Ariane 5 “CIUTAT DE BARCELONA” wraps up a successful year with another on-target mission. Ariane 5 completed a busy year of launch operations today with its fifth successful flight of 2006, orbiting two American built-satellite passengers for U.S. telecommunications operators. The heavy-lift Ariane 5 lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana right on time at 7:08 p.m. (22h08 GMT) and released its WildBlue-1 and AMC-18 payloads into geostationary transfer orbit duing a 32-minute mission. With tonight's launch, Arianespace's workhorse Ariane 5 orbited a total of 10 primary satellites and one auxiliary passenger during 2006, lofting more than 38,000 metric tons of commercial payloads since January 1. In addition, the Starsem affiliate of Arianespace orbited one satellite this year using a Soyuz ST vehicle launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, and another Starsem Soyuz mission is planned for December 27. Today's flight was the 16th consecutive success for an Ariane 5. Ariane 5 in its launchpad position few hours befote llift-off time Ariane 5 nº34 (Flight 174 of Arianespace’s history) was dedicated to “CITY OF BARCELONA” Tonight the emotion was not only located in Kourou’s Space Center. Actually, the expectation was more significant 8000 km away from Guyana, in Barcelona city. The Museum of Science received during the all day more than 11.000 visitors. All of them very interested in Space technologies and Space transportation vehicles, were invited by CosmoCaixa and the City Hall to visit this special event exposition and to assist in live to the lift-off. Close View of “Ciutat de BARCELONA” logotype in top of the Launcher. Live Event in Cosmocaixa Museum. From left to right: Joan de Dalmau (CTAE/ESA), Alvar Perez (Arianespace), Jorge Wagensberg (CosmoCaixa), Francesc Narvaez (City Hall), Lluis Gomez (City Hall) and Angel Ramirez (gtd) Respecting “the protocole” all the public waited after the releasing science of the second passenger (wildblue) before celebrating the very impressive success of “Ciutat de Barcelona” mission. The local TV, national medias, newspapers and international agencies have notified this event and, all of them have highlighted the joy and honour for all Barcelona’s citizen, piloted by his Mayor Mr. Jordi Hereu, for being part of the log of Ariane 5 and European Space History. gtd (represented by Angel Ramirez and Marta Escudero), as partner of the Barcelona City Hall (represented by Lluis Gomez and Juan Manuel Lecue) and CTAE -Centro Tecnológico aeronautico y Espacial- (represented by Joan de Dalmau), has celebrated (at both sides of the Atlantic Ocean), this new success together with all the present public and employees.
