Ariane launches two satellites
Posted: Sun, Mar 12, 2006, 11:04 AM ET (1604 GMT)
After three previous attempts were scrubbed in recent weeks, an Ariane 5 successfully launched two communications satellites Saturday night. The Ariane 5 ECA lifted off at 5:32 pm EST (2232 GMT) Saturday and placed its payload, the Hot Bird 7A and Spainsat spacecraft, into a geosynchronous transfer orbit a little over a half-hour later. Hot Bird 7A, built by Alcatel Alenia for Eutelsat, is a 4,100-kg satellite that will operate from 13 degrees east, carries 38 Ku-band transponders to provide TV and radio broadcasting services to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Spainsat, built by Space Systems/Loral for Hidesat, is a 3,700-kilogram satellite with 13 X-band and 1 Ka-band transponders that will be used for military communications for the Spanish government. The launch took place on the fourth attempt; three previous attempts, dating back to February 21, were delayed because of a variety of ground equipment, satellite, and upper stage problems.
After three previous attempts were scrubbed in recent weeks, an Ariane 5 successfully launched two communications satellites Saturday night. The Ariane 5 ECA lifted off at 5:32 pm EST (2232 GMT) Saturday and placed its payload, the Hot Bird 7A and Spainsat spacecraft, into a geosynchronous transfer orbit a little over a half-hour later. Hot Bird 7A, built by Alcatel Alenia for Eutelsat, is a 4,100-kg satellite that will operate from 13 degrees east, carries 38 Ku-band transponders to provide TV and radio broadcasting services to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Spainsat, built by Space Systems/Loral for Hidesat, is a 3,700-kilogram satellite with 13 X-band and 1 Ka-band transponders that will be used for military communications for the Spanish government. The launch took place on the fourth attempt; three previous attempts, dating back to February 21, were delayed because of a variety of ground equipment, satellite, and upper stage problems.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, February 7
Supermassive black holes sit in ‘eye of their own storms,’ studies find
Univ. of Chicago — 1:08 pm ET (1808 GMT) SpaceX Launching Falcon 9 With 25 Starlink Satellites
Santa Barbara (CA) Edhat — 8:24 am ET (1324 GMT) Epstein Was Adviser Behind Funding of Starlink Rival OneWeb
Bloomberg News — 8:23 am ET (1323 GMT) SpaceX targeting Saturday morning for Falcon 9 rocket launch
KEYT-TV Santa Barbara, CA — 8:22 am ET (1322 GMT) China sends fourth ‘Shenlong’ reusable spacecraft mission into orbit
South China Morning Post — 8:21 am ET (1321 GMT) |
