Horizons 3e, Intelsat 38 (Azerspace-2) - Ariane 5 ECA (VA243) - Kourou ELA-3 - 25.09.2018

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http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/flight-va243-the-100th-ariane-5-will-carry-horizons-3e-and-azerspace-2-intelsat-38-for-intelsat-sky-perfect-jsat-and-azercosmos/

Ariane 5 | September 18, 2018
Flight VA243: The 100th Ariane 5 will carry Horizons 3e and Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 for Intelsat, SKY Perfect JSAT and Azercosmos



For its sixth launch of the year, Arianespace will orbit two telecommunications satellites using an Ariane 5 from the Guiana Space Center (CSG): Horizons 3e, installed as the upper passenger, for Intelsat and its partner SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation; along with Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38, as the lower passenger, for Azercosmos and Intelsat.

With this 300th mission of its three-member launcher family – and the 100th utilizing the European-developed heavy-lift Ariane 5 – Arianespace once again serves the ambitions of leading satellite operators, both globally and regionally.

Flight VA243 will be from Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA 3) in Kourou, French Guiana.

The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) will take place on Friday, September 21, 2018 in Kourou, to authorize the start of operations for the final countdown.

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Flight VA243 will be a significant milestone in the operational career of Ariane 5, marking the 100th liftoff of this workhorse vehicle, as well as the 300th launch for Arianespace's family of launchers.

To be installed as Ariane 5's upper passenger on Flight VA243, Horizons 3e is owned by a joint venture between Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT, marking the fourth collaboration between the two companies.

The satellite will complete Intelsat EpicNG's global coverage and provide broadband, mobility and government customers with unmatched performance, resiliency and redundancy, bringing the next level of high-throughput services to the Asia-Pacific region and expanding coverage in the Pacific Ocean.

The 6,441-kg. satellite will provide 30 gigabits per second of bandwidth for fixed and mobile customers, and it is to be stationed at the 169° East orbital location to replace Intelsat 805.

Built by Boeing, Horizons 3e will be the 60th Intelsat satellite, as well as the 20th for SKY Perfect JSAT, to be launched by Arianespace – and as such, it embodies the unique partnership between Intelsat, SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation and Arianespace.

Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 is a multi-mission satellite to be located at 45° East.

For the second time, Arianespace will support the development of Azercosmos – the premier satellite operator in the South Caucasus region – by launching Azerbaijan's second geostationary satellite, Azerspace-2. It will be Azercosmos' second telecommunications satellite and is to expand on the current capacity of Azerspace-1.

The satellite will offer enhanced capacity, coverage and service offerings to support growing demand in the region for Direct-to-Home (DTH), government and network services in Europe, Central and South Asia, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. It is ideally designed for smaller antennas and has cross-connectivity between East Africa, West Africa and Central Africa, Europe and Central Asia.

Intelsat 38 is a Ku-band satellite to be placed at the 45ºE orbital location. It will replace Intelsat 12 and host Direct-to-Home (DTH) platforms for Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Asia-Pacific region. Intelsat 38 will also provide connectivity for corporate networks and government applications in Africa.

California-based SSL, a Maxar Technologies Company, is the prime contractor of Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38.

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 45 мин. назад

Looking good! The milestone 100th #Ariane5 for launch is adorned with logos for Flight #VA243. #Arianespace's Sept. 25 mission will orbit a pair of satellites – Horizons 3e & Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 – at the service of @INTELSAT #SkyPerfectJSAT and @AzercosmosOJSCo.

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COMING SOON | Arianespace Flight VA243 – Horizons 3e / Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38

arianespace

Опубликовано: 20 сент. 2018 г.

For its sixth launch of the year, Arianespace will orbit two telecommunications satellites using an Ariane 5 from the Guiana Space Center (CSG): Horizons 3e, installed as the upper passenger, for Intelsat and its partner SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation; along with Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38, as the lower passenger, for Azercosmos and Intelsat.

With this 300th mission of its three-member launcher family – and the 100th utilizing the European-developed heavy-lift Ariane 5 – Arianespace once again serves the ambitions of leading satellite operators, both globally and regionally.

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Arianespace Flight VA243 – Horizons 3e – Intelsat / SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation

arianespace

Опубликовано: 21 сент. 2018 г.

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Arianespace Flight VA243 – Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 - Azercosmos / Intelsat

arianespace

Опубликовано: 21 сент. 2018 г.

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/flight-va243-ariane-5-lrr/

Ariane 5 | September 21, 2018
Ariane 5: Assembled and cleared for Arianespace's history-making 100th launch on September 25

Arianespace's upcoming mission from the Spaceport in French Guiana – which will mark the heavy-lift Ariane 5's 100th launch – has been cleared for liftoff next week with a dual-satellite payload.


The completed Ariane 5 launch vehicle is shown inside the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building sporting its various customer and mission logos.

The authorization was provided following today's Launch Readiness Review, which verified the heavy-lift Ariane 5's "go" status, along with its Horizons 3e and Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 passengers, the Spaceport's infrastructure, and the network of flight-following ground stations.

Liftoff of the mission – designated Flight VA243 in Arianespace's numbering system – is set for September 25 during a launch window that opens at 6:53 p.m. in French Guiana (21h53 UTC). Its two relay platforms are to be deployed into geostationary transfer orbit during a mission lasting 42 minutes. The payload mass is estimated to be 10,827 kg.

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Dual-payload delivery

Activity at the Spaceport leading up to today's Launch Readiness Review included completion of the launch vehicle's integration in the Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5. During this process, Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 was mated to Ariane 5's core cryogenic stage, followed by installation of the ogive-shaped payload fairing containing Horizons 3e and the SYLDA dispenser system – enabling dual payloads to be carried by Arianespace's heavy-lift launcher.

Horizons 3e – to be deployed from Ariane 5's upper payload slot – is owned by a joint venture of Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation. Built by Boeing using Intelsat's EpicNG design, it will provide coverage for aeronautical and maritime mobility, fixed and wireless operators, as well as mobility and government customers. In addition, Horizons 3e is the first satellite in Intelsat's EpicNG spacecraft series to feature entire Ku-band spot beams utilizing multiport amplifiers that optimize power across the spacecraft.

The Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 co-passenger to be orbited by Flight VA243 from Ariane 5's lower passenger position was produced by SSL, and is designed to provide a range of telecommunications relay duties at the service of its two operators – Intelsat and Azercosmos, a company owned by the government of Azerbaijan Republic.

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Liftoff time for Flight VA243:

[TH]French Guiana[/TH][TH]UTC[/TH][TH]Washington, D.C.[/TH][TH]Baku[/TH][TH]Paris[/TH]

Between 6:53 p.m. and 7:38 p.m. on Sept. 25	Between 21:53 and 22:38 on Sept. 25	Between 5:53 p.m. and 6:38 p.m. on Sept. 25	Between 1:53 a.m. and 2:38 a.m. on Sept. 26	Between 11:53 p.m. and 12:38 a.m. on Sept. 25/26

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NOTMAR

NAVAREA IV 793/2018 (24)

WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FRENCH GUIANA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   2139Z TO 2345Z DAILY 25 SEP THRU 25 OCT
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   05-18.00N 52-47.40W, 05-22.35N 52-33.83W,
   05-11.16N 52-24.63W, 05-09.00N 52-36.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 260045Z OCT 18.

( 210806Z SEP 2018 )


HYDROLANT 2983/2018 (24)  

WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
DNC 01.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   2049Z TO 2345Z DAILY 25 SEP THRU 25 OCT
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 05-28N 048-26W, 05-28N 047-28W,
   04-56N 047-28W, 04-57N 048-26W.
   B. 05-16N 047-20W, 05-13N 045-36W,
   04-57N 045-36W, 05-00N 047-20W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 260045Z OCT 18.

( 210819Z SEP 2018 )


HYDROLANT 2977/2018 (51,57)

EASTERN ATLANTIC.
DNC 01.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   2147Z TO 0029Z COMMENCING DAILY
   25 SEP THRU 25 OCT IN AREA BOUND BY
   03-09N 016-23W, 01-21N 001-11W,
   00-26S 001-24W, 01-22N 016-36W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 260129Z OCT 18.

( 201633Z SEP 2018 )

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 7 мин. назад

Preparations for the 100th #Ariane5 flight marked a key step today at the Spaceport: the heavy-lift vehicle moved to the launch zone for its Sept. 25 dual-payload mission at the service of @INTELSAT, #SkyPerfectJSAT and @AzercosmosOJSCo! #VA243

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/ariane-5-100-rollout/

Ariane 5 | September 24, 2018
A step closer to 100: Ariane 5 reaches the launch zone for a milestone launch at the service of Arianespace


The Ariane 5 for Arianespace Flight VA243 moves into the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch complex in preparation for liftoff on Tuesday, September 25.

The Ariane 5 for Arianespace's dual-payload launch with the Horizons 3e and Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 telecommunications satellites has rolled out to the launch zone at Europe's Spaceport, clearing the way for the milestone 100th flight of this workhorse fr om French Guiana.

Riding atop one of mobile launch tables for the heavy-lift vehicle, Ariane 5 today completed its transfer from the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building – wh ere payload integration occurred – to the dedicated ELA-3 launch complex. With this rollout completed, the final countdown will begin for a September 25 liftoff at the start of a 45-minute launch window opening at 6:53 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

Tomorrow's mission is designated Flight VA243, and it has an estimated payload performance of 10,827 kg. – a total that factors in Horizons 3e and Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38, plus the dual-satellite dispenser system and integration hardware. Both passengers are to be deployed to geostationary transfer orbit during a 42-minute flight sequence.

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Boosting telecommunications with Flight VA243

Horizons 3e is the mission's upper passenger and will be released first in the flight sequence at 28 minutes after liftoff. Owned by a joint venture of Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, this Boeing-built spacecraft will provide coverage for aeronautical and maritime mobility, fixed and wireless operators, as well as mobility and government customers. Horizons 3e also is the first satellite in Intelsat's EpicNG spacecraft series to feature entire Ku-band spot beams utilizing multiport amplifiers that optimize power across the spacecraft.

Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38, produced by SSL, is to be deployed 14 minutes later from Ariane 5's lower passenger position. Azerspace-2 is Azerbaijan's second geostationary satellite and will be operated by Azercosmos. Intelsat 38 will provide Ku-band capabilities and deliver continuity of service for the Intelsat 12 satellite located at 45 deg. East.

As the fourth heavy-lift Ariane 5 flight so far in 2018, tomorrow's mission will continue an active year for Arianespace's full family of launchers, which also has included one flight each with the medium-lift Soyuz and the lightweight Vega.

Liftoff time for Flight VA243:

[TH]French Guiana[/TH][TH]UTC[/TH][TH]Washington, D.C.[/TH][TH]Baku[/TH][TH]Paris[/TH]

Between 6:53 p.m. and 7:38 p.m. on Sept. 25	Between 21:53 and 22:38 on Sept. 25	Between 5:53 p.m. and 6:38 p.m. on Sept. 25	Between 1:53 a.m. and 2:38 a.m. on Sept. 26	Between 11:53 p.m. and 12:38 a.m. on Sept. 25/26

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Arianespace Flight VA243 – Presentation

arianespace

Опубликовано: 24 сент. 2018 г.

For its sixth launch of the year, Arianespace will orbit two telecommunications satellites using an Ariane 5 from the Guiana Space Center (CSG): Horizons 3e, installed as the upper passenger, for Intelsat and its partner SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation; along with Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38, as the lower passenger, for Azercosmos and Intelsat.

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/09/25/ariane-5-va243-mission-status-center/

Live coverage: Countdown begins for 100th Ariane 5 launch Tuesday
September 25, 2018 | Stephen Clark

09/25/2018 08:06 Stephen Clark

Two U.S.-built communications satellites are ready to ride the 100th European-made Ariane 5 rocket into orbit Tuesday fr om the jungle of French Guiana. Liftoff is scheduled for 2153 GMT (5:53 p.m. EDT; 6:53 p.m. French Guiana time) at the opening of a 45-minute launch window.

The Ariane 5 rocket arrived at its launch pad at the Guiana Space Center on Monday following a 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) rollout from the spaceport's final assembly building, wh ere workers installed the mission's two commercial telecom payloads atop the rocket earlier this month.

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Ground crews planned to connect the Ariane 5 and its mobile launch table to electrical and propellant supplies at the ELA-3 launch zone ahead of Tuesday's countdown.

The mission, numbered VA243 in Arianespace's flight sequence, will mark the 100th flight of an Ariane 5 rocket since its debut in 1996.

The Ariane 5 is a workhorse of the commercial launch industry, hauling 205 satellites into space to date. Most of those payloads have been large geostationary telecom spacecraft -- typically launched two at a time to take advantage of the Ariane 5's heavy lift capacity -- in addition to European Space Agency science missions like the Rosetta comet chaser and the Herschel and Planck astronomical observatories, and 12 Galileo navigation satellites.

Tuesday's launch will also mark the 300th mission by Arianespace since its founding in 1980, a figure that includes flights by Soyuz and Vega rockets overseen by the French launch services provider.

The satellites aboard the 100th Ariane 5 rocket launch are Horizons 3e, a Boeing-built broadband spacecraft owned by a joint venture between Intelsat and Japan-based SKY Perfect JSAT, and the Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 communications payload, a "condosat" shared between Azerbaijan's national satellite operator and Intelsat.

The 14,200-pound (6,441-kilogram) Horizons 3e satellite, the larger of the two satellites, will ride into space in the upper position inside the Ariane 5's Swiss-made nose fairing. Horizons 3e carries an all-digital communications payload, allowing its operator to adjust power and capacity across the satellite's coverage zone as required by market demands.

The new satellite will provide 30 gigabits per second of C-band and Ku-band bandwidth for customers across the Asia-Pacific region from a perch in geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the equator at 169 degrees east longitude. Horizons 3e is destined to replace the Intelsat 805 satellite launched from Cape Canaveral by an Atlas 2AS rocket in 1998.

The Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 satellite will launch in the lower berth of the Ariane 5's dual-payload accommodation. Once the Horizons 3e satellite deploys from the rocket, a Sylda adapter structure will jettison to reveal the roughly 7,716-pound (3,500-kilogram) Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 spacecraft for release.

Built by SSL in Palo Alto, California, a division of Maxar, the satellite enter service in geostationary orbit at 45 degrees east longitude to beam direct-to-home television broadcast services over Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South Asia. Azercosmos, the government-owned satellite operator of Azerbaijan, and Intelsat will share the satellite's communications capacity.

Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 will extend coverage currently offered by the Azerspace 1 telecom satellite. For Intelsat, the new spacecraft will replace the Intelsat 12 satellite launched by an Ariane 4 rocket in 2000.

The final countdown will commence at 1030 GMT (6:30 a.m. EDT), with clocks at the Guiana Space Center timed for a targeted liftoff at 2153 GMT (5:53 p.m. EDT; 6:53 p.m. French Guiana time). The launch window extends until 2238 GMT (6:38 p.m. EDT; 7:38 p.m. French Guiana time).

Electrical systems checks on the Ariane 5 are set to begin at 1120 GMT (7:20 a.m. EDT).

Workers will also put finishing touches on the launch pad, including the closure of doors, removal of safety barriers and configuring fluid lines for fueling. The flight program for Tuesday's launch will also be loaded into the rocket's computer.

The launch team will begin the process to fuel the rocket with super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants around 1715 GMT (1:15 p.m. EDT). First, ground reservoirs and the rocket's helium tank will be pressurized, then the fuel lines will be chilled down to condition the plumbing for the flow of super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, which are stored at approximately minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit and minus 298 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively.

It will take approximately two hours to fill the Ariane 5 core stage tanks.

A similar procedure for the Ariane 5's cryogenic upper stage will commence at 1825 GMT (2:25 p.m. EDT).

Chilldown conditioning of the Vulcain 2 first stage engine will occur at 1835 GMT (2:35 p.m. EDT), and a communications check between the rocket and ground telemetry, tracking and command systems is scheduled for 2038 GMT (4:38 p.m. EDT).

A final weather briefing will come at T-minus 10 minues, and then the computer-controlled synchronized countdown sequence will begin seven minutes before launch to pressurize propellant tanks, switch to on-board power and take the rocket's guidance system to flight mode.

The Vulcain 2 engine will ignite as the countdown clock reaches zero, followed by a health check and ignition of the Ariane 5's solid rocket boosters seven seconds later to send the 1.7 million-pound launcher skyward.

Five seconds after blastoff, the rocket will begin pitching east from the ELA-3 launch pad, surpassing the speed of sound less than a minute into the mission. The Ariane 5's twin solid rocket boosters will jettison nearly two-and-a-half minutes after liftoff.

Once above the dense atmosphere, the launcher's payload fairing will fall away at an altitude of more than 70 miles — about 112 kilometers -- at Plus+3 minutes, 19 seconds. The Ariane 5's first stage will shut down 8 minutes, 55 seconds, after liftoff, followed moments later by stage separation and ignition of the hydrogen-fueled cryogenic HM7B upper stage engine.

The rocket's upper stage will fire more than 16 minutes, accelerating to a velocity of 21,000 mph, or more than 9.3 kilometers per second, to reach an orbit with a planned high point of 35,726 kilometers (22,199 miles), a targeted low point of 250 kilometers (155 miles) and an inclination of 6 degrees.

The release of the Horizons 3e satellite will come first at Plus+28 minutes, 19 seconds.

Once Horizons 3e is deployed, the Ariane 5 rocket's barrel-shaped Sylda 5 dual-payload adapter will be jettisoned at Plus+35 minutes, 56 seconds.

Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 4 will separate from the lower portion of the payload stack at 42 minutes, 17 seconds.

Both satellites will use their own engines to raise their orbits to a circular perch along the equator at an altitude of nearly 22,300 miles (35,800 kilometers).

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 25 мин. назад

Fine day for a launch! Flight #VA243, which lifts off later today, is the 100th launch of a heavy-lift #Ariane5. Grateful for the trust of our customers on this mission @INTELSAT #SKYPerfectJSAT and @AzercosmosOJSCo.

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 5 мин. назад

FEATURE ARTICLE: Arianespace to conduct its 300th mission with the 100th Ariane 5 launch -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/09/arianespace-300th-mission-100th-ariane-5-launch/ ...

- By Chris Gebhardt (@ChrisG_NSF)

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https://naked-science.ru/article/live/live-zapusk-rakety-arian-5-s
LIVE: запуск ракеты «Ариан-5» с Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 и Horizons-3e

Двадцать шестого сентября, в 00:53 должен состояться запуск европейской ракеты-носителя «Ариан-5», которая выведет на орбиту два спутника. Трансляцию вы можете посмотреть на нашем сайте.
Старт произведут с пускового комплекса Ariane 3 космодрома Куру. Ракета выведет на орбиту два космических аппарата. Один из них — спутник связи Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38, общий для международной компании Intelsat и азербайджанской Azercosmos OJSCo.

 Сам аппарат построила компания Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) на базе платформы SSL-1300. Предполагаемый срок жизни Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 — 15 лет.

 Еще один спутник — Horizons-3e — представляет собой высокопроизводительный геостационарный спутник связи, заказанный компанией Horizons Satellite. Его разработала и изготовила компания Boeing на платформе Boeing-702MP.

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09/25/2018 23:14 Stephen Clark

T-minus 100 minutes. The Ariane 5 rocket's first stage, known by the French acronym EPC, is currently being filled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The second stage, or ESC-A, should also be receiving the same mix of liquid propellants. The first stage Vulcain 2 engine and the upper stage HM7B engine both consume the super-cold fuel.

The cryogenic propellant will be gradually pumped inside the rocket to maintain proper levels as the fuel evaporates over the rest of the countdown.

The Ariane 5's supply of cryogenic liquid helium, used to pressurize the rocket's propellant tanks, was loaded aboard the launcher after Monday's rollout.

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/09/25/photos-ariane-5-rolls-to-launch-pad-with-two-commercial-comsats/

Photos: Ariane 5 rolls to launch pad with two commercial comsats
September 25, 2018 | Stephen Clark

An Ariane 5 rocket emerged fr om the final assembly building at the Guiana Space Center in South America on Monday for the journey across the tropical spaceport to the ELA-3 launch zone, wh ere the 179-foot-tall (54.8-meter) booster will lift off Tuesday with a pair of commercial communications satellites.

What's special about Tuesday's mission is that it will be the 100th launch of an Ariane 5 rocket since the European heavy-lifter debuted in 1996. It will also be the 300th mission managed under the auspices of Arianespace, which has overseen launches by the Ariane family of rockets, in addition to Soyuz and Vega rocket flights.

Two U.S.-built communications satellites are fastened on top of the Ariane 5 rocket — the Horizons 3e broadband satellite developed under a joint venture between Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT of Japan, and the Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 television broadcast payload, a "condosat" with capacity shared by Azerbaijan's national satellite operator and Intelsat.

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Read our Mission Status Center for details on the mission and live coverage of the launch.


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – G. Barbaste


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – G. Barbaste


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – G. Barbaste


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – G. Barbaste


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron


Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

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09/26/2018 00:13 Stephen Clark

Minus-40 minutes. The Ariane 5's first and second stages should now be loaded with cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants.

The 17.7-foot-diameter first stage's Vulcain 2 engine burns 149.5 metric tons, or about 329,000 pounds, of liquid oxygen and 25 metric tons, or about 55,000 pounds, of liquid hydrogen. The cryogenic upper stage's HM7B engine consumes about 14.7 metric tons, or more than 32,000 pounds, of oxygen and hydrogen.

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The fluids are stored at super-cold temperatures and naturally boil off in the warm tropical atmosphere in French Guiana. More propellant is slowly pumped into the rocket for most of the countdown to replenish the cryogenic fuel.

The topping sequence ends in the final few minutes of the countdown as the fuel tanks are pressurized and the fueling system is secured.

Built by a consortium of European contractors led by Airbus Safran Launchers in Vernon, France, the Vulcain 2 engine generates up to 300,000 pounds of thrust during its 9-minute firing. It burns about 320 kilograms, or 705 pounds, of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant per second.

The engine's nozzle has an exit diameter of 2.1 meters, or about 6.9 feet. It weighs more than 4,600 pounds and its liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen turbopumps spin at 12,300 rpm and 35,800 rpm, respectively.

The Vulcain 2 replaced the Vulcain engine used on the initial version of the Ariane 5. The newer engine produces 20 percent more thrust.

The Ariane 5's upper stage is powered by an HM7B engine, a modified version of the HM7 engine used on the upper stage of the Ariane 4 rocket. The 364-pound HM7B engine is manufactured by Airbus Safran Launchers in Ottobrunn, Germany.

The HM7B engine produces more than 14,500 pounds of thrust in vacuum.

The Ariane 5 configuration with a Vulcain 2 engine and HM7B-powered cryogenic upper stage is known as the Ariane 5 ECA.

The Ariane 5's twin solid rocket boosters are packed with propellant near the launch site in French Guiana before they are assembled and positioned on each side of the cryogenic core stage.

With the rocket now fully fueled for launch, the vehicle weighs 1.7 million pounds. At liftoff, the rocket produces 2.9 million pounds of thrust.

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