Ariane Orbits Sat Pair

Ariane Orbits Sat Pair
by Frank Sietzen "SpaceCast News Service"

Washington, DC Feb. 5, 1998 - Freed from high wind weather problems, Ariane V105 sped aloft Wednesday, and appeared to successfully orbit two communications satellites on this the first Ariane launch of the year. Lift-off of the Ariane 4 booster from the French spaceport in Kourou French Guiana came at 6:29pm EST.

Site was launch complex ELA2. The launcher configuration marked the 75th Ariane 4 variant, and the 17th in the 44LP configuration, which mixes solid and liquid strap-on boosters around the vehicle's central core. Within minutes of launch, the first satellite payload, the BRASILSAT B3 was set free from the rocket's third stage, quickly followed some 24 minutes after launch by the second sat, the INMARSAT 3F5. As SpaceCast went to press late Wednesday, both satellites were headed towards their final destination in geosynchronous orbit. Ariane V105 had been delayed repeatedly by high altitude winds blowing north towards Kourou. The winds would have caused any debris from a launch mishap to threaten local areas. The winds caused launch scrubs last Friday Jan. 30th as well as Tuesday. But the condition eased Wednesday, and there was no delay in the final countdown and successful lift-off.

The BRASILSAT B3 was built by Hughes Space and Communications for Embratel and is headed towards 65 degrees west orbit position. The INMARSAT 3F5 was manufactured by Lockheed Martin Telecommunications for INMARSAT, and is headed for a 25 degree east orbital slot.

The next scheduled Ariane 4 launch will take place in late February.

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