Ariane 5 December 22, 2017Both satellites for Arianespace’s first launch of 2018 are in French GuianaAs another year of successful Arianespace launch activity draws to a close, both satellites for its first mission of 2018 are now in French Guiana – positioning them for liftoff January 25 from the Spaceport on a heavy-lift Ariane 5.Arriving today was SES-14 for Luxembourg-based telecommunications satellite operator SES, which was flown into Félix Eboué Airport near the French Guiana capital city of Cayenne. Once it is transferred by road to the Spaceport, it will join the mission’s other payload: Al Yah 3 for Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJSC, located in the United Arab Emirates at Abu Dhabi.The January 25 mission to geostationary transfer orbit is designated Flight VA241 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system, signifying the 241st flight of an Ariane series launch vehicle.SES-14 will rely on electric propulsion and will be equipped with an electric plasma propulsion system for orbit raising and in-orbit maneuvers.C- and Ku-band coverage with SES-14To be positioned at 47.5 degrees West, SES-14 will serve Latin America, the Caribbean, North America and the North Atlantic region with its C- and Ku-band wide beam coverage as well as Ku-band high throughput spot beams coverage.The relay platform’s C-band wide beams are designed to expand the reach of SES’s second cable neighborhood in Latin America, while its Ku-band high throughput spot beams will serve the dynamic aeronautical market and other traffic-intensive applications such as maritime, cellular backhaul or broadband services. Ku-band wide beams on the spacecraft also will serve growing direct-to-home and VSAT services in the Americas and the North Atlantic.The spacecraft also has a NASA-funded hosted payload for the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission, which is to deepen scientists’ understanding of the nearest reaches of space. GOLD will provide unprecedented imaging of the Earth’s upper atmosphere from geostationary orbit, and will be the first mission with a cadence fast enough to study the daily weather of the thermosphere-ionosphere rather than its long-term climate.Al Yah 3 undergoes pre-launch processing at the SpaceportWith SES-14’s arrival in French Guiana, the satellite will join Flight VA241’s other passenger, Al Yah 3, which is undergoing pre-launch preparations in the Spaceport’s S5 payload processing facility.Al Yah 3 is the first hybrid electric propulsion GEOStar-3 satellite to be completed by Orbital ATK. It was built at the U.S. company’s satellite manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia, and shipped to the launch site on November 28.As an all Ka-band high-throughput and light-weight satellite, Al Yah 3 will provide affordable broadband communications to 60 percent of Africa’s population and more than 95 percent of Brazil’s population
Al Yah 3 is shown during preparations in the Spaceport’s S5 payload processing facility.
Arianespace’s busy 2018 kicks into gear with key preparation milestones for the year’s first Ariane 5 and Soyuz missionsFrench Guiana’s Spaceport is busy with activity as preparations advance for Arianespace’s initial Ariane 5 and Soyuz missions of 2018, which will set the stage for up to 14 flights this year using its family of launchers.The Ariane 5 mission – designated Flight VA241 in Arianespace’s numbering system – will deliver the SES-14 and Al Yah 3 satellites to geostationary transfer orbit on January 25.Its heavy-lift vehicle (delivered by ArianeGroup as production prime contractor) currently is inside the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building, having been transferred from the Launcher Integration Building atop a mobile launch table earlier in the week.With Ariane 5 in position at the Final Assembly Building, the launcher is ready to receive its two satellite passengers, which have undergone their own pre-flight preparations inside the Spaceport’s S5 payload processing facility. The forthcoming integration activity will be followed by final verifications and subsequent rollout to the ELA-3 complex for liftoff. Payload profiles for Flight VA241 with Ariane 5Arianespace is orbiting SES-14 for Luxembourg-based telecommunications satellite operator SES. The spacecraft will serve Latin America, the Caribbean, North America and the North Atlantic region with its C- and Ku-band wide beam coverage, as well as Ku-band high-throughput spot beams coverage. It was produced by Airbus.SES-14 also has a NASA-funded hosted payload for the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission, which is to deepen scientists’ understanding of the nearest reaches of space by providing unprecedented imaging of the Earth’s upper atmosphere from geostationary orbit.Flight VA241’s Al Yah 3 passenger will be operated by Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJSC, which is located in the United Arab Emirates at Abu Dhabi. Once in orbit, the Orbital ATK-built, all-Ka-band spacecraft will provide affordable broadband communications to 60 percent of Africa’s population and more than 95 percent of Brazil’s population.
Getting close to launch, logo's placed on the fairing #Ariane5 #VA241 #CSG @SES_Satellites @NASAGOLD
Do we have the serial number of this launcher?
Momentum is building for Flight #VA241, #Arianespace’s first mission in 2018! Today’s readiness review cleared the #Ariane5 for tomorrow’s rollout to the ELA-3 launch zone. Liftoff is scheduled on January 25.
Preparations are continuing at the Spaceport: #Ariane5 has moved to the launch zone for its January 25 dual-payload mission at the service of @SES_Satellites and @yahsatofficial #VA241