20:00 GMT (3:00 pm EST): The launch has been scrubbed again. An anomaly was discovered during the fueling process.
17:16 GMT (12:16 pm EST): The fueling for the Ariane 5 main stage has begun. The stage is powered by the Vulcain 2 engine feeded by liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2). Today’s launch will be the 35rd for Ariane 5 and the 179th for the Ariane family. We are under 5 hours from the launch now.
November 12, 2007
November 11, 2007: After the first launch attempt was cancelled due to a damaged component at the SRBs, the Ariane 5 rocket is now again ready for launch.
The launch window opens on November 12 at 22:06 GMT (5:06 pm EST) and remains open until 23:00 GMT (6:00 pm EST).
The payload consists of two satellites weighing a total of 8,735 kilograms:
Skynet 5B will be launched on behalf of Astrium, which is delivering the satellite in orbit to Paradigm. Paradigm offers secure communications services for British armed forces, NATO and other countries that already use Skynet “milsatcom” satellites, including the Skynet 5A satellite launched by Ariane in March 2007. Built by Astrium, using a Eurostar E3000 platform Skynet 5B will weigh about 4,700 kg at launch.
The Star One C1 satellite was built by Thales Alenia Space using a Spacebus 3000/B3 platform. Weighing about 4,100 kg at launch, it will be positioned at 65 degrees West. Star One C1 is fitted with 28 C-band, 14 Ku-band transponders and 1 X-band transponder, and will provide communications, multimedia and broadband Internet services for South America.
The Ariane 5 will fly in its ECA version with the cryogenic upper stage ESC-A powered by the HM-7B engine. It uses the Sylda dual payload structure.
Feel free to discuss this article in the forum…
11:45 am
05:54 pm
Gabitasoft Interactive. All Rights Reserved.