An
Ariane 5 rocket soars skyward on its 40th launch from its base at the Guiana Space Center
on the northeastern shore of South America, July 7.
The
commercial
payload for the rocket included the ProtoStar 1 satellite, which will
provide direct-to-home television and broadband for much of Asia, and the BADR
6 satellite that will serve 130 million viewers and internet customers across
the Middle East and North Africa. Both satellites will maneuver into circular geostationary
orbits 22,300 miles above the equator to match the Earth’s rotation.
The next launch is slated to
carry the Japanese Superbird 7 communications satellite and the American AMC 21
television broadcast spacecraft in August.
— ESA and SPACE.com Staff
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Service
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