too risky to close the screen again; if it could not be reopened, the satellite would be useless in orbit...
...Soviets already have their own antisatellite weapon, but it is primitive compared with the U.S. model. The Soviet ASAT is a 150-ft., 2-ton rocket designed to climb into orbit and chase down satellites around the earth. After closing with its target, the Soviet missile explodes, destroying the satellite in a hail of shrapnel. But while an F-15 can reach launching position within an hour of takeoff, the Soviets must wait for a target satellite to pass over their fixed missile launch pads, which could take up to twelve hours. The U.S. missile can reach its target within...
Both the U.S. and the Soviet ASATs can reach only satellites flying in low orbit, a few hundred miles high. Reconnaissance or "spy" satellites are < vulnerable, since they hug the edge of the atmosphere for a closer view of earth, but most early-warning and communications satellites--the ones used to fight a nuclear war--float out of harm's way as high as 24,000 miles. Unless, that is, even more effective satellite killers are developed...
...shuttle's seven-member crew also successfully launched three communications satellites for various clients before this week's scheduled landing. Ironically, while Shi'ite terrorists held 40 American hostages from a hijacked airliner, one of the satellites the U.S. boosted into orbit (for a $19.2 million fee) is owned by a consortium of 21 Arab nations -- including Lebanon and Syria -- and the Palestine Liberation Organization...