The Ariane 5 rocket
launched on another flawless mission Wednesday evening with a British
space-based military communications relay station and a multi-purpose
communications satellite for Brazil.
The workhorse rocket leapt
away from its launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana, at 2206 GMT (5:06
p.m. EST). The Ariane 5, making its fifth flight of the year, set off on an
easterly course from the launch site moments after liftoff.
The rocket's twin solid
rocket boosters, first stage and cryogenic upper stage all performed well
during the launch. The second stage released the two satellite payloads about a
half-hour into the flight.
The Ariane 5 hit its marks
during the voyage to space, arriving in an elliptical geostationary transfer
orbit with a low point of 155 miles, a high point of 22,340 miles, and an
inclination of six degrees. All of the orbital parameters were within
pre-flight targets.
The British military's
Skynet 5B communications satellite was deployed first, followed about six
minutes later by the separation of Star One C1, a Brazilian broadcasting
spacecraft.
Arianespace hailed the
launch as a complete success, marking the Ariane 5 rocket's 21st consecutive
successful flight dating back to 2002.
The mission set a new lift
record to geostationary transfer orbit with a total mass of more than 21,000
pounds, including both paying passengers and a dual-payload adapter. The number
surpassed a mark set by another Ariane 5 launch in May.
"Since the beginning
of 2007, 12 large commercial communications have been launched [worldwide], and
we launched 10 of them - 83 percent of the total, which is also a record,"
said Jean-Yves Le Gall, chairman and CEO of Arianespace.
Skynet 5B joins a fleet of
spacecraft that relay communications between commanders and troops for Britain's Ministry of Defense.
The 10,218-pound satellite
will circularize its orbit at an altitude of 22,300 miles during the next few
weeks. Skynet 5B's permanent home in geostationary orbit will be along the
Equator above the northern Indian Ocean.
After a testing campaign,
control of the satellite will be handed over to Paradigm Secure Communications,
the operator of the Skynet 5 system for the United Kingdom.
Paradigm is wholly owned by
EADS Astrium, which is the prime contractor for the construction of both the
Skynet 5 satellites and the Ariane 5 rocket.
"It's yet another
significant success for Astrium," said Patrick Wood, Skynet program
director at EADS Astrium. "In fact, you could say another triple success
for Astrium."
The satellite's X-band
payload will be able to reach users across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and
much of Asia. The craft is equipped with super-high-frequency and
ultra-high-frequency antennas to provide secure voice, video and digital
communications between military commanders and troops stationed around the
world.
The antennas are hardened
against nuclear attacks and feature anti-jamming capabilities, according to
Paradigm.
"Skynet 5 breaks the
mold," said Malcolm Peto, Paradigm's managing director. "It's the
one-stop shop for the U.K. military for all their satellite beyond
line-of-sight needs."
Skynet 5B is expected to
remain in service for up to 15 years. The craft joins another satellite
launched earlier this year, and a third Skynet 5 satellite is scheduled for
launch on another Ariane 5 mission in mid-2008.
The Skynet system is part
of a European satellite communications coalition formed by the United Kingdom, France and Italy. The countries won a contract in 2004 to deliver secure
communications services from their satellite fleets to NATO member nations.
Paradigm has other
agreements with the governments of the Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, Australia, and Belgium.
The Ariane 5 booster also
hoisted the Brazilian Star One C1 communications satellite during Wednesday's
launch.
With a liftoff weight of
9,039 pounds, the spacecraft will deliver telecommunications and broadband
Internet services across Latin America and the southern United States. Star One C1 will be stationed in geostationary orbit at 65 degrees West
longitude.
The satellite is beginning
a 15-year mission for Star One, a subsidiary of Brazilian operator Embratel.
Star One is also partly owned by General Electric International.
Star One C1 is the first
member of the company's third generation of satellites.
"With this new
satellite, Star One will be able to confirm its leadership as the largest
regional satellite operator in Latin America," said Lincoln Oliveira, Star
One's chief technical officer.
Television signals from
Embratel satellites reach about 16 million homes throughout Brazil, according to the company.
Star One C1 will replace
Brasilsat B2, an aging 12-year-old satellite near the end of its operational
life span. The replacement satellite is twice as powerful as its older
counterpart, according to Embratel.
"The new generation of
satellites has more power, more coverage, and will enable the expansion of
services to other companies and to the people as well," said Gustavo
Silbert, president of Star One.
Built by Thales Alenia
Space, Star One C1 carries 28 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders for voice,
data and direct-to-home broadcasting services. A lone X-band transponder on the
satellite will be restricted to military use.
The launch of another Star
One satellite is slated for February to further augment the company's fleet,
according to Embratel.
Two more missions are on
the books for Arianespace to round out the year. A Soyuz rocket launched from Kazakhstan will carry Canada's Radarsat 2 spacecraft into orbit on Dec. 14, followed a few days
later by another Ariane 5 mission with the Rascom 1 and Horizons 2 satellites.
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2007 SpaceflightNow.com, all rights reserved.
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