The fifth Arianespace mission of 2010 orbited two telecommunications payloads today: one for an emerging new player in the broadband marketplace; and the other for a long-time customer that is the world’s leading provider of fixed satellite services. This aerial photo details Ariane 5’s initial climb-out from the ELA 3 launch zone at Europe’s Spaceport, which is located adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean coastline in French Guiana. Lifting off this afternoon from the Spaceport’s ELA 3 launch zone in French Guiana, the heavy-lift Ariane 5 deployed its Intelsat 17 and HYLAS 1 passengers during a daytime mission lasting 49 minutes. It was the 54th mission for the workhorse Arianespace vehicle and the 198th flight of an Ariane family launcher. “Less than one month after our most recent Ariane 5 liftoff, we are together once again to celebrate the performance, reliability and availability of our launcher – which this evening marked its 40th consecutive success,” said Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall in comments from the Spaceport’s mission control room. “This success also reinforces Ariane 5’s position as a global reference, because since the start of 2010, it already has enabled us to orbit 10 large telecommunications satellites out of the 17 total launched worldwide.” Ariane 5 continued its track record of on-target payload deliveries, with the following provisional orbital parameters at the injection of its cryogenic upper stage: - Perigee: 249.3 km. for a target of 249.3 km. - Apogee: 35,950 km. for a target of 35,943 km. - Inclination: 1.98 deg. for a target of 2.00 deg. Intelsat 17 was released first during today’s mission. This 5,500-kg. spacecraft was built by Space Systems/Loral using its LS 1300 Omega satellite bus, and will deliver a wide range of communications services for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India. The satellite will be positioned at an orbital slot of 66 deg. East, operating with 25 Ku-band and 24 C-band transponders. HYLAS 1 is the first satellite lofted by Arianespace for Avanti Communications. Designed and built by EADS Astrium in partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation, HYLAS 1 is to bring high-speed broadband services to remote rural areas across Europe – using the flexibility of its payload to change the bandwidth of its 8 Ka-band beams from an orbital position of 33.5 deg. West, maximizing the satellite’s efficiency. This is complemented by a Ku-band broadcast capability. Arianespace is maintaining its sustained mission pace, with the final launch of 2010 planned for December 21 with the Hispasat 1E and KOREASAT 6 satellites.
