Series of experimental satellites launched by NASA
The Applications Technology Satellites (ATS) were a series of experimental satellites launched by NASA, under the supervision of, among others, Wernher von Braun. The program was launched in 1966 to test the feasibility of placing a satellite into geosynchronous orbit.[1] The satellites were primarily designed to act as communication satellites, but also carried equipment related to meteorology and navigation. ATS-6 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 and ISRO.[2]
^Garner, Robert (2010-01-22). "ATS". Goddard Space Flight Center. Greenbelt, MD: NASA. Archived from the original on 2021-02-26. Retrieved 22 April 2021. ATS-4 was to investigate the possibilities of a gravity gradient stabilization system. A Centaur upper stage failure stranded ATS-4 in a much lower than planned orbit, making the satellite nearly useless. Despite this, NASA engineers successfully turned on several of the experiments to collect as much information as possible during the craft's short life. The low orbit and resulting atmospheric drag caused ATS-4 to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and break apart on Oct. 17, 1968.
^Krebs, Gunter D. "ATS 2, 4, 5". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved February 11, 2023.