GemStar 1

Launch Failure

Liftoff Time (GMT)

22:30:00

Tuesday August 15, 1995

Mission Details

Launch Notes

First flight of Athena. Expended hydraulic fluid burned in first stage aft section, damaging nozzle feedback cables causing loss of gimbal control and tumbling. Separately, arcing in the IMU high-voltage power supply caused loss of attitude reference. Flight terminated by range safety officer at T+160 s.

GemStar 1

The 136 kg mini-satellite measured 1 m in diameter and is 660 mm high. It employs gravity gradient stabilisation, was 3-axis stabillised, and was based on CTA Inc' GemStar bus (CTA refers to the satellite as GemStar 1). It was intended to be placed into a 650 km orbit, receive 9.6 and 19.2 kbps in the 148-150.5 MHz band, and transmit at 9.6, 19.2 and 38.4 kbps in the 137-137 MHz and 400.15-401 MHz bands.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

136 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Athena I

Active 1995 to 2001

Lockheed Martin logo

Agency

Lockheed

Rocket

Height: 18.9m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 820 kg

Liftoff Thrust

1,900 Kilonewtons

Stages

3

Launch Site

SLC-6

Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

Fastest Turnaround

129 days 10 hours

Stats

Athena I


1st

Mission

1st

Mission of 1995

1995


47th

Orbital launch attempt