| Spacecraft Name | NSSDCA ID | Launch Date | NORAD ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLTSATCOM 2 | 1979-038A | 1979-05-04 | 11353 |
| FLTSATCOM 3 | 1980-004A | 1980-01-18 | 11669 |
| FLTSATCOM 4 | 1980-087A | 1980-10-31 | 12046 |
| FLTSATCOM 5 | 1981-073A | 1981-08-06 | 12635 |
| FLTSATCOM 7 | 1986-096A | 1986-12-05 | 17181 |
| FLTSATCOM 1 | 1978-016A | 1978-02-09 | 10669 |
| FLTSATCOM 8 | 1989-077A | 1989-09-25 | 20253 |
The FLTSATCOM (Fleet Satellite Communications) communications satellite system served as a world-wide UHF communications link among USN aircraft, ships, submarines, and ground stations. This high-capacity spaceborne communications system gave the Navy both shore-to-fleet and single-way communication among ships, aircraft, and submarines separated by distances exceeding line-of-sight UHF ranges. The satellite provided 30 voice channels and 12 teletypewriter channels simultaneously in UHF. The UHF upline was in the 290- to 320-MHz range, while UHF downlink was in the 240- to 27-MHz range. Transmissions in the S-band were used for commands and beacons. A number of these channels were reserved for high-priority USAF ground-to-air communications with SAC aircraft, the E-3A airborne warning and control system, and elements of the presidential command structure. The satellite was hexagonal in shape and approximately 1.7 m high and 2.7 m in diameter. An erectable 5.3-m wire mesh parabolic communications antenna with a 2-m solid-center section extended from one end of the satellite. Protruding from the opposite end was the nozzle of the satellite’s off-loaded apogee motor. Unlike most military and commercial communications satellites, the FLTSATCOM satellites used a triaxial stabilization system utilizing a reaction control wheel assembly instead of spin stabilization. Electrical power (1.1 kw dc) was provided by 2 three-section solar panels mounted on booms extending from the satellites body and unfolded in space. Nickel-cadmium batteries provided power during solar eclipses. The USN and USAF plan to orbit four satellites, including one as an on-station spare, positioned around the world in near-equatorial geosynchronous orbits to provide near-global coverage. The FSC satellite was the heaviest communications satellite the United States had attempted to orbit, exceeding the previous leader, TACSAT-1, by over 250 lbs.