. 24/7 Space News .
LAUNCH PAD
Kourou busy with upcoming Arianespace missions
by Staff Writers
Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) Aug 25, 2016


File image.

The diversity of Arianespace launch services available to commercial and institutional customers is underscored by the current mission preparations for flights that will orbit Earth observation platforms, telecommunications relay spacecraft and global navigation satellites from the Spaceport.

During the coming four months from French Guiana, these flights will deliver satellites of varying weights and sizes to:

+ Medium-Earth orbit for improved positioning and timing information in a European program;

+ Geostationary transfer orbit, providing advanced relay capacity for a leading U.S.-based telecommunications operator; and

+ Sun-synchronous orbit for high-resolution imaging with Peru's first Earth observation satellite.

Ariane 5 comes ashore for its trip to medium-Earth orbit
As part of the ongoing activity, launcher components for Arianespace's initial Ariane 5 mission carrying Galileo satellites arrived in French Guiana this week aboard the MN Colibri ship, completing a trans-Atlantic voyage from Europe.

Scheduled for liftoff in November, this Ariane 5 will carry a cluster of four European navigation system spacecraft, further expanding the Galileo constellation that has been created with satellites orbited in pairs by previous Arianespace missions using Soyuz launchers.

Among the components delivered by the MN Colibri were Ariane 5's cryogenic core stage, its EPS storable propellant upper stage, and the payload fairing for Arianespace's November mission - designated Flight VA233 in the company's launcher family numbering system. These elements were unloaded at Pariacabo Port on the Kourou River for their transfer to the nearby Spaceport.

Flight VA233 will use an Ariane 5 ES version, which was flown on Arianespace launches in the past that deployed Europe's 20,000-kg.-class ATV resupply vehicle into low-Earth orbit for rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station.

While Flight VA233's lift performance will be significantly less than with the ATV - the four Galileo satellites have a liftoff mass of some 740 kg. each, plus 447 kg. for their dispenser system - the Ariane 5 will carry its payload to a much higher medium-Earth orbit altitude of approximately 23,200 km. To date, Arianespace has orbited 14 Galileo spacecraft on seven previous Soyuz missions; the most recent was conducted in May.

An Arianespace "double" mission to geostationary transfer orbit
As Flight VA233 is ready to move into the preparation phase, another Ariane 5 mission enters its countdown as Flight VA232 is poised for launch tomorrow carrying a pair of Intelsat satellites.

This Ariane 5 ECA version was transferred today to the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone. With a liftoff during a 45-minute launch window opening at 6:55 p.m. local time in French Guiana on August 24, Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 36 are to be deployed into geostationary transfer orbit during a 41-minute mission.

Flight VA232 marks Arianespace's sixth launch so far in 2016, and the fourth since January utilizing an Ariane 5.

Vega's September launch to Sun-synchronous orbit
Elsewhere at the Spaceport, preparations are continuing for Arianespace's September 16 launch of a lightweight Vega vehicle - as this mission's PeruSAT-1 Earth observation satellite has now been fueled in the S3B payload preparation facility.

PeruSAT-1 is equipped with a silicon carbide optical instrument system to image Earth at 70 cm. resolution, and will serve as Peru's first Earth observation satellite. With a liftoff mass of approximately 450 kg., PeruSAT-1 will operate from Sun-synchronous orbit.

The Vega mission with PeruSAT-1 is designated Flight VV07 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system, signifying the light-lift vehicle's seventh launch overall, and its first in 2016 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.


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
Arianespace
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

Previous Report
LAUNCH PAD
Ariane 5 is approved for this week's Arianespace launch with two Intelsat payloads
Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) Aug 23, 2016
Arianespace's fourth Ariane 5 flight of 2016 has been given the "green light" for liftoff on Wednesday following the prelaunch readiness review, which was conducted at the Spaceport in French Guiana. This milestone - held prior to each Arianespace mission from the near-equatorial launch base - confirms the heavy-lift vehicle and its dual-satellite payload are flight-ready, along with the S ... read more


LAUNCH PAD
Space tourists eye $150mln Soyuz lunar flyby

Roscosmos to spend $7.5Mln studying issues of manned lunar missions

Lockheed Martin, NASA Ink Deal for SkyFire Infrared Lunar Discovery Satellite

As dry as the moon

LAUNCH PAD
Test for damp ground at Mars' seasonal streaks finds none

Fossilized rivers suggest warm, wet ancient Mars

China unveils 2020 Mars rover concept: report

MAVEN Spacecraft Gears Up to Observe Global Dust Storm on Mars

LAUNCH PAD
Grandpa astronaut breaks US space record

35 years later Voyager's legacy continues at Saturn

Chinese sci-fi prepares to master the universe

China opens longest glass bottom bridge in world

LAUNCH PAD
China unveils Mars probe, rover for ambitious 2020 mission

China Ends Preparatory Work on Long March 5 Next-Generation Rocket Engine

China launches hi-res SAR imaging satellite

China launches world first quantum satellite

LAUNCH PAD
Space Station's orbit adjusted Wednesday

Astronauts Relaxing Before Pair of Spaceships Leave

'New port of call' installed at space station

US astronauts prepare spacewalk to install new docking port

LAUNCH PAD
Kourou busy with upcoming Arianespace missions

Ariane 5 is approved for this week's Arianespace launch with two Intelsat payloads

Russian Space Corporation, US Boeing Reach Deal on Dispute Over Sea Launch

Two Intelsat payloads installed on Ariane 5 for next heavy-lift launch

LAUNCH PAD
Rocky planet found orbiting habitable zone of nearest star

A new Goldilocks for habitable planets

Venus-like Exoplanet Might Have Oxygen Atmosphere, but Not Life

Brown dwarfs reveal exoplanets' secrets

LAUNCH PAD
NIST's compact gyroscope may turn heads

New 10-foot dish will connnect ASU researchers directly with satellites

Northrop Grumman to Provide Navigation System for German Satellite

A new generation of cheap networked nuclear-radiation detectors









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - 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. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. 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. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.