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Arianespace
delivered two more
telecommunications satellites
into orbit for its international
customer base today, using
Ariane 5 to orbit ProtoStar I
and BADR-6 on a heavy-lift
mission from the Spaceport in
French Guiana.
This 40th flight of an Ariane 5
is part of the seven missions
planned by Arianespace in 2008 –
making it the busiest year for
this workhorse launcher since
the vehicle's commercial
introduction in 1999.
"Today's success – the fourth in
2008, and our eighth during the
past 11 months – demonstrates
the full capabilities that we
have to offer," said Chairman &
CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall in
comments after the launch. "Ariane
5 brings together power and
reliability, combined with the
increase in launch rate to meet
our customers' needs."
Payload performance for today's
mission was 8,639 kg. – which
included more than 7,530 kg. for
the mission's ProtoStar I and
BADR-6 spacecraft passengers,
along with their integration
hardware and the SYLDA 5
multiple satellite dispenser
system.
ProtoStar I is the first
satellite for a new operator –
Asia's ProtoStar
telecommunciations service
provider. Built by Space
Systems/Loral with the 1300
spacecraft bus, ProtoStar I will
provide relay capacity over Asia
for direct-to-home (DTH)
television broadcasting, as well
as broadband communication
requirements across the region.
"This satellite is the best
example of the extraordinary
developments in high-definition
direct TV broadcasting and high
data rate Internet links," Le
Gall explained. "In these areas,
Arianespace is the launch
services provider that satellite
operators prefer by far."
The ProtoStar I satellite was
the 33rd Space
Systems/Loral-built payload
orbited by Arianespace, and it
carries 16 Ku-band and 32 C-band
transponders for operation from
an orbital position of 98.5 deg.
East.
"This success is a very
important event for our company,
and it has been a very long
journey - so our thanks and
gratitude go to Arianespace for
a terrific job with our first
satellite," said Philip Father,
President and CEO of Protostar.
He also thanked Arianespace for
providing a "lucky charm" rock,
which was presented prior to the
mission by Clay Mowry, president
of the U.S.-based Arianespace,
Inc. subsidiary. Father said it
will be present for all future
ProtoStar launches.
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The Superbird 7
satellite is undergoing
preparations at Europe’s
Spaceport for Ariane 5's
next mission, which is
scheduled for the first
half of August.
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BADR-6 was manufactured by EADS
Astrium, and is the sixth
spacecraft launched by
Arianespace for the Arabsat
satellite telecommunications
operator. This relay platform
will open up new video
broadcasting and
telecommunications services for
the entire Middle East and North
Africa region, along with a
large part of sub-Saharan
Africa. It is equipped with 20
Ku-band transponders and 24
C-band transponders, and will be
positioned at Arabsat's 26 deg.
E geostationary orbital
location.
Abdulhadl Al Hassani, the
Spacecraft Mission Director at
Arabsat, said the Ariane 5's
success was a "moment of sheer
joy and excitement." In
referencing Arianespace's
unofficial motto of: " launches
speak louder than words," he
added: "We'd like tell
Arianespace that after today's
launch, we hear you loud and
clear!"
The countdown for today's
mission was performed without
interruption, leading to the
on-time liftoff at 6:47 p.m.,
local time in French Guiana.
This was just prior to sunset,
providing a rare daylight view
of the ignition, liftoff and
ascent. The weather cooperated,
providing an area clear of
clouds that allowed tracking
cameras to follow the Ariane 5's
downrange trajectory for well
over two minutes – which
included the separation of the
launcher's two solid boosters at
an altitude of approximately 65
km.
Arianespace's tradition of
placing its customer logos on
the Ariane 5's payload fairing
was expanded on this mission
with the addition of a special
logo commemorating the new
French presidency of the
European Union's Council. France
assumed the rotating European
Union presidency on July 1 for a
six-month period.
Le Gall announced that
Arianespace's next Ariane 5
launch will be in performed in
the first half of August, and is
to carry the Superbird 7 and AMC
21 satellites.
The heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA for
this upcoming mission has
completed its initial build-up
in the Launcher Integration
Building at Europe's Spaceport,
and is ready for transfer to the
Final Assembly Building where it
will be fitted with its
dual-satellite payload. Delivery
of the Superbird 7 spacecraft to
French Guiana occurred last
week, allowing final checkout of
this payload to begin.
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