(272K)The large solar panels on the Communications Technology Satellite (CTS) indicate a high powered spacecraft. The communications payload included a 200 Watt TWT transmitter operating at 12 GHz. NASA's Lewis Research Center provided the high power communications payload for the Canadian satellite. The project started out with the name "Cooperative Applications Satellite C" and was a joint effort between the Canadian Department of Communications and NASA. Canada designed and built the spacecraft, NASA tested, launched and operated it, and the European Space Agency provided one of the low power TWTs and some other items. The Canadians later renamed the spacecraft "Hermes."
The high power transmitter provided 10 to 20 times the broadcast power of typical communications satellites of that era. With more power transmitted by the satellite, it was possible to use smaller and cheaper ground stations thus paving the way for applications such as direct broadcast television.
The spacecraft bus was around 1.8 m in diameter and 1.9 m high. With the solar panels extended, it was 16.5 m long. The solar panels provided 1360 Watts of electrical power at the beginning of life. The spacecraft weighed around 350 kg. It was launched on January 17, 1976 and was operated until October 1979.