Author Topic: LIVE: Ariane 5 Flight VA222 - THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 - April 26, 2015 (20:00 UTC)  (Read 60498 times)

Offline Jim

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Re: Ariane 5 VA 222 - THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 - April 16, 2015
« Reply #20 on: 03/07/2015 02:12 pm »
Had a walk through of the BAF and saw the fairing in process and the vehicle.

You are down at Kourou right now!? Wow, not many of our members have been to there yet, let alone walking into their facilities! Have you bumped into Jester yet?  ;)

Just got back.  Jester and my trip were out of phase.

Offline Jester

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Re: Ariane 5 VA 222 - THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 - April 16, 2015
« Reply #21 on: 03/07/2015 06:44 pm »
We are doing NSF tag team, i'm up next ...

Offline Jim

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Re: Ariane 5 VA 222 - THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 - April 16, 2015
« Reply #22 on: 03/07/2015 07:12 pm »
Learned one thing, it rains harder in Kourou than in Florida

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THOR 7 is undergoing fueling for Arianespace's dual-payload Ariane 5 mission in April

March 9, 2015 – Ariane Flight VA222

Activities for Arianespace’s Ariane 5 launch next month have moved into a new phase as the first of this heavy-lift mission’s two payloads is fueled in French Guiana.

The THOR 7 satellite was topped off in the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility, readying this multi-mission telecommunications platform for its subsequent integration as the flight’s upper passenger.

Built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral), THOR 7 will be operated by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting – a major European satellite provider of broadcast and data communication services for customers in the broadcast, maritime, and oil and gas markets.

THOR 7 is equipped with Telenor’s first high-performance Ka-band payload, designed to serve the maritime sector – offering cost-effective solutions and high-powered coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean.  This relay platform also has a Ku-band payload for broadcast and television services in Central and Eastern Europe.

Once positioned in the geostationary orbital slot at 1 deg. West longitude after its deployment by Ariane 5, THOR 7 is to operate for 15 years or more.

Joining THOR 7 on Arianespace’s Ariane 5 mission in April is the Sicral 2 military telecommunications satellite that will provide strategic and tactical links for French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve telecommunications capacity for other NATO nations.

Sicral 2 arrived in French Guiana last week and is now undergoing its preparations at the Spaceport. It will ride in the lower passenger position of Ariane 5’s dual payload arrangement.

The mission with THOR 7 and Sicral 2 is designated Flight VA222 in the numbering system for Arianespace’s launcher family, which also includes the medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1265.asp
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Offline Targeteer

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Re: Ariane 5 VA 222 - THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 - April 16, 2015
« Reply #24 on: 03/10/2015 07:45 pm »
Learned one thing, it rains harder in Kourou than in Florida

That pesky rain forest
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Offline Adonis1

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Countdown of thor 7 launch.

Hmm....that site points to a launch time of 13:11 UTC on April 15, which would be a morning launch. I thought almost all comsat launches of the Ariane 5 happen around the evening?
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Offline Adonis1

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Re: Ariane 5 VA 222 - THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 - April 16, 2015
« Reply #27 on: 03/16/2015 04:51 pm »
Countdown of thor 7 launch.

Hmm....that site points to a launch time of 13:11 UTC on April 15, which would be a morning launch. I thought almost all comsat launches of the Ariane 5 happen around the evening?


They have already changed the launch time.

Offline Jester

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Re: Ariane 5 VA 222 - THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 - April 16, 2015
« Reply #28 on: 03/17/2015 08:10 am »
Launch is April 15 at  16:43 local currently

Offline Lewis007

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Launch poster of the Kourou space center.

Also, CNES added lots of pics of the VA 222 launch campaign on its Flickr page; see:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pkpro/sets/72157651668736411/
« Last Edit: 04/02/2015 06:52 am by Lewis007 »

Offline jacqmans

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THOR 7's encapsulation begins the payload build-up for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 mission
 

 April 3, 2015 – Ariane Flight VA222

The build-up of Ariane 5’s dual-passenger configuration is underway at French Guiana, where this mission’s upper satellite is now encapsulated in the launcher’s payload fairing.

During activity in the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5, the ogive-shaped fairing was lowered in place over THOR 7 – with the satellite previously having been installed on a dispenser system called SYLDA.

With this step now accomplished, the completed unit is ready to be positioned atop the mission’s other payload – Sicral 2 – following the lower passenger’s installation on Ariane 5’s central core.

These payload integration activities will complete the launcher build-up for Arianespace’s scheduled April 15 liftoff.

Designated Flight VA222, the heavy-lift mission’s deployment sequence will begin with Ariane 5’s payload fairing jettison, occurring after the launcher climbs through the Earth atmosphere’s dense layers. Upon reaching the altitude for geostationary transfer orbit injection, THOR 7 will be deployed first, followed by the SYLDA dispenser’s separation, and then Sicral 2’s release to complete the mission.

THOR 7 was built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) for operation by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting – a major European satellite provider of broadcast and data communication services for customers in the broadcast, maritime, and oil and gas markets. After reaching its orbital slot at 1 deg. West longitude, this spacecraft will serve the maritime sector – offering high-powered coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. A Ku-band payload for broadcast and television services in Central and Eastern Europe also is incorporated in the relay platform.

The Sicral 2 co-passenger on Arianespace’s Fight VA222 is a military telecommunications satellite designed to provide strategic and tactical telecommunications links for French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve capacity for other NATO nations. Sicral 2 was developed in the framework of a turnkey contract that the Italian Defense Ministry and the French DGA armament agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) have with Thales Alenia Space Italy. Telespazio is responsible for the launch service.

Flight VA222 will be the third flight for Arianespace’s launcher family in 2015. It follows a medium-lift Soyuz launch on March 27 that orbited two European Galileo FOC (Full Operational Capability) navigation satellites, and February 11’s lightweight Vega suborbital mission with Europe’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) spaceplane.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1276.asp
Jacques :-)

Offline bolun

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Both payloads for Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 flight are mated to the launch vehicle

April 8, 2015 – Ariane Flight VA222

The heavy-lift Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s April 15 mission is now complete following integration of its dual-satellite payload – consisting of THOR 7 and Sicral 2 – at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

Encapsulated in an ogive-shaped protective payload fairing, THOR 7 was lowered into place yesterday over its Sicral 2 co-passenger – which had been installed atop Ariane 5’s core section during preceding activity.

This integration milestone – achieved at the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5 – clears the way for a new phase that includes the launch readiness review on April 13, which is to be followed by Ariane 5’s rollout to the ELA-3 launch zone the next day.

Designated Flight VA222, liftoff is scheduled during a 1-hr., 54-min. launch window opening on April 15 at 4:43 p.m. local time in French Guiana, with the two spacecraft to be deployed on a mission lasting approximately 34 minutes.

As the upper payload in Ariane 5’s arrangement, THOR 7 – which was built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) for operation by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting – will be released first in the flight sequence.

This relay platform is equipped with Telenor’s initial high-performance Ka-band payload, designed to serve the maritime sector – offering cost-effective solutions and high-powered coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. THOR 7 also has a Ku-band payload for broadcast and television services in Central and Eastern Europe.

Sicral 2 – a military telecommunications satellite designed to provide strategic and tactical telecommunications links for French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve capacity for other NATO nations – is to be deployed from the launcher’s lower passenger position, with its separation to follow that of THOR 7.

The spacecraft will be lofted in the framework of a turnkey contract that the Italian Defense Ministry and the French DGA armament agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) have with Thales Alenia Space Italy. Telespazio, among other things, is responsible for the launch service.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1277.asp

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Here's the mission launch kit:
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Offline Jester

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Offline bolun

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The go-ahead is given for Arianespace’s April 15 dual-satellite payload flight with Ariane 5

April 13, 2015 – Ariane Flight VA222

The “green light” has been given for this week’s heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission from the Spaceport in French Guiana, which is to orbit a dual-passenger payload consisting of two telecommunications satellites: THOR 7 and Sicral 2.

Approval for the flight was issued following today’s launch readiness review, which is held prior to every Arianespace mission – confirming the “go” status of the launcher and its payload, the Spaceport’s infrastructure, as well as the system of downrange tracking stations.

With today’s review, the Ariane 5 is now cleared for rollout tomorrow from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone – where it will be readied for liftoff on April 15 during a 1-hr., 54-min. launch window opening at 4:43 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

The payload lift performance for this first Ariane 5 mission of 2015 – which is designated VA222 in Arianespace’s numbering system – is approximately 9,850 kg. It includes a combined total of some 9,000 kg. for THOR 7 and Sicral 2, along with the launcher’s SYLDA dual-passenger dispenser system and satellite integration hardware.

THOR 7 was built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) for operation by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, and it will serve the maritime sector – offering high-powered coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. Also incorporated in this relay platform is a Ku-band payload for broadcast and television services in Central and Eastern Europe.

Sicral 2 is a military telecommunications satellite developed in the framework of a turnkey contract that the Italian Defense Ministry and the French DGA armament agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) have with Thales Alenia Space Italy, while Telespazio is responsible for the launch service. After its deployment by Ariane 5, the spacecraft will provide strategic and tactical telecommunications links for French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve capacity for other NATO nations.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1278.asp

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Offline Jester

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http://www.arianespace.com/news-press-release/2015/4-14-2015.asp

During the preparations for the roll-out of the launcher for flight VA222, an anomaly occurred on a fluid connector between the cryogenic upper stage and the launch table.

As a result, Arianespace has decided to postpone the launch initially scheduled for April 15, 2015, in order to replace this part and perform the subsequent verifications.

The launch vehicle and its THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 satellite payloads are maintained in fully safe conditions and in stand-by mode.

The new launch date targeted will be announced very soon.

Offline Chris Bergin

Aww, that's a shame, but not too drastic. Really looking forward to this one - as I've become rather attached to THOR 7 :)
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Online Galactic Penguin SST

Several French sources seems to be indicating April 24 as the new date. Sounds like another collision with the company-that-must-not-be-named.....  ;)
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