Ariane 5 rolls out for sixth launch of 2009

(Arianespace) – Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 mission of 2009 is ready for the final countdown following today’s rollout of the flight’s heavy-lift launch vehicle at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

The Ariane 5 was moved from its Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone during a 1 hr., 15 min. transfer process, which occurred under partly sunny skies.

The Ariane 5 with its NSS-12 and THOR 6 payloads approaches the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone during today's rollout.

This mission is now ready for an early evening liftoff during a 1 hr., 40 min. launch window that opens tomorrow at 5:00 p.m., local time at the Spaceport.

The flight will carry a new customer’s satellite, THOR 6 for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting AS, along with SES WORLD SKIES’ NSS-12 – which is the 32nd spacecraft from the SES group of companies that has been entrusted for an Ariane launch.

NSS-12 will be released first during tomorrow’s mission, and subsequently is to be operated by SES WORLD SKIES from a geostationary orbit of 57 degrees East.  This relay platform, which weighs approximately 5,700 kg. for liftoff, is to provide direct-to-home television broadcast services for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.

THOR 6 is riding in the lower position of Ariane 5’s payload “stack,” and has a liftoff mass of about 3,000 kg.  Positioned at an orbital slot of 1 degree West, the spacecraft will distribute direct-to-home services to the Nordic region and throughout Central and Eastern Europe.