We’ve delivered Galaxy 35 and Galaxy 36 to @Arianespace’s launch base in French Guiana for its customer, @Intelsat. The two geostationary communications #satellites will launch together in a stacked configuration in mid-December on an Ariane 5 rocket.
Maxar-built Galaxy 35 and Galaxy 36 Arrive at Launch Base for IntelsatBy: Maxar Technologies | 11.17.2022 READ TIME: 2 MINUTESMaxar has delivered Galaxy 35 and Galaxy 36 to Arianespace’s launch base in French Guiana for its customer, Intelsat. The two geostationary communications satellites will launch together in a stacked configuration in mid-December on an Ariane 5 rocket.Intelsat ORDERED FIVE GEOSTATIONARY COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES from Maxar in 2020 as part of its effort to transition its services—uninterrupted—to support the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) plan to reallocate parts of the C-band spectrum for 5G terrestrial wireless services. The Maxar-built Galaxy 31 and Galaxy 32 SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED on November 12, 2022, and are currently being COMMISSIONED FOR OPERATIONS.These Galaxy satellites are built on Maxar’s proven 1300-class platform, which offers the flexibility and power needed for a broad range of customer missions.Maxar has built nearly 60 spacecraft for Intelsat since the 1970s, including these satellites. The launch of Galaxy 35 and Galaxy 36 will be broadcast on Arianespace’s website.
Meanwhile, on the other side of S5, the other Ariane 5 VA259 passenger, Galaxy 35, is being readied #VA259 #Ariane5 #CSG #ESA
A happy #MTGI1 team means things are on track ✅ See below: our precious satellite being transferred to the fuelling hall for, you guessed it, fuelling ⛽️ Next step: the satellite is installed on the launch vehicle! Stay up-to-date at our launch hub: bit.ly/3q2SJlB
New pics from #MTGI1 launch site!The satellite's launch campaign is on going, with refueling as the next important, and hazardous, step. Stay up-to-date on the latest news with our campaign blog: blogs.esa.int/eolaunches/
More impressions from inside the fuelling hall in #Kourou! #MTGI1 has been loaded with propellant and is now ready for the final stages before launch 👏Visit the launch hub for all MTG news, here: bit.ly/3q2SJlB
...And more from #Kourou - the Ariane-5 launcher is getting ready to welcome its passengers! The next phase will be the mounting of #MTGI1 directly on the top of the rocket 🚀
Launch schedule update: 🚀 The year's last @Ariane5 launch, #VA259, carrying #MTG-I1 (the first of a new generation of European weather satellites), is now set for 13 December.🚀 The second (and first operational) flight of @vega_sts #VegaC #VV22, is now set for 20 December.
[5/5] 🗓️ The new targeted launch date for #VV22 now is December 20;🗓️ The new targeted launch date for #VA259 –initially scheduled for December 14- now is December 13.
Ready, set, fuelling⛽️!This image shows #MTGI1 specialists kitted out for the hazardous task of fuelling the satellite. With liftoff scheduled for mid-December on an #Ariane5 rocket, the satellite is spending its last two weeks on Earth being readied: ℹ️
APPLICATIONSNew weather satellite fully loaded28/11/2022ESA / Applications / Observing the Earth / Meteorological missions / meteosat third generationWith liftoff now scheduled for 13 December, Europe’s first Meteosat Third Generation Imager (MTG-I1) satellite has been fuelled – a critical and extremely hazardous milestone on the road to launch. Once in geostationary orbit 36,000 km above the equator, this all-new weather satellite will provide state-of-the art observations of Earth’s atmosphere and realtime monitoring of lightning events, taking weather forecasting to the next level.MTG-I1 has been at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana since mid-October being readied for liftoff. Over these last weeks, the satellite’s functionality has been checked out for the last time on terra firma, and all the ‘deployables’, namely the solar array, the Ka-band antenna and the Data Collection Service and Geostationary Search and Rescue instrument antennas finally locked ‘and loaded’ for launch.Having confirmed the satellite is ‘good to go’, the next step was to load the two tonnes of highly volatile fuel into the central tanks of the satellite that will power it to its final geostationary orbit and allow for 15 years of operational orbit maintenance.This is an extremely delicate and potentially dangerous phase, with the highly toxic hydrazine and oxidiser being transferred from transport drums into the satellite.To do this, MTG-I1 was moved to the S5B Hazardous Processing Facility, which has all the necessary detection and decontamination systems needed during this delicate process.As can be seen from the photographs, the fuelling team is suitably attired in their ‘scape suits’ so that they are completely protected should any unexpected leak occur.ESA’s launch campaign manager, James Champion, said, “Everything went smoothly, and all the teams here are very happy that we’ve passed this significant milestone in the launch campaign. Well done to the fuelling team from Thales Alenia Space in France who carried out this delicate operation without a hitch.”The next step for the fuelled satellite, which now weighs almost 3.8 tonnes, is to mount it onto the launch adapter.This is the first part of the ‘combined operations’ phase with Arianespace where the satellite is assembled carefully into the upper composite of the Ariane 5 rocket. This step also involves the co-passengers, the Galaxy 35 and 36 telecommunication satellites, which occupy the upper position in the launcher fairing.On 13 December, MTG-I1 will finally take to the skies on an Ariane 5 rocket. This date has actually been advanced by one day owing to a delay in the preceding Vega-C launch, which will now take place after MTG-I1.MTG-I1 is the first of six satellites that form the full MTG system, which will provide critical data for weather forecasting over the next 20 years. In full operations, the mission will comprise two MTG-I satellites and one MTG Sounding (MTG-S) satellites working in tandem.The MTG-I satellites carry two completely new instruments, a Flexible Combined Imager and Europe’s first Lightning Imager, to deliver high-quality data for better weather forecasting.The Flexible Combined Imager has more spectral channels and is capable of imaging in higher resolution compared to current Meteosat Second Generation’s Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared instrument.The Lightning Imager offers a completely new capability for European meteorological satellites. It will continuously monitor more than 80% of the Earth disc for lightning discharges, taking place either between clouds or between clouds and the ground.The MTG-I satellites also carry two smaller payloads for data collection from remote science beacons and for search and rescue by detecting emergency beacons.These all-new instruments will allow severe storms to be detected in their early stages and will therefore be key for issuing timely warnings.The MTG mission is a cooperation between Eumetsat and ESA. ESA is responsible developing and procuring the six MTG satellites. Eumetsat defines the system requirements, develops the ground systems, procures the launch services, operates the satellites, and makes the data available to users.
https://twitter.com/eumetsat/status/1597183131899293697QuoteEUMETSAT @eumetsatICYMI: We have a new launch date for #MTGI1 of 13 December! 📅You can find an updated timeline with all milestones over at our launch hub: https://bit.ly/3q2SJlB
EUMETSAT @eumetsatICYMI: We have a new launch date for #MTGI1 of 13 December! 📅You can find an updated timeline with all milestones over at our launch hub: https://bit.ly/3q2SJlB
First Meteosat Third Generation imaging satellite🛰️being readied for launch from the @EuropeSpacePort 🚀#MTG-I1👉 https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en/news/first-meteosat-third-generation-imaging-satellite-being-readied-launch-guiana-space-center
First Meteosat Third Generation imaging satellite being readied for launch from the GuianaSpace CenterFinal pre-launch preparations for the first Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite are underway in Europe’s spaceport, in French Guiana. The satellite standalone tests have successfully been completed and the spacecraft has been fueled for flight, allowing the start of combined operations with its co-passenger and the A5 launcher.The first Meteosat Third Generation satellite, an imaging version dubbed MTG-I1, was built by a European consortium led by Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor. It features two imagers: an advanced flexible combined imager (FCI) and a lightning imager (LI). The impressive FCI provides a full image of the Earth every 10 minutes (versus 15 minutes for the previous generation) and includes a fast mode capable of providing images of Europe every 2.5 minutes. With a spatial resolution of 0.5 to 1 km, the satellite will improve the reliability of weather forecasts over a timescale of minutes to hours.The lightning imager, the first of its kind in Europe, enables the early detection of storms and extreme weather events, while also improving aviation safety. The MTG program comprises six satellites: four imaging and two atmospheric sounding models, with images updated every ten minutes. They will operate in two fleets of three geostationary satellites, with two imagers and one sounder. A three-axis stabilized platform means consistent coverage since this type of system keeps its sights firmly fixed on Earth.
D-6 for the take-off of the 3rd generation weather satellite #MTGI1 @Thales_Alenia_S and the mission #VA259 of #Ariane5ECA @Arianespace . #Lachroniquespatiale
Up she goes: #MTGI1 being transported for installation onto the Ariane-5 launcher before encapsulation 🛰️ This will be the last chance to see the satellite here on Earth before it makes its way up into #space on 13 December! 🚀
📷 Great shot of #MTGI1 being installed on its @ariane5 #VA259 launcher 👇
There, in the dark of the #Ariane5 rocket fairing, lies #MTGI1... ready to weather any storm⚡️The first satellite of @eumetsat's Meteosat Third Generation constellation has been encapsulated inside its rocket. 🚀🛰️Launch ➡️ 13 December
More pictures from the #MTGI1 launch site in Kourou! The satellite is set to launch next Tuesday evening - join us here on Twitter for a live commentary or live on @esa WebTV. Don't forget to follow our Director @SimonettaCheli who will be in French Guyana to witness the launch.
Want to know more about our Flight #VA259 with #Ariane5?🚀📖Then take a look at our Flight Kit!📖 https://www.arianespace.com/mission/ariane-flight-va259/
📷 This is a fully stacked @Ariane5 ready for flight #VA259 with @eumetsat #MTGI1. Yesterday, @Arianespace gave the GO for rollout to the launchpad at @EuropeSpacePort set for tomorrow, Monday, 12 December (pic: ESA-M.Pedoussaut) More 👉esa.int/Applications/O…
