Continuing what is supposedto be a banner year with an unprecedented flight rate, the commercial Ariane 5rocket launched again Friday night, lofting a Brazilian broadcast satellite andVietnam's first communications spacecraft.
The heavy-lift boosterblasted away from its jungle launch site on the northeastern shore of SouthAmerica at 2217 GMT (6:17 p.m. EDT) headed for a highly elliptical orbitstretching from 155 miles at its lowest point to 22,325 miles at its furthestand inclined just 2.0 degrees relative to the equator.
While cruising in thattargeted geosynchronous transfer orbit a half-hour after liftoff, the rocket'scryogenic upper stage successfully released the Star One C2 spacecraft, ejectedits dual payload attachment system and then deployed Vinasat 1.
It was the 182nd launch forthe Ariane rocket family, the 38th for the Ariane 5 and second of the year.Operator Arianespace plans to conduct five more Ariane 5 missions in 2008, therocket's busiest pace since it began flying in 1996 and besting the previousmark of six launches conducted last year.
"The launchers keepgoing up and the contracts keep coming in," said Jean-Yves Le Gall,Arianespace's chairman and CEO.
This year's first missionoccurred a month ago when the Ariane 5 ES vehicle propelled the massive Jules Vernecargo resupply ship into orbit for the international space station. Theautomated freighter dockedto the station on April 3.
Both satellites launchedFriday night will be maneuvered into circular geostationary orbits 22,300 milesabove the equator where they can match Earth's rotation and appear parked overone spot of the globe.
"Star One C2 will beplaced at the most important broadcasting position of the Brazilian market, 70degrees West, and will be providing the largest share of the video traffic inBrazil," said Gustavo Silbert, president of the Star One satellite firm.
"The C2 satellite willnow offer additional capacity in Ku-band, allowing new TV services to bedeployed such as DTH -- direct-to-home TV," said Lincoln Oliveira, StarOne's chief technology officer.
Vinasat 1, as Vietnam'sfirst dedicated telecommunications spacecraft, will bring TV and phone servicesto rural communities and lessen the country's dependance on foreign providersof satellite communications.
"Successfullylaunching the first satellite is of great technological, social and economicsignificance, will help raise Vietnam's image in the international arena andconfirm the sovereignty of Vietnam in space. This is a memorable milestone for Vietnamand its integration into the world economy," Doan Hop Le, Vietnam'sminister of information and communications, said through a translator from thelaunch site.
"Vinasat 1 will helpVietnam bring telecommunications, Internet and television services to allisolated, mountainous and island areas where other means of transmission is notfeasible."
The spacecraft's orbitalslot at 132 degrees East longitude allows its dozen Ku-band transponders toserve Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and part of Myanmar. The eight onboardC-band transponders will cover Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Southeast Asia, India,Japan and Australia.
"We're, of course,very proud to launch that nation's first satellite," Arianespace boss LeGall said.
"Vietnam will becomethe sixth nation in the region having its own satellite," the ministeradded. "Full operation of Vinasat 1 will facilitate the completion of anational communications infrastructure."
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