spacetoday.net: Ariane launches two communications satellites

Ariane launches two communications satellites

Posted: Fri, Aug 21, 2015, 10:57 AM ET (1457 GMT)
Ariane 5 launch of Eutelsat 8 West B and Intelsat 34 (Arianespace)

An Ariane 5 successfully launched two commercial communications satellites Thursday. The Ariane 5 ECA lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 4:34 pm EDT (2034 GMT) and placed the Eutelsat 8 West B and Intelsat 34 satellite into geostationary transfer orbit a little more than a half-hour later. Eutelsat 8 West B, built by Thales Alenia Space for Eutelsat, weighed 5,782 kilograms at launch. It carries a payload of Ku- and C-band transponders to provide services from 8 degrees west in GEO. Intelsat 34, built by Space Systems/Loral for Intelsat, weighed 3,300 kilograms at launch. It carries a payload of C- and Ku-band transponders to provide services from 55.5 degrees west in GEO. The launch was the fourth Ariane 5 mission of 2015.