| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | Intelsat |
| COSPAR ID | 1967-026A[1] |
| SATCAT no. | 2717[1] |
| Mission duration | 3 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Intelsat II |
| Bus | HS-303A |
| Manufacturer | Hughes |
| Launch mass | 162 kilograms (357 lb) |
| BOL mass | 86 kilograms (190 lb) |
| Power | 85 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | March 23, 1967, 01:30:12 UTC[2] |
| Rocket | Delta E1 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-17B |
| Contractor | NASA |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | Early 1970s |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geosynchronous |
| Longitude | 15° west (1967-71, 1973) 35° west (1972) |
| Perigee altitude | 35,716 kilometers (22,193 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 35,892 kilometers (22,302 mi) |
| Inclination | 5.81 degrees |
| Period | 23.94 hours |
| Epoch | February 7, 2014, 14:16:27 UTC[3] |
Intelsat II F-3, also known as Canary Bird was a communications satellite operated by Intelsat. Launched in 1967 it was operated in geostationary orbit, spending most of its operational life at a longitude of 15 degrees west.
The third of four Intelsat II satellites to be launched, Intelsat II F-3 was built by Hughes Aircraft around the HS-303A satellite bus. It carried two transponders, which were powered by body-mounted solar cells generating 85 watts of power.[4] The spacecraft had a mass of 162 kilograms (357 lb) at launch, decreasing through expenditure of propellant to 86 kilograms (190 lb) by the beginning of its operational life.
Intelsat II F-3 was launched atop a Delta E1 rocket flying from Launch Complex 17B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch took place at 01:30:12 on March 23, 1967, with the spacecraft entering a geosynchronous transfer orbit. It fired an SVM-1 apogee motor to place itself into its operational geostationary orbit. The spacecraft was operated at a longitude of 15° west, over the Atlantic Ocean. It was briefly relocated to 35° west in 1972, but had returned to 15° west by the following year.[5]
It acquired the unofficial nickname Canary Bird because of the association of the mission with Maspalomas Station, the ground station which is located in the Canary Islands.[6]
As of February 7, 2014 the derelict Intelsat II F-3 was in an orbit with a perigee of 35,716 kilometers (22,193 mi), an apogee of 35,892 kilometers (22,302 mi), inclination of 5.81 degrees and an orbital period of 23.94 hours.[3]