The company’s next mission is scheduled for early September, when Ariane 5 will lift off from French Guiana on a flight to geostationary transfer orbit with a pair of relay satellites: Intelsat 37e and BSAT-4a.
http://www.csgpreparationlancement.com/ariane/vol-ariane-228-assemblage-du-composite-superieur/Launcher's assembly
Welcome to French Guiana, @Intelsat 37e! This #EpicNG satellite delivered today for early Sept. liftoff on #Ariane5 Flight #VA239 @Boeing
Ariane 5 August 21, 2017Flight VA239: Launcher and payload preparations advance for Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 liftoffThe Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s ninth flight in 2017 is being readied for a September 5 liftoff from the Spaceport, while its two satellite passengers – Intelsat’s Intelsat 37e and BSAT-4a for SSL on behalf of Japan’s Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) – continue their final checkout at the French Guiana facility.Following its build-up in the Launcher Integration Building, the Ariane 5 has been moved to the Final Assembly Building for the upcoming installation of Intelsat 37e and BSAT-4a – which are now undergoing their own checkout processes in separate halls of the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility.The upcoming mission to geostationary transfer orbit is designated Flight VA239 in Arianespace’s numbering system, and will mark the 239th launch of an Ariane vehicle since the European launcher series entered service in 1979. The heavy-lift Ariane 5 is operated as part of Arianespace’s launcher family at the Spaceport, which also includes the medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega.An “Epic” launch at the service of IntelsatBuilt by Boeing using a 702MP spacecraft platform, Intelsat 37e is the next satellite in Intelsat’s high-throughput EpicNG series for launch.It also will be the fourth EpicNG spacecraft orbited by Arianespace to date (following Ariane 5 missions with Intelsat 29e and Intelsat 33e in January and August 2016, respectively, plus last February’s heavy-lift flight that lofted SKY Brasil-1/Intelsat 32e).Operating in the C, Ku and Ka frequency bands, the spacecraft will provide capacity for wireless backhaul, enterprise VSAT and mobility networks. Intelsat 37e, which is to carry out its mission from a 342-deg. East orbital slot, will weigh approximately 6,440 kg. at liftoff.Continuing a long and fruitful partnershipArianespace is launching Flight VA239’s co-passenger, BSAT-4a, as part of a turnkey contract between B-SAT and U.S.-based satellite manufacturer SSL. To be operated from an orbital position of 110 deg. East, this spacecraft will be used for Direct-To-Home (DTH) television relay in Japan and to expand the availability of advanced television services – such as 4K/8K ultra-high definition TV.BSAT-4a is based on the SSL 1300 satellite platform and is fitted with 24 Ku-band transponders. It will weigh approximately 3,520 kg. at liftoff, with a design life that exceeds 15 years.Arianespace has a 30-year-plus track record serving operators in the Japanese market – including B-SAT, for which it is the launch services provider of choice.Flight VA239 will continue Arianespace’s busy schedule in 2017, in which eight launches were performed during the year’s first seven months, utilizing the company’s full launcher family (two with Vega; two with Soyuz; and four using Ariane 5).
The Ariane 5 for Flight VA239 rides atop a mobile launch table during its transfer from the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building to the Final Assembly Building.
Preparations for Flight VA239’s two satellite passengers included the fit-check of Intelsat 37e with its payload adapter (at left), and fueling of BSAT-4a (photo at right).
Ariane 5 is completed for its dual-payload mission on September 5The Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s ninth mission of 2017 is now fully assembled following integration of its two satellite passengers at the Spaceport in French Guiana.During activity in Ariane 5’s Final Assembly Building, the upper payload component – containing Intelsat 37e, mounted on its SYLDA dispenser system and protected by an ogive-shaped fairing – was lowered into position over BSAT-4a, which previously was installed atop the launcher’s central core.This step clears the way for final checkout, which will enable the launch readiness review to be conducted on September 1, followed by Ariane 5’s rollout to the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone the following Monday, and an evening liftoff on Tuesday, September 5.The upcoming mission is designated Flight VA239 in Arianespace’s numbering system, and it will deliver the two telecommunications payloads into geostationary transfer orbit.Telecommunications satellites from long-time customersTo be deployed first during the 47-minute flight sequence is Intelsat 37e – the next satellite in Intelsat’s high-throughput EpicNG series for launch, which was built by Boeing using a 702MP spacecraft platform. This spacecraft will operate in C, Ku and Ka frequency bands, providing capacity for wireless backhaul, enterprise VSAT and mobility networks from a 342-deg. East orbital slot. Intelsat 37e has an estimated liftoff mass of 6,438 kg.Ariane 5’s second passenger – BSAT-4a, which is being launched as part of a turnkey contract between Japan’s Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) and U.S.-based satellite manufacturer SSL – will be operated from an orbital position of 110 deg. East. It will be used for Direct-To-Home (DTH) television relay in Japan, as well as to expand the availability of advanced television services (such as 4K/8K ultra-high definition TV). BSAT-4a will weight approximately 3,520 kg. at liftoff.Flight VA239 will continue Arianespace’s busy schedule in 2017, in which eight launches were performed during the year’s first seven months, utilizing the company’s full launcher family (two with Vega; two with Soyuz; and four using Ariane 5).Launch window for Flight VA239:French GuianaBetween 6:51 p.m. and7:24 p.m. on Sept. 5Washington, D.C.Between 5:51 p.m. and6:24 p.m. on Sept. 5Universal Time (UTC)Between 21:51 and22:24 on Sept. 5ParisBetween 11:51 p.m. and00:24 a.m. on Sept. 5/6
The completion of Ariane 5’s assembly for Flight VA239 is shown during activity in the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building. At left, BSAT-4a is positioned atop the launcher, followed by the installation of Intelsat 37e (center and right), which is encapsulated in a long version of Ariane 5’s payload fairing.
We have a “green light” for Flight #VA239! This #Ariane5 mission was cleared for Sept. 5 liftoff following today’s launch readiness review