Intelsat II F-3

Intelsat II F-3, also known as Canary Bird was a communications satellite operated by Intelsat. Launched in 1967 it was operated in geostationary orbit, spending most of its operational life at a longitude of 15 degrees west.

Intelsat II F-3

Mission type	Communications
Operator	Intelsat
COSPAR ID	1967-026A[1]
SATCAT no.	2717[1]
Mission duration	3 years
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	Intelsat II
Bus	HS-303A
Manufacturer	Hughes
Launch mass	162 kilograms (357 lb)
BOL mass	86 kilograms (190 lb)
Power	85 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	March 23, 1967, 01:30:12 (1967-03-23UTC01:30:12Z) UTC[2]
Rocket	Delta E1
Launch site	Cape Canaveral LC-17B
Contractor	NASA
End of mission
Deactivated	Early 1970s
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Geosynchronous
Longitude	15° west (1967-71, 1973) 35° west (1972)
Perigee altitude	35,716 kilometers (22,193 mi)
Apogee altitude	35,892 kilometers (22,302 mi)
Inclination	5.81 degrees
Period	23.94 hours
Epoch	February 7, 2014, 14:16:27 UTC[3]
Intelsat II ← Intelsat II F-2 Intelsat II F-4 →

The third of four Intelsat II satellites to be launched, Intelsat II F-3 was built by Hughes Aircraft around the HS-303A satellite bus. It carried two transponders, which were powered by body-mounted solar cells generating 85 watts of power.^[4] The spacecraft had a mass of 162 kilograms (357 lb) at launch, decreasing through expenditure of propellant to 86 kilograms (190 lb) by the beginning of its operational life.

Intelsat II F-3 was launched atop a Delta E1 rocket flying from Launch Complex 17B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch took place at 01:30:12 on March 23, 1967, with the spacecraft entering a geosynchronous transfer orbit. It fired an SVM-1 apogee motor to place itself into its operational geostationary orbit. The spacecraft was operated at a longitude of 15° west, over the Atlantic Ocean. It was briefly relocated to 35° west in 1972, but had returned to 15° west by the following year.^[5]

It acquired the unofficial nickname Canary Bird because of the association of the mission with Maspalomas Station, the ground station which is located in the Canary Islands.^[6]

As of February 7, 2014 the derelict Intelsat II F-3 was in an orbit with a perigee of 35,716 kilometers (22,193 mi), an apogee of 35,892 kilometers (22,302 mi), inclination of 5.81 degrees and an orbital period of 23.94 hours.^[3]