Editing Syncom (section)

=== Transfer to Department of Defense control ===
By the end of 1964, Syncoms 2 and 3 had completed NASA's R&D experiments. On January 1, 1965, NASA transferred operation of the satellites to the [[United States Department of Defense]] (DOD) along with telemetry, command stations, and range and rangefinding equipment. DOD had, in fact, provided the communications ground stations used to relay transmissions via the two Syncoms since their launch. DOD agreed to provide telemetry and ranging data of continuing scientific and engineering interest.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

In 1965, Syncom 3 was implemented to support the DOD's communications in Vietnam.<ref name="aa1965">{{cite web |url=https://history.nasa.gov/AAchronologies/1965.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://history.nasa.gov/AAchronologies/1965.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1965 |publisher=NASA |date=1966 |access-date=January 2, 2019 }}</ref>

Turned off in 1969, Syncom 3 remains in [[geosynchronous orbit]] {{As of|2024|lc=on|post=.}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Detailed information about SYNCOM 3 satellite, 1964-047A, TLE data for Norad 858 |url=http://www.infosatellites.com/syncom3-satellite-information-norad-858.html |website=Infosatellites.com |quote=The spacecraft next carried out a series of attitude and velocity maneuvers to align itself with the equator at an inclination of 0.1 degrees and to slow its speed so it drifted west to the planned location at 180 degrees longitude where its speed at altitude was synchronized with the Earth. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114945/http://www.infosatellites.com/syncom3-satellite-information-norad-858.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=July 14, 2024 }}</ref> In 50 years it has drifted east, to longitude 123&nbsp;W.<ref>{{cite web |title=Track SYNCOM 3 Satellite in Real Time |url=http://www.infosatellites.com/syncom3-satellite-tracking-norad-858.html |website=Infosatellites.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032039/http://www.infosatellites.com/syncom3-satellite-tracking-norad-858.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }} Requires Javascript.</ref>