Possible Hughes Aircraft Company (Hughes Space and Communications Group) artist’s depiction of an Intelsat IV-A satellite during payload shroud separation of its Atlas-SLV3D Centaur-D1AR launch vehicle.
A handsome piece of work. A refreshing change from the prevalent angled/pitched ascent photo, even those that depict the same sequence. It makes for a wonderful highly oblique, thus expansive view looking back at the Florida peninsula. I wonder which is more correct, this or those with the vehicle still pitching over? Actually, who cares!
It’s a shame I’m unable to make heads or tails of the signature. And I just don’t have it in me to pursue it.
Whoever it is, is probably responsible for plate [56] here:
history.nasa.gov/SP-4402/ch2.htm
The verso has an odd triangular surficial tear near the lower right-hand corner that seems to have removed the top ‘finished layer’. Fortunately, there’s no evidence of it on the obverse.
Good Intelsat IV-A reading:
space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/intelsat-4a.htm
Credit: GUNTER’S SPACE PAGE website