ArabSat 4A launch - February 28

[anik]

ArabSat 4A communication satellite will be delivered on Baikonur cosmodrome on January 15, 2006 and will be launched by Proton-M rocket (8K82KM No. 53511) with Briz-M upper stage (14S43 No. 88515) on February 21, 2006...

[anik]

The new launch date of ArabSat 4A satellite is February 28... ArabSat 4A will be delivered on the Baikonur cosmodrome on January 27...

[anik]

Proton-M rocket for this launch was sent from Moscow at Baikonur cosmodrome by rail today...

[anik]

ArabSat 4A satellite will be launched approximately at 20:00 UTC on February 28...

[anik]

Proton-M rocket (by rail) and ArabSat 4A satellite (by An-124 “Ruslan” aircraft) were delivered on Baikonur cosmodrome today...

According to astropl's information ArabSat 4A will be launched at 20:10 UTC on February 28...

P.S.: Recently Kazakhs have forbidden the ArabSat 4A launch because they have not received from Russia the certificate about ecological examination of a Proton-M rocket...

[anik]

anik - 25/1/2006  8:59 PM

P.S.: Recently Kazakhs have forbidden the ArabSat 4A launch because they have not received from Russia the certificate about ecological examination of a Proton-M rocket...

ArabSat 4A will be launched on time (at 20:10 UTC on February 28), because the Head of Roskosmos Anatoly Perminov, which was in Kazakhstan on January 24-25, has settled all problems with Kazakhs...

[anik]

Proton To Launch ARABSAT 4A for EADS Astrium
http://www.ilslaunch.com/stories/Current_Campaigns/

The launch campaign is under way for the first launch of an ARABSAT satellite on an ILS vehicle. ARABSAT 4A, a Eurostar 2000+ satellite built by EADS Astrium, is designed to expand and optimize capacity for direct-to-home TV broadcasting, telephony and data transmission over a coverage zone encompassing North Africa, the Middle East and part of Western Europe. This mission marks the fifth campaign ILS and EADS Astrium team members have collaborated on for launch aboard a Proton vehicle. ARABSAT 4A is fitted with a payload furnished by Alcatel Alenia Space, consisting of 40 transponders, 24 C-band and 16 Ku-band.

January 25, 2006 -- The ARABSAT 4A satellite arrived in Baikonur on the Antonov cargo plane. Moved from the airstrip to the processing facilities on a specially designed rail car, the satellite has begun the necessary preparations for an early March launch date. Separated by a few hours, the Proton rocket also arrived in Baikonur, and has been delivered to Building 92A50 as well.
 
January 26, 2006 -- Inside Building 92A50 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, engineers begin processing the ARABSAT 4A satellite. In another hall of the same building, the Proton rocket is currently undergoing parallel preparations for launch.

[anik]

The Briz-M upper stage for this launch was delivered on the Baikonur cosmodrome by An-124 “Ruslan” aircraft today... The ArabSat 4A satellite's engine will be fueled on this week...

[anik]

Briz-M upper stage for this launch was filled up by components of fuel and by compressed gases yesterday…

[anik]

The docking of ArabSat 4A satellite with Briz-M upper stage was begun in the assembly-testing building 92A-50 on Baikonur cosmodrome yesterday...

[anik]

http://www.ilslaunch.com/stories/Current_Campaigns/Proton/

"February 15, 2006 – Program personnel began the day by moving the ARABSAT 4A satellite out of the fueling facilities so that it could begin integration with the other components that will make up the Space Head Unit (SHU). The SHU consists of the satellite, the payload adapter, the Breeze-M upper stage and the payload fairing.

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/medium/ARABSAT_4A-Feul_Comp.jpg]

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/medium/ARABSAT_4A_Harness.jpg]

Pictured below is the mating of the spacecraft to the payload adapter.

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/medium/ARABSAT_4A_Adapter.jpg]

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/medium/ARABSAT_4A_2ndAdapter.jpg]

The pictures below show the progression of the ARABSAT 4A satellite and the payload adapter as the two are moved closer to the Breeze-M upper stage for integration."

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/medium/ARABSAT_4A_1BreezeM.jpg]

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/medium/ARABSAT_4A_2BreezeM.jpg]

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/medium/ARABSAT_4A_3BreezeM.jpg]

[anik]

Proton-M rocket with Briz-M upper stage and ArabSat 4A satellite will be transported to launch pad No. 200/39 on Baikonur cosmodrome on February 25…

http://www.ilslaunch.com/stories/Current_Campaigns/Proton/

"February 16, 2006 – After mating to the Breeze-M upper stage, the spacecraft is lowered to a horizontal position in preparation for encapsulation within the payload fairing.

The upper and lower fairing sections are carefully positioned around the spacecraft. The two sections are sealed in order to protect the satellite from environmental conditions before, during and immediately after launch."

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/original/B-M_and_ARABSAT_4A.jpg]

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/original/ARABSAT_4A_1stEncap.jpg]

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/original/ARABSAT_4A_2ndEncap.jpg]

[img=http://www.ilslaunch.com/pictures/proton/original/ARABSAT_4A_4thEncap.jpg]

[Heather]

Only two days to go! Cool pictures.

[anik]

Proton-M rocket with Briz-M upper stage and ArabSat 4A satellite was transported to launch pad No. 200/39 on Baikonur cosmodrome yesterday…

VIEW WEBCAST

All photos from Russian Federal Space Agency website...

[img=http://www.federalspace.ru/PictFiles/Ar_05.jpg]

[img=http://www.federalspace.ru/PictFiles/Ar_06.jpg]

[img=http://www.federalspace.ru/PictFiles/Ar_07.jpg]

[img=http://www.federalspace.ru/PictFiles/Ar_08.jpg]

[img=http://www.federalspace.ru/PictFiles/Ar_09.jpg]

[img=http://www.federalspace.ru/PictFiles/Ar_10.jpg]

[Jamie Young]

That's a big rocket!