Intelsat VA F-14

Intelsat VA F-14, was a communications satellite operated by Intelsat. Launched in 1986, it was the fourteenth of fifteen Intelsat V satellites to be launched. The Intelsat V series was constructed by Ford Aerospace, based on the Intelsat VA satellite bus. Intelsat VA F-14 was part of an advanced series of satellites designed to provide greater telecommunications capacity for Intelsat's global network.

Intelsat VA F-14

Mission type	Communication
Operator	Intelsat
COSPAR ID	1986-F05
Mission duration	7 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
Bus	Intelsat VA
Manufacturer	Ford Aerospace
Launch mass	1981 kg
BOL mass	1098 kg [1]
Dimensions	1.66 x 2.1 x 1.77 metres
Power	1800 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	31 May 1986, 00:53:03 UTC [2]
Rocket	Ariane 2 V18
Launch site	Kourou, ELA-1
Contractor	Aérospatiale
Entered service	Launch failure
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Geostationary orbit
Epoch	Planned
Transponders
Band	26 C-band 6 Ku-band
Intelsat V ← Intelsat VA F-13 Intelsat VA F-15 →

Satellite

The satellite was box-shaped, measuring 1.66 by 2.1 by 1.77 metres; solar arrays spanned 15.9 metres tip to tip. The arrays, supplemented by nickel-hydrogen batteries during eclipse, provided 1800 watts of power at mission onset, approximately 1280 watts at the end of its seven-year design life. The payload housed 26 C-band and 6 Ku-band transponders. It could accommodate 15,000 two-way voice circuits and two TV channels simultaneously. It also provided maritime communications for ships at sea.^[3]

Launch

The satellite was successfully launched into space on 31 May 1986, at 00:53:03 UTC, by means of an Ariane 2 vehicle from the Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, French Guiana. It had a launch mass of 1981 kg.^[4] During the Ariane 2 maiden flight, the third stage had a partial ignition followed by another ignition above nominal pressure which led to the engine's failure and the destruction of the launcher.

Investigation

Because the upper stage of the Ariane 2 was shared with the other Ariane rockets, all flights were suspended until 16 September 1987. As a result of an investigation into the ignition irregularities, it was decided that installing more powerful igniters would sufficiently rectify the issue.^[5]