A heavy-lift Ariane 5 successfully orbited two satellite payloads today that will supply telecommunications services for two new customers who join the growing list of Arianespace commercial launch services users. In a flight conducted from the Spaceport in French Guiana, the Ariane 5 deployed Yahsat Y1A, the first satellite to be operated by the United Arab Emirates’ Al Yah Satellite Communications Company; along with Intelsat New Dawn, which was built for the new joint venture of Intelsat and Convergence Partners. Adding to this mission’s milestones was the lift performance record for Ariane 5: delivering a total mass of 10,050 kg. to geostationary transfer orbit, of which 8,956 kg. was the combined weight of its two satellite payloads. Lifting off on time at 6:37 p.m. in French Guiana, the Ariane 5 climbed through a partial cloud cover at sunset, and continued its downrange flight in clear skies. This allowed a direct view of the separation for Ariane 5’s two solid propellant boosters at an altitude of 66.5 kilometers, followed by the payload fairing’s jettison at a 105-kilometer altitude. It marked another of Ariane 5’s highly accurate flights, with the following estimated orbital parameters at the injection of its cryogenic upper stage: - Perigee: 249.8 km. for a target of 249.7 km. - Apogee: 35,975 km. for a target of 35,956 km. - Inclination: 5.98 deg. for a target of 6.00 deg. For this mission, Yahsat Y1A was positioned in the upper passenger slot of Ariane 5’s dual-payload “stack,” and was released at 27 minutes into the flight. This spacecraft was built by Astrium based on the Eurostar E3000 platform, while its Ku-band and C-band communications payload was supplied by Thales Alenia Space.
