Author Topic: LIVE: Ariane Flight VA 211 - Skynet 5D & Mexsat 3/Bicentenario - Dec 19, 2012  (Read 39206 times)

Online Chris Bergin

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Offline Star One

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Is this 2012's last launch?

Offline Galactic Penguin SST

Is this 2012's last launch?

This is the last announced planned orbital launch of 2012 from anywhere in the world (unless Iran slips yet another launch before the new year, which is highly unlikely following multiple failures).
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline Galactic Penguin SST

While everyone has eyes to Orbital's fleet of rockets (and those Cyngi), it's the production of medium sized communication satellites that Orbital is doing best. Maybe in a few years they might even beat out SS Loral on the commercial market....
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Offline Galactic Penguin SST

Upper stage shutdown.
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Online Chris Bergin

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Offline Galactic Penguin SST

Skynet 5D separation!

Mexsat-3 separates in 9 minutes....
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Online Chris Bergin

There goes Skynet 5B, on it's way to become self-aware :o ;)
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Online Chris Bergin

That's Paddington Bear! Commentator didn't know, as expected.

Hope he has his marmalade sandwiches secured! ;D
« Last Edit: 12/19/2012 09:24 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Online Chris Bergin

Prep for Mexsat 3 sep.
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Online Chris Bergin

S/C Sep for Mexsat 3! Congrats to all involved.
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Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Meh; couldn't watch the broadcast.  I'd forgotten the high-bandwidth required even for Arianespace's 'low-bandwidth' option.  My 4-8Mbps broadband just isn't fast enough.
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Offline Satori

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Congratulations to all!! Amazing launch and an amazing way to close the launch schedule of 2012!

Online Chris Bergin

Mr Le Gall still happy....10 launches for his company in 2012.
« Last Edit: 12/19/2012 09:29 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Offline robertross

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That's Paddington Bear! Commentator didn't know, as expected.

Hope he has his marmalade sandwiches secured! ;D

Haha. Nice.

Congrats to the teams on this launch, and a great year.

Thanks for the coverage everyone!
(still jumping for joy at Chris Hadfield's launch earlier today...hehehe)

Offline jacqmans

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On a theme of “10,” Arianespace completes another year of launch successes

December 19, 2012 – Ariane Flight VA211

Arianespace’s Ariane 5 flight with the Skynet 5D and Mexsat Bicentenario satellite passengers today wrapped up another busy year of company launch activity, with its successes highlighted by the theme of “10.”

During 2012, the Arianespace launcher family performed a total of 10 missions from the Spaceport in French Guiana, led by the heavy-lift Ariane 5 with its 10-metric-ton payload lift performance – which has logged 53 consecutive successes during the past 10 years.

Arianespace’s mission cadence demonstrated in 2012 was called “remarkable” by Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. 

The Arianespace launcher family missions performed from French Guiana this year were composed of seven heavy-lift Ariane 5 flights, two with the medium-lift Soyuz, and the lightweight Vega’s inaugural launch.

Le Gall paid homage to all of the players who contributed to the 2012 successes, including the European Space Agency, France’s CNES space agency, the Spaceport teams in French Guiana, Europe’s industrial network for Ariane and Vega, the Russian companies for Soyuz, and the team at Arianespace.

Along with the Spaceport’s launch successes was an additional Soyuz mission from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, performed by Arianespace’s Starsem affiliate.

For tonight’s mission, Ariane 5 deployed its Skynet 5D payload first, followed by Mexsat Bicentenario.

Built by Astrium, Skynet 5D weighed approximately 4,800 kg. at launch, and is the fourth for the British military’s Skynet 5 satellite system.  This spacecraft is designed to reinforce and extend the operational services provided by the three other Skynet 5 satellites – all orbited by Ariane 5 – and will be located over the Middle East at a 53 deg. East orbital slot.  The Skynet program is operated as a Private Finance Initiative with the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence.

Mexsat Bicentenario weighed an estimated 2,935 kg. for liftoff, and is based on Orbital Sciences Corporation’s GEOStar-2 platform.  It is to provide communications co and its surrounding waters from the 114.9 deg. West Longitude orbital slot. bital slot.
Orbital was designated by Boeing to provide the Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) segment of the Mexsat satellite system for the Federal Government of Mexico.

As Arianespace celebrated a 2012 to remember in terms of its launch activity, the company already is looking to next year’s activity – with preparations well advanced for an Ariane 5 launch in February, which is to orbit the Amazonas 3 and Azerspace/Africasat-1 telecommunications satellites.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2012/999.asp
Jacques :-)

Offline Rocket Science

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Congradulations, well done!   :) Wow, “extra” happy Santa hats...  ;D
« Last Edit: 12/19/2012 10:02 pm by Rocket Science »
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Offline brueyh1976

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congratulations to all concerned :)
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Offline Mapperuo

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Congratulations.

Video:

- Aaron

Offline jacqmans

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Ariane 5 ECA orbits Skynet 5D and Mexsat Bicentenario satellites: 10 years of success, 10 tons of performance, 10 launches in 2012
Kourou, December 19, 2012

On Wednesday, December 19, 2012, Arianespace successfully carried out the 53rd Ariane 5 launch in a row, orbiting two payloads: the Skynet 5D military communications satellite for Astrium Services, on behalf of the British Ministry of Defence, and the Mexsat Bicentenario telecommunications satellite for the Mexican Secretariat of Communications and Transport.

10 years of success

Today's successful mission, the 53rd in a row for the European launcher in ten years, once again proves the reliability and availability of the Ariane 5 launch system.

This successful mission, the seventh for Ariane 5 in 2012 also perfectly illustrates the strategic importance of Ariane, which guarantees independent access to space for Europe. Arianespace continues to confirm its position as the world’s benchmark launch system for all telecommunications operators, whether civil or military.

10 tons of performance

Today, Ariane 5 with its 10 tons of performance is the only commercial satellite launcher now on the market capable of simultaneously launching two payloads and handling a complete range of missions, from launches of commercial satellites into geostationary orbit, to launches of dedicated scientific spacecraft into special orbits.

10 launches in 2012

With seven Ariane 5 missions, two by Soyuz and the inaugural flight of the Vega light launcher in 2012, all from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, Arianespace reaffirms its position as the company offering the widest range of launch opportunities.

In 2012 these three launchers orbited a total of 17 satellites for 15 different customers, with a cumulated payload weight exceeding 75,000 kg.

The company's Euro-Russian subsidiary, Starsem, also carried out a Soyuz launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. 

A launch for civil and military telecommunications

Skynet 5D is the 38th military payload to be orbited by an Ariane launcher. Arianespace has already launched seven Skynet satellites for the British Ministry of Defence.

Mexsat Bicentenario is the fifth Mexican satellite to be launched by Ariane, following Satmex 3, 4, 5 and 6 (previously known as the Morelos and Solidaridad satellites).

Skynet 5D/Mexsat Bicentenario mission at a glance

The mission was carried out by an Ariane 5 ECA launcher from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Liftoff was on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 6:49 pm local time in Kourou (3:49 pm in Mexico City, 4:49 pm in Washington, D.C., 21:49 UT and 10:49 pm in Paris).

Skynet 5D was launched on behalf of Astrium Services, which will provide secure telecommunications services to the British Ministry of Defence, NATO and other countries which already use the Skynet family of military communications satellites. Built by Astrium Satellites, Skynet 5D weighed about 4,800 kg at launch. It is based on the Eurostar E3000 platform, and will offer a design life of approximately 15 years from its orbital position at 53 degrees East. Skynet 5D is the 89th Astrium satellite to be launched by Arianespace.

Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation in Dulles, Virginia, Mexsat Bicentenario is based on a GEOStar-3 platform. It weighed about 3,000 kg at liftoff, and will be positioned in geostationary orbit at 114.9 degrees West. Equipped with eight C-band and eight Ku-band transponders, it will provide telecommunications services across Mexico. Mexsat Bicentenario is the 23rd satellite built by Orbital Sciences Corporation to be launched by Arianespace.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-press-release/2012/12-19-2012-va211-launch.asp
Jacques :-)

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