Stats[]
| Category. | Statistic. |
|---|---|
| Launch vehicle. | Delta D Rocket #25. |
| Launch date. | August 19, 1964. |
| Launch site. | N\A, Cape Canaveral. |
| Ceased operations. | N\A, 1969. |
| Owner(s). | NASA. |
| Major contractor(s) | Hughes Aircraft Company. |
| Is it still in orbit. | Yes, as of 2012. |
| Launch mass. | About ~68 kilograms (150 lb). |
| Nationality(s). | American. |
| Satellite type. | Communications. |
| Links. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncom#Syncom_3. |
History[]
The satellite, in orbit near the International Date Line, had the addition of a wideband channel for television and was used to telecast the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo to the United States. Although Syncom 3 is sometimes credited with the first television program to cross the Pacific Ocean, the Relay 1 satellite first broadcast television from the United States to Japan on November 22, 1963.
Turned off in 1969, Syncom 3 remains in geosynchronous orbit as of December 2012. In 40 years it has drifted 8 degrees to the west, to longitude 172.