Intelsat 27 was an American communications satellite which was to have been operated by Intelsat. Intended as a replacement for Intelsat 805, it was destroyed after the rocket carrying it to orbit fell into the Pacific Ocean 56 seconds after launch.[1]
Design
Based on the Boeing 702MP satellite bus, Intelsat 27 was designed to provide fifteen or more years of service to Intelsat customers in North America, South America, the Atlantic Ocean region and Europe. The spacecraft had a mass of 6241 kg, and was equipped with 20 C band and 20 transponders for commercial users, as well as 20 UHF transponders for military use.[2][3] Originally intended for the United States Navy, the UHF payload was to have been leased to the government of Italy following the US Department of Defense withdrawing.[2]