The Applications Technology Satellites (ATS) were a series of experimental satellites launched by
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
, under the supervision of, among others,
Wernher von Braun
Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun ( ; ; 23 March 191216 June 1977) was a German–American aerospace engineer and space architect. He was a member of the Nazi Party and '' Allgemeine SS'', the leading figure in the development of ...
. The program was launched in 1966 to test the feasibility of placing a satellite into
geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbital ...
.
The satellites were primarily designed to act as communication satellites, but also carried equipment related to meteorology and navigation.
ATS-6
ATS-6 (Applications Technology Satellite-6) was a NASA experimental satellite, built by Fairchild Space and Electronics Division It has been called the world's first educational satellite as well as world's first experimental Direct Broadcast ...
was the world's first educational satellite as well as world's first experimental
Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) as part of the
Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) between
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
and
ISRO
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO ) is India's national space agency, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It serves as the principal research and development arm of the Department of Space (DoS), overseen by the Prime Minister o ...
.
Summary of Missions
See also
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Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), operated by the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service division, supports weather fo ...
*
Synchronous Meteorological Satellite
References
External links
ATSat NASA's
Mission and Spacecraft LibraryATS, Past NASA MissionsATS, NASA Science MissionsATS-E - Press Kit
{{ATS Satellites
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