Arianespace release
Ariane 5 completes another successful year of launches with an on-target
dual-satellite mission
Arianespace wrapped up its 2005 commercial launch activity with a
successful dual-satellite mission tonight for India and Europe, once
again underscoring the Ariane 5's reliability, performance and flexibility.
Lifting off from Europe's Spaceport at the start of its 28-minute launch
window, the Ariane 5 Generic vehicle deployed India's INSAT-4A
telecommunications satellite first – releasing it in geostationary
transfer orbit at just over 29 minutes into the flight. Approximately
seven minutes later, the European MSG-2 second-generation Meteosat
spacecraft also was injected into geostationary transfer orbit.
Ground tracking stations immediately received the first telemetry
signals from INSAT-4A and MSG-2, confirming that both passengers were in
good condition after their ride aboard Ariane 5.
Tonight's mission brings the successful Ariane 5 launches performed in
2005 to five. These flights used three standard Ariane 5G and two Ariane
5 ECA launch vehicles to orbit eight satellites, representing a combined
payload weight of more than 24 metric tons. In addition, Arianespace's
Starsem affiliate launched a pair of Soyuz missions in 2005, placing two
additional spacecraft into orbit.
"This performance clearly demonstrates that Ariane 5 is the world's best
launcher, and Arianespace – with its family of vehicles – is clearly the
no. 1 launch services company," explained Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le
Gall. "For 2005, we have launched more spacecraft than all of our
competitors combined, and there still is one final Starsem mission to
perform next week with yet another Soyuz."
Ariane 5's mission this evening also was another example of its ability
to accommodate two spacecraft with very different mission profiles on
the same flight, allowing for highly flexible dual-launch operations.
The three-axis stabilized INSAT 4A carries a mixed payload of 12 Ku-band
and 12 C-band transponders, and is the first in India's new INSAT 4A
telecommunications spacecraft series that will provide coverage over the
Indian subcontinent. It was designed, built and integrated by the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and it had a liftoff mass of
approximately 3,200 kg.
The MSG-2 platform is a spin-stabilized spacecraft developed by Alcatel
Alenia Space to provide high-resolution images of the Earth's weather
activity for the European Meteorological Satellite organization
(Eumetsat). The 2,034-kg. satellite also will measure the planet's
radiation balance for information on climate change.
Le Gall said the next Ariane 5 mission is set for February 21. This will
be another dual-satellite flight, using the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA
version to loft HOT BIRD 7A for Eutelsat and the SPAINSAT spacecraft for
Hisdesat. The Arianespace CEO also confirmed that Starsem's year-ending
Soyuz mission is on schedule for liftoff from Kazakhstan's Baikonur
Cosmodrome on December 28 with the GIOVE A navigation satellite payload.
--
Dishnut-P
====================================================================
Operator of RadioFree Dishnuts - Producer of The Dishnut News
heard Saturdays at 10pm EST. on
RFD, W0KIE Satellite Radio Network IA-6 (T6) Transponder 1 / 6.2 & 6.8Mhz
(4DTV T6-999) WTND-LP 106.3, and many micro LPFM stations.
http://dishnuts.net
RFD Listen Links: http://dishnuts.net/#Listen
Show Archives: (Partly Up) http://dishnuts.net/archive/
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Know an art & music fan? Make a donation in their honor this holiday season!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/.6dcNC/.VHMAA/Zx0JAA/EyMolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Sat subcarrier and net streaming audio programming and locations:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BROADCASTFINDER/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TVRO/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
