Two telecommunications satellites that will provide expanded relay capacity over areas that include Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and South America were orbited today by Arianespace on the company’s sixth Ariane 5 flight of 2012. Lifting off on time at 6:05 p.m. from the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch complex in French Guiana, the heavy-lift workhorse deployed its EUTELSAT 21B and Star One C3 spacecraft passengers during a 33-minute mission. It was the 66th flight of an Ariane 5 and the 210th launch of a European-built Ariane family vehicle, maintaining Arianespace’s sustained mission pace in 2012. “This continues our series of records with the 52nd consecutive success of our Ariane 5 launcher, which represents a reliability level that is unequaled in our industry and guarantees European access to space for the benefit of our institutional and commercial customers,” said Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. GTD is operating Arianespace’s computer center for ground segment, and programs the flight program of the launcher’s on board computer. EUTELSAT 21B was the 26th satellite launched by Arianespace for the European-based Eutelsat telecommunications operator, while Star One C3 marked the ninth Brazilian telecommunications platform that Arianespace has orbited. Ariane 5 is shown in the ELA-3 launch zone prior to its liftoff on a successful flight that orbited EUTELSAT 21B and Star One C3. The EUTELSAT 21B spacecraft was built by Thales Alenia Space and will offer significantly increased capacity for data, professional video and government services when compared to EUTELSAT 21A relay platform it is to succeed. The new satellite’s 40 Ku-band transponders provide improved power and coverage, incorporating an enhanced widebeam for coverage across Europe into North Africa and Central Asia, while also featuring two dedicated high-power beams covering northwest Africa and the Middle East/Central Asia regions. Star One C3’s coverage encompasses Miami and the entire South America region – including the Andean countries of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela – enabling its Brazilian-based Star One operator, an Embratel company, to expand the capacity and coverage for TV, data and voice transmission services. Produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation, Star One C3 has 28 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders, enabling this satellite to replace the Brasilsat B3 satellite currently operating at the 75º W orbital position. In addition, Star One C3’s will reach the offshore waters under Brazilian jurisdiction to the pre-salt area, where new oil fields are planned for exploitation. Today’s Ariane 5 flight delivered a total payload lift performance of approximately 9,215 kg., which included 8,250 kg for the two passengers released into geostationary transfer orbit, along with the launcher’s dual-payload dispenser system and integration hardware.
