LIVE: Ariane 5 GS launch - Helios IIB - December 18, 2009

[jacqmans]

Mission accomplished for Arianespace - HELIOS 2B is now in orbit: 7th Ariane 5 launch in 2009, 35th success in a row

Kourou, December 18, 2009

http://www.arianespace.com/news-press-release/2009/12-18-09-mission-success.asp

Arianespace has successfully launched the HELIOS 2B observation satellite. Following a flight lasting 59 minutes and 20 seconds, the Ariane 5 launch vehicle precisely injected the HELIOS 2B satellite into its sun-synchronous polar orbit. 


49th Ariane 5 launch, 7th Ariane 5 launch in 2009, 35th success in a row

The latest successful launch of an Ariane 5, the 7th in 2009, confirms that Arianespace’s launch service & solutions continue to set the global standard for all manufacturers and operators, whether civil or military.

With this launch, Ariane 5 has once again demonstrated its ability to handle a complete range of missions, from government launches into sun-synchronous orbit to the largest payloads into geostationary orbit.

This was the 49th launch of an Ariane 5 and the 35th successful launch in a row.

With today’s mission, Arianespace closes out a very successful year, setting a record with 7 flawless launches of Ariane 5 in 2009.

Supporting security and defense

The Ariane 5 launcher is a key to the development of a common European security and defense policy, in which the space segment plays a pivotal role. HELIOS 2B was the 33rd  military payload to be lofted by the European launcher.

Arianespace’s services cover all mission requirements of the European armed forces, with the following payloads successfully placed into orbit:

Optical observation: HELIOS 1A, launched in 1995, HELIOS 1B in 1999, and HELIOS 2A in 2004.
Telecommunications: Syracuse I, II and III systems (France), Sicral 1 (Italy), Skynet 4 and 5 (United Kingdom), Hispasat 1A, 1B and Spainsat (Spain), Turksat 1A, 1B, 1C and Eurasiasat (Turkey), and ComsatBw-1 (Germany).
The HELIOS 2B mission at a glance

This mission was carried out from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Liftoff was on Friday, December 18, 2009 at 1:26 p.m. local time in Kourou (16:26 UT, 5:26 p.m. in Paris).

HELIOS 2B

HELIOS 2B is an element of the second-generation spaceborne observation system for security and defense applications, conducted by France in conjunction with Belgium, Greece, Italy and Spain. The program manager is the French DGA defense procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement) – a part of the French Ministry of Defense, which has assigned contracting authority for the space segment to CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), the French space agency. HELIOS 2B weighed approximately 4,200 kg. at liftoff. It was built by EADS Astrium as prime contractor, leading a number of other European companies, including Thales Alenia Space, which was responsible for the satellite’s high-resolution imaging instrument.

[robertross]

Congrats Arianespace!

It was a great launch to watch. Great job to all.

[woods170]

Looks like this time the camera located close to the launch pad didn't survive the shock of the boosters ignitions

Yes, that particular camera usually gets shaken around pretty badly, but looks like it bought the farm this time.

[Analyst]

French officials said they were unable to find compatible co-passengers for this launch despite the ample space and power available on the Ariane 5 vehicle.

This being a standard earth observing orbit. So much for cubesats, smallsats and small launch vehicles. Pegasus didn't fly this year, Falcon 1 once, Minataur once.

Analyst

[gwiz]

The British forums were full of 'Terminator' jokes when Skynet was first named.

That's amazing, considering the first UK Skynet launch was in 1969.

[Ben the Space Brit]

The British forums were full of 'Terminator' jokes when Skynet was first named.

That's amazing, considering the first UK Skynet launch was in 1969.

Really? That's news to me.  I'd never heard the name IRL before when it was announced a few years ago (which, as it is a milcom satellite maybe isn't surprising).  Quite a few people took the 'Terminator' parallels quite seriously.  Learn from that what you will.

[Skyrocket]

Really? That's news to me.  I'd never heard the name IRL before when it was announced a few years ago (which, as it is a milcom satellite maybe isn't surprising).  Quite a few people took the 'Terminator' parallels quite seriously.  Learn from that what you will.

Skynet was never classified
(see Flight International from 1969: http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1969/1969%20-%202888.html?search=skynet )

[woods170]

Really? That's news to me.  I'd never heard the name IRL before when it was announced a few years ago (which, as it is a milcom satellite maybe isn't surprising).  Quite a few people took the 'Terminator' parallels quite seriously.  Learn from that what you will.

Skynet was never classified
(see Flight International from 1969: http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1969/1969%20-%202888.html?search=skynet )

Correct. Skynet 4A for instance was to be launched on STS-61H, had that mission not been cancelled in the wake of the Challenger disaster. Two British payload specialists were in training for releasing Skynet 4A from the shuttle on that flight, but after Challenger, they never got to fly in space.
Skynet 4A was eventually launched on a Titan 3 booster.

[Lewis007]

Better late than never: the EADS press kit for the V-193 launch has been published.

[jacqmans]

"All systems go" for the Helios IIB satellite built by Astrium

Satellite now operational in all image acquisition modes
Upgraded ground stations delivered to partner countries by Astrium
Three Helios observation satellites now in orbit

Toulouse, 27 April 2010

http://classic.eads.net/1024/en/pressdb/pressdb/Astrium/20100427_astrium_helios2.html


The in-flight acceptance of the Helios IIB satellite has been successfully completed by Astrium on behalf of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) and under delegation from the French space agency, CNES. Helios IIB will now enter its operational phase serving the partner countries France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Greece and Germany. CNES will be responsible for in orbit operations.

The first images provided by the satellite were already being presented to military officials just a few days after the launch on 18 December 2009 – exactly five years after the launch of Helios IIA.

CNES, DGA and Astrium teams have spent three months checking that the satellite is in full working order. New software has also been installed to enable the Helios ground user segment to operate the three Helios satellites now in orbit. The results of the checks were all positive and the DGA has now declared that it’s "all systems go"!

In related news, Astrium has installed a Helios ground station in Gelsdorf that will enable users in Germany to obtain the same direct access to the system that the programme's four original partner countries enjoy. Astrium is also working on a sixth station in Greece, which will be fully operational in the upcoming months.

Since development work first began on Helios I over 20 years ago, Astrium has been prime contractor for both space (satellites) and ground user segments for military space observation systems serving the French military. Only the United States can rival the performance and operational levels of its European counterpart.