ATS III was placed in a transfer
orbit directly over the equator over 45 degrees west (ATS was over
the eastern Pacific at this time). The transfer orbit meant that
the satellite would drift slowly westward with time. The satellite
eventually reached 95 degrees west where it was deactivated with
ATS I on December 1, 1978. Of the satellite's eleven year life
span, useful data was received for the first eight (1967-1975).
PARTICIPANTS:
NASA, Hughes, AVCO, Control Data Corp., General Dynamics, ITT,
Raytheon, RCA, Sylvania, Westinghouse