Ariane 5 orbits Star One C2 and VINASAT-1 on its 24th consecutive successful launch

Arianespace launched telecommunications satellites for Brazil and Vietnam on the 24th consecutive mission success of Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

The heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA deployed Star One C2 and VINASAT-1 into geostationary transfer orbit during a 31-minute mission, which began with an on-time liftoff from the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone at 7:17 p.m. local time.

This is the second of seven flights planned in 2008 with the workhorse Ariane 5 as Arianespace delivers on its Service & Solutions commitment to the company’s international customers.

"Ariane 5's new success tonight further strengthens Arianespace's no. 1 position worldwide," said Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall after the mission. "This did not happen by chance – it is the result of our strategy to perform dual-payload missions with the same launcher configuration every time: the Ariane 5 ECA. It's a winning strategy that allows the match-up [of payloads] for successful launches, on time, which is what our clients want."

Le Gall noted that as Ariane 5's mission rate continues to accelerate at Europe's Spaceport, the vehicle will soon be complemented by operations of the medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega launchers from French Guiana.

During tonight’s flight, Star One C2 rode as the upper passenger in Ariane 5’s payload “stack,” and was deployed approximately 26 minutes after liftoff.  Built by Europe's Thales Alenia Space, the 4,100-kg. spacecraft will be used by Brazilian telecommunications operator Star One. It carries a payload of 28 C-band transponders, 16 Ku-band transponders and 1 X-band transponder, and will provide telecommunications, multimedia and Internet services over South America from an orbital position of 70 deg. West.

VINASAT-1 was the lower passenger on Ariane 5, with its deployment occurring 31 minutes into the mission. Manufactured in the U.S. by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, it will become Vietnam's first telecommunications satellite – operated by the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group.  The 2,600-kg.VINASAT-1 is configured with a payload of 12 Ku-band and 8 C-band transponders for radio, television and telephone transmission services over all of Vietnam and the Asia Pacific region.  Its final geostationary orbit position will be 132 deg. East.

VINASAT-1 was the 39th Lockheed Martin spacecraft to be launched by Arianespace, while Star One C2 was the eighth Brazilian satellite – and the 52nd Thales Alenia Space platform – to use an Ariane vehicle.

Tonight’s success will be followed by an April 27 flight performed by Arianespace’s Starsem affiliate from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.  This mission will use a Soyuz launcher to orbit the European GIOVE-B navigation satellite.

Arianespace's next Ariane 5 mission is scheduled for May 23, when an Ariane 5 ECA will orbit the dual-passenger payload of the U.K.'s Skynet 5C secure military communications satellite and the Turksat 3A spacecraft for Turkey.