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Launch Partial Failure
Liftoff Time (GMT)
23:19:00
Wednesday December 24, 1997
AsiaSat 3 was a communication satellite intended to be launched on a GTO trajectory for AsiaSat Ltd. However, due to an issue with the DM-03 upper stage, it was left in an unusable orbit. After being declared a loss and sold to Hughes Global Services and renamed WGS-1, it was decided to schedule two flybys with the moon to alter the satellite's orbit to make it usable for telecommunications. This made WGS-1 the first commercial spacecraft to have a flyby with the moon.
Geostationary Transfer Orbit
1 Payload
3,400 kilograms
Manufacturer
KhrunichevRocket
Height: 57.64m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 19,000 kg
GTO: 2,500 kg
Liftoff Thrust
9,548 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 4.35m
Height: 10.4m
Stages
4
249th
Mission
9th
Mission of 1997
89th
Orbital launch attempt