Please make a donation to support Gunter's Space Page.
Thank you very much for visiting Gunter's Space Page. I hope that this site is useful and informative for you.
If you appreciate the information provided on this site, please consider supporting my work by making a simple and secure donation via PayPal. Please help to run the website and keep everything free of charge. Thank you very much.

IDCSP → DSCS-1 (NATO 1)

IDCSP [USAF]

The IDCSP (Initial Defense Communications satellite Program) provided the Pentagon with its first near-geosynchronous communications system and replaced the cancelled ADVENT project.

IDCSP satellites were spin-stabilized 26 sided polygons, 86 cm in diameter, covered with solar panels, and had a mass of 45 kg. The simple satellites featured no batteries and no active attitude control system. Each satellite contained a single X-band transponder with a 26 MHz bandwidth. While designers planned for the satellites to last three years, the IDCSP satellites were kept on for a five-year span and were to turn off after six years.

IDCSP 19 was also called DATS (Despun Antenna Test Satellite), as it tested a more efficient electronically despun antenna platform.

Up to eight were dispersed on a single Titan-3C rocket into slightly sub-synchronous orbit where they would drift about thirty degrees per day. The idea was that a backup was always visible to the earth station if one failed.

IDCSP satellites transmitted reconnaissance photos and other data during the Vietnam war. The satellites were also used by the NATO states, which referred to them as NATO-1.

They were succeeded by NATO-2 and DSCS-2 true geosynchronous satellites.

Nation: USA
Type / Application: Communication
Operator: US Air Force (USAF)
Contractors: Philco-Ford
Equipment: 1 X-band transponder
Configuration: Spin-Stabilization, omnidirectional antenna (despun antenna on #19)
Propulsion: None
Power: Solar cells
Lifetime: 3 years
Mass: 45 kg
Orbit: 33030 km × 33549 km, 1.2°
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
IDCSP 1 → DSCS-1 1 (OPS 9311) 1966-053B 16.06.1966 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, GGTS 1
IDCSP 2 → DSCS-1 2 (OPS 9312) 1966-053C 16.06.1966 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, GGTS 1
IDCSP 3 → DSCS-1 3 (OPS 9313) 1966-053D 16.06.1966 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, GGTS 1
IDCSP 4 → DSCS-1 4 (OPS 9314) 1966-053E 16.06.1966 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, GGTS 1
IDCSP 5 → DSCS-1 5 (OPS 9315) 1966-053F 16.06.1966 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, GGTS 1
IDCSP 6 → DSCS-1 6 (OPS 9316) 1966-053G 16.06.1966 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, GGTS 1
IDCSP 7 → DSCS-1 7 (OPS 9317) 1966-053H 16.06.1966 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, GGTS 1
IDCSP (8) 1966-F08 26.08.1966 CC LC-41 F Titan-3C with IDCSP (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), GGTS 2
IDCSP (9) 1966-F08 26.08.1966 CC LC-41 F Titan-3C with IDCSP (8), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), GGTS 2
IDCSP (10) 1966-F08 26.08.1966 CC LC-41 F Titan-3C with IDCSP (8), (9), (11), (12), (13), (14), GGTS 2
IDCSP (11) 1966-F08 26.08.1966 CC LC-41 F Titan-3C with IDCSP (8), (9), (10), (12), (13), (14), GGTS 2
IDCSP (12) 1966-F08 26.08.1966 CC LC-41 F Titan-3C with IDCSP (8), (9), (10), (11), (13), (14), GGTS 2
IDCSP (13) 1966-F08 26.08.1966 CC LC-41 F Titan-3C with IDCSP (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (14), GGTS 2
IDCSP (14) 1966-F08 26.08.1966 CC LC-41 F Titan-3C with IDCSP (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), GGTS 2
IDCSP 8 → DSCS-1 8 (OPS 9321) 1967-003A 18.01.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
IDCSP 9 → DSCS-1 9 (OPS 9322) 1967-003B 18.01.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
IDCSP 10 → DSCS-1 10 (OPS 9323) 1967-003C 18.01.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
IDCSP 11 → DSCS-1 11 (OPS 9324) 1967-003D 18.01.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15
IDCSP 12 → DSCS-1 12 (OPS 9325) 1967-003E 18.01.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15
IDCSP 13 → DSCS-1 13 (OPS 9326) 1967-003F 18.01.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15
IDCSP 14 → DSCS-1 14 (OPS 9327) 1967-003G 18.01.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
IDCSP 15 → DSCS-1 15 (OPS 9328) 1967-003H 18.01.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
IDCSP 16 → DSCS-1 16 (OPS 9331) 1967-066A 01.07.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 17, 18, 19, LES 5, DODGE
IDCSP 17 → DSCS-1 17 (OPS 9332) 1967-066B 01.07.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 16, 18, 19, LES 5, DODGE
IDCSP 18 → DSCS-1 18 (OPS 9333) 1967-066C 01.07.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 16, 17, 19, LES 5, DODGE
IDCSP 19-DATS → DSCS-1 19-DATS (OPS 9334) 1967-066D 01.07.1967 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 16, 17, 18, LES 5, DODGE
IDCSP 20 → DSCS-1 20 (OPS 9341) 1968-050A 13.06.1968 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
IDCSP 21 → DSCS-1 21 (OPS 9342) 1968-050B 13.06.1968 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
IDCSP 22 → DSCS-1 22 (OPS 9343) 1968-050C 13.06.1968 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
IDCSP 23 → DSCS-1 23 (OPS 9344) 1968-050D 13.06.1968 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27
IDCSP 24 → DSCS-1 24 (OPS 9345) 1968-050E 13.06.1968 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27
IDCSP 25 → DSCS-1 25 (OPS 9346) 1968-050F 13.06.1968 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27
IDCSP 26 → DSCS-1 26 (OPS 9347) 1968-050G 13.06.1968 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27
IDCSP 27 → DSCS-1 27 (OPS 9348) 1968-050H 13.06.1968 CC LC-41 Titan-3C with IDCSP 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

References:

  • Donald H. Martin: Communication Satellites, Aerospace Press, 1991, p 95-96
Further NATO missions:

Cite this page: