spacetoday.net: Ariane launches satellites for Brazil and Vietnam

Posted: Sat, Apr 19, 2008, 9:30 AM ET (1330 GMT)
Ariane 5 launch of Star One C2 and VINASAT-1 (Arianespace)

An Ariane 5 rocket successfully launched communications satellites Friday evening for a Brazilian company and the Vietnamese government. The Ariane 5 ECA lifted off from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 6:17 pm EDT (2217 GMT) Friday and placed the Star One C2 and VINASAT-1 satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbits about a half-hour later. Star One C2 is a Thales Alenia Space Spacebus 3000B3 spacecraft owned by Brazilian satellite operator Star One. The 4,100-kilogram satellite will be located in GEO at 70 degrees west and carries a mix of C-, Ku-, and X-band transponders to provide communications services for South America. VINASAT-1 is a Lockheed Martin A2100A spacecraft built for the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group. The 2,600-kilogram satellite, Vietnam's first, will be located at 132 degrees east in GEO and carries C- and Ku-band transponders to provide radio, television, and telephone services for Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia. The launch was the second of seven Ariane 5 launches planned for 2008.