Name: Intelsat 501 — Atlas SLV-3D Centaur
Start: 1981-05-23T22:42:00Z
End: 1981-05-23T22:42:00Z
Location: Launch Complex 36B

Question 1

What rocket is launching Intelsat 501?

Accepted Answer

Intelsat 501 is launching on the Atlas SLV-3D Centaur.

Question 2

Who is launching Intelsat 501?

Accepted Answer

Intelsat 501 is being launched by United States Air Force, a government launch provider founded in 1947.

Question 3

Where is Intelsat 501 launching from?

Accepted Answer

Intelsat 501 is launching from Launch Complex 36B at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Intelsat 501 heading to?

Accepted Answer

Intelsat 501 is heading to Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO).

Question 5

Is the Atlas SLV-3D Centaur reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Atlas SLV-3D Centaur is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Atlas SLV-3D Centaur flown?

Accepted Answer

The Atlas SLV-3D Centaur has launched 32 times to date, with 30 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the Intelsat 501 mission?

Accepted Answer

Geostationary communications satellite

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

Intelsat 501

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Complex 36B

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions