CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Europe's workhorse Ariane rocket successfully lofted a U.S. cable TV satellite into orbit over North America Tuesday evening but its unclear exactly when the next mission will fly from the Guiana Space Center in South America.
Problems with European-built satellites destined for rides atop an Ariane rocket have forced Arianespace managers to put operations on hold until their customers are ready to deliver a spacecraft to the launch site.
The stand down of Ariane launches is likely to last into the summer, according to Arianespace chief operating officer Jacques Rossignol.
"It is not possible for us to set a clear date to resume flights," Rossignol said Tuesday after the successful conclusion of the Galaxy 4-R delivery mission. "We don't even know whether it will be an Ariane 4 or and Ariane 5."
Rossignol said it would likely be "the end of June or early July" before the next launch will take place and despite the delays the company remains confident it will launch at least five Ariane 5 missions and seven to eight Ariane 4 mission by the end of 2000.
The technical problem that has prompted the delay in Ariane launches is related to a type of steering thruster built in Europe that was found to have a generic problem affecting all satellites equipped with the maneuvering device. First hit by the delay was the Astra 2-B satellite scheduled for launch in May. It is now on indefinite hold.
| Ariane 4 lofts Galaxy |
 An Arianespace Ariane 4 rocket lifts off on time at 8:29 p.m. EDT Tuesday (0029 Wednesday GMT) from the Guiana Space Center. |
 The 18-story rocket climbs away from its launch pad carrying the Galaxy 4-R communications satellite for PanAmSat Corp. |
 Six exhaust plumes from the Ariane 4 rocket's engines light up the sky over the northeast coast of South America. |
| Images from Arianespace's satellite coverage of the launch. Used with permission. Broadcast is copyright © 2000, Arianespace. |
Nonetheless, Arianespace officials are putting a positive spin on the issue, saying the program adjustments give them an opportunity to demonstrate schedule flexibility and the ability to jump at the chance of launching an available satellite.
"Our operational teams are up to the challenge of reacting quickly when payloads are ready for launch," Jean-Charles Vincent, director of Arianespace's office at the Guiana Space Center, said in a feature story on the company's website.
Meanwhile, officials with Greenwich, Connecticut-based PanAmSat Corp. are all smiles thanks to Tuesday's launch of their Galaxy 4-R satellite, which was built by Hughes Space and Communications of El Segundo, California.
Liftoff of the Ariane 4 rocket carrying their satellite from the French Guiana launch site near the city of Kourou took place right on time at 8:29 p.m. EDT (Wednesday, 00:29 GMT).
The 18-story rocket's blinding blue-white exhaust at liftoff lit up the humid night sky for miles around. The glow then diminished to that of a brilliant white star competing for attention with a full moon as the brightest object in the sky.
Twenty minutes later the Galaxy 4-R communications satellite was moving at the right speed and in the right direction as it separated from the Ariane rocket to the cheers of mission managers in Arianespace's Jupiter Control Center.
"This has been a wonderful day," said Douglas Kahn, president and chief operating officer of PanAmSat. "I knew we would have a good launch, but what I didn't know was that Arianespace could control the weather."
Record rainfalls have fallen on the French Guiana launch site during the past week or so but the sky cleared in time for the launch of the Galaxy 4-R on Tuesday.
The satellite is the third in five months to be launched over North America and designed to serve the cable, internet and digital TV markets of the United States.
Once operational, television viewers watching such networks as A&E, the Discovery Channel, ESPN and the Weather Channel will be seeing a signal that was beamed to them via the new satellite launched Tuesday.
With such prominent partners, PanAmSat has enjoyed steady earnings and a growing business base as the volume of their satellite services has increased. Including Tuesday's launch, the company now has 21 communications satellites in orbit.
According to a company news release from last week, total revenue for the first quarter of 2000 was $299.1 million, up some $106 million from the same quarter last year. PanAmSat's release also stated the company has future satellite services already booked that will be worth some $6.1 billion in the coming years.
advertisement
