Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




LAUNCH PAD
Ariane 5's first launch of 2015
by Staff Writers
Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) Apr 30, 2015


On 26 April 2015, Ariane 5 flight VA222 lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana and delivered two telecom satellites, Thor-7 and Sicral-2, into their planned orbits. Image courtesy ESA. For a larger version of this image please go here.

An Ariane 5 has lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana and delivered two telecom satellites into their planned orbits. Launch of flight VA222 occurred on 26 April at 20:00 GMT (22:00 CEST, 17:00 local time).

Thor-7, with a mass of about 4590 kg and mounted in the upper position atop Ariane's Sylda dual-payload carrier, was the first to be released about 28 minutes into the mission.

Following a series of burns controlled by Ariane's computer, the Sylda structure encasing the 4365 kg Sicral-2 was then jettisoned. Sicral-2 was released into its own transfer orbit about six minutes after the first satellite.

Thor-7, operated by Norway's Telenor Satellite Broadcasting AS, will be positioned at 0.8 W in geostationary orbit to deliver high-performance Ka-band communications for the maritime sector. Thor-7 also has a Ku-band payload for broadcast and television services in Central and Eastern Europe. The satellite has a design life of about 15 years.

Sicral-2, operated by Italy's Telespazio, will be positioned in geostationary orbit to provide strategic and tactical telecommunications links for French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve capacity for other NATO nations. It has a design life of 15 years.

The payload mass for this launch was 9970 kg. The satellites totalled 8955 kg, with payload adapters and carrying structures making up the rest.

Flight VA222 was the 78th Ariane 5 mission.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Launchers at ESA
Launch Pad at Space-Travel.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








LAUNCH PAD
Ariane 5 gives dual lift" to the THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 satellites
Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) Apr 27, 2015
Arianespace extended Ariane 5's track record of success with another heavy-lift mission performed from the Spaceport in French Guiana, which launched a mixed payload of commercial and military telecommunications satellites - THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 - for European operators. Both spacecraft were deployed following their ascent from the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone, with THOR 7 released some 28 ... read more


LAUNCH PAD
Russia Invites China to Join in Creating Lunar Station

Japan to land first unmanned spacecraft on moon in 2018

Dating the moon-forming impact event with meteorites

Japan to land probe on the moon in 2018

LAUNCH PAD
Rover on the Lookout for Dust Devils

UAE opens space center to oversee mission to Mars

Robotic Arm Gets Busy on Rock Outcrop

Mars might have liquid water

LAUNCH PAD
The Mysteries of Astronautics

General Dynamics Integrates NASA's SGSS Infrastructure

India Role Model in Space Science Benefiting Common Man

Space law is no longer beyond this world

LAUNCH PAD
Xinhua Insight: How China joins space club?

Chinese scientists mull power station in space

China completes second test on new carrier rocket's power system

China's Yutu rover reveals Moon's "complex" geological history

LAUNCH PAD
Progress Incident Not Threatening Orbital Station, Work of Crew

Russia loses control of unmanned spacecraft

Japanese astronaut to arrive in ISS in May

Liquid crystal bubbles experiment arrives at International Space Station

LAUNCH PAD
Ariane 5 gives dual lift" to the THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 satellites

Ariane 5's first launch of 2015

Sentinel-2A payload processing begins for Vega launch in June

45th Space Wing successfully launches first-ever Turkmenistan satellite

LAUNCH PAD
Titan's Atmosphere Useful In Study Of Hazy Exoplanets

Tau Ceti Probably not the next Earth

Astronomers join forces to speed discovery of habitable worlds

Robotically discovering Earth's nearest neighbors

LAUNCH PAD
Fast and accurate 3-D imaging technique to track optically trapped particles

Mechanical cloaks of invisibility - without complicated mathematics

ASC Signal To Supply Globecomm With Earth Stations and Upgrades

Reducing big data using quantum theory




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.