Ariane launches two satellites
Posted: Fri, Oct 30, 2009, 10:02 PM ET (0202 GMT)
An Ariane 5 rocket placed two commercial communications satellites into orbit late Thursday. The Ariane 5G rocket lifted off from the spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, at 4:00 pm EDT (2000 GMT) and placed the NSS-12 and Thor 6 satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbits about a half-hour later. NSS-12 is a Space Systems/Loral 1300-series satellite weighing about 5,700 kilograms at launch, carrying 48 Ku-band and 40 C-band transponders. The satellite will be used by SES World Skies to provide communications services for much of Eurasia, Africa, and Australia from 57 degrees east in GEO. Thor 6, a Thales Alenia Space Spacebus 4000B2 satellite, weighed 3,000 kilograms at launch and carries 36 Ku-band transponders. Its owner, Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, will use the satellite at 1 degree west in GEO to provide direct-to-home television services for the Nordic region and parts of central and eastern Europe. The launch was the sixth Ariane 5 mission of 2009 and the 34th successful launch in a row.
An Ariane 5 rocket placed two commercial communications satellites into orbit late Thursday. The Ariane 5G rocket lifted off from the spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, at 4:00 pm EDT (2000 GMT) and placed the NSS-12 and Thor 6 satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbits about a half-hour later. NSS-12 is a Space Systems/Loral 1300-series satellite weighing about 5,700 kilograms at launch, carrying 48 Ku-band and 40 C-band transponders. The satellite will be used by SES World Skies to provide communications services for much of Eurasia, Africa, and Australia from 57 degrees east in GEO. Thor 6, a Thales Alenia Space Spacebus 4000B2 satellite, weighed 3,000 kilograms at launch and carries 36 Ku-band transponders. Its owner, Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, will use the satellite at 1 degree west in GEO to provide direct-to-home television services for the Nordic region and parts of central and eastern Europe. The launch was the sixth Ariane 5 mission of 2009 and the 34th successful launch in a row.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, October 27
Australia has to pay millions to fly an astronaut to space. What do we stand to gain?
The Conversation — 6:24 am ET (1024 GMT) Moon Explore sprinter missions
ESA — 6:24 am ET (1024 GMT) Two additional Galileo Second Generation satellites awarded to Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space — 6:24 am ET (1024 GMT) Airbus awarded contract for two additional Galileo satellites
Airbus Group — 6:23 am ET (1023 GMT) ESA procures four new Galileo Second Generation satellites
ESA — 6:23 am ET (1023 GMT) |
