Soyuz ST-B Flight VS10 - O3b-F3 (FM9-12) - December 18, 2014

[beidou]

This launch will make the o3B constellation to have 12 satellites.

[beidou]

Arianespace confirmed yesterday during the speeches after VA220 that the O3b sats are scheduled to fly in December.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Satellites are delivered for Arianespace’s next Soyuz mission at the service of O3b Networks

October 31, 2014 – Soyuz Flight VS10

Three of the four satellites for O3b Networks’ next flight to “bridge the digital divide” have been delivered to French Guiana, where they will be readied for an Arianespace Soyuz launch planned for December 18.

The spacecraft trio – built by Thales Alenia Space – arrived this morning aboard a chartered cargo jetliner that landed at Félix Eboué Airport near the capital city of Cayenne, enabling them to be transferred by road to the Spaceport’s preparation facilities. The fourth O3b Networks satellite in the batch is to be delivered separately.

This upcoming Soyuz mission is designated Flight VS10 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system, signifying the medium-lift workhorse’s 10th liftoff from the Spaceport since its 2011 introduction at French Guiana.

It follows Arianespace’s two previous Soyuz launches that successfully orbited four satellites apiece to create the basic constellation for O3b Networks’ pioneering connectivity service: Flight VS05 performed in June 2013; and this past July’s Flight VS08.

The latest O3b Networks spacecraft will be deployed by Soyuz into a circular orbit at an altitude of 8,062 km. – which is four-times closer to Earth than traditional geostationary satellites, providing substantial performance benefits due to lower latency or delay.

O3b Networks initiated commercial service on its state-of-the-art constellation across the Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and Asia in September of this year, and it already is delivering more than 4 Gbps of high quality connectivity to customers across the globe.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2014/1233.asp

[jacqmans]

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2014/1234.asp

Payload processing begins for the December 18 Soyuz launch with O3b Networks satellites

November 4, 2014 – Soyuz Flight VS10

Three of the next four spacecraft to serve O3b Networks in providing emerging market connectivity worldwide have entered their checkout phase at the Spaceport in French Guiana, preparing them for liftoff on Arianespace’s next Soyuz flight.

Following their arrival in French Guiana last week, these Thales Alenia Space-built satellites were transferred by road to the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility – where they were removed from individual shipping containers that protected them during the trans-Atlantic cargo flight from Europe.

The trio will be joined in their Soyuz launcher’s payload arrangement by a fourth spacecraft, which is to be delivered separately to French Guiana ahead of the December 18 liftoff. Set to operate from a circular orbit at an altitude of 8,062 km., the four satellites will provide more capacity and drive even higher performance for O3b Networks’ low-latency network.

This upcoming Soyuz mission is designated Flight VS10 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system, signifying the 10th liftoff of this medium-lift workhorse from the Spaceport since its 2011 introduction at French Guiana.

[Jester]

Stan, launcher serial confirmed yet ? Е15000-007 ?

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2014/1240.asp

The next four O3b Networks satellites are readied for Arianespace’s December Soyuz launch

November 25, 2014 – Soyuz Flight VS10

Payload processing for Arianespace’s third Soyuz mission at the service of O3b Networks has reached full speed, with all four connectivity satellites now at the Spaceport – where fueling and integration operations are underway.

Preparations for the launch have included delivery of the final member in the four-spacecraft cluster to French Guiana, the start-up of fueling for the satellites, and integration of the first passenger on the dispenser system that will deploy the payloads in orbit.

Liftoff of Arianespace’s Soyuz with these satellites is set for December 18, following the medium-lift workhorse’s previous missions that lofted four O3b Networks spacecraft each in July 2014 and June 2013.

The initial eight satellites orbited by Arianespace enabled O3b Networks to become fully operational.  With its roll-out of services on a global basis, the company offers a system that combines the reach of satellite with the speed of fiber – providing customers with affordable, low latency, high bandwidth connectivity.

Thales Alenia Space builds the O3b Networks Ka-band relay platforms, which have a liftoff mass of approximately 700 kg. each.  Their trapezoidal form enables four satellites to be installed on a tube-shaped dispenser system used on each launch.

The upcoming mission for O3b Networks is designated Flight VS10 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system, denoting the 10th mission of Soyuz performed from the Spaceport.


The fourth O3b Networks spacecraft for Arianespace’s Flight VS10 mission is shown during its arrival in French Guiana (first photo). Processing activity at the Spaceport includes the start-up of satellite integration on the Soyuz dispenser system (second photo) and fueling.

[Lewis007]

VS10 launch poster of the Kourou Space Center (CSG)

[Lewis007]

The O3B sats have been mated with the Fregat upper stage.
See: http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2014/1246.asp
and (a few more pics)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.833852573319759.1073741977.463927243645629&type=1

[Lewis007]

The Arianespace VS-10 launchkit is now available

[Satori]

Launcher moved to the launch platform: http://www.roscosmos.ru/21192/ (in Russian)

[Lewis007]

In the mean time, encapsulation has taken place.
See: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.836239163081100.1073741979.463927243645629&type=1

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Interesting to see a small track pushing the rocket out of the barn...... 

Also for those collecting rocket serial no. - one can see this is 372РН21Б #Т15000-007. 

[Lewis007]

The Upper Composite has been rolled out to the pad for integration with the rocket, after the O3B logos had been attached to it first.
For more pics, see:
http://www.csgpreparationlancement.com/soyouz/vol-soyouz-10-pose-des-logos/
http://www.csgpreparationlancement.com/soyouz/vol-soyouz-10-transfert-de-letage-superieur/
https://www.facebook.com/Federalspace/posts/1535696223351726

[Prober]

Countdown clock shows less than 22 hrs.

[jacqmans]

Arianespace’s third Soyuz mission at the service of O3b Networks is approved for launch on December 18
 

December 17, 2014 – Soyuz Flight VS10

The next Arianespace Soyuz launch from French Guiana has been authorized for liftoff tomorrow on a mission that will orbit the third batch of satellites for O3b Networks’ pioneering connectivity service.

This “go” approval was given today after the regular pre-launch review for Arianespace flights – which confirmed the readiness of Soyuz and its payload of four relay spacecraft, the launch site and associated infrastructure at the Spaceport, along with the network of downrange tracking stations.

The December 18 mission is designated VS10 in Arianespace’s numbering system, and will be performed from the purpose-built ELS launch facility for Soyuz – which is located in the Spaceport’s northwestern sector.

Tomorrow’s Soyuz liftoff is set for a precise moment – 3:37 p.m. local time in French Guiana – initiating a flight sequence that will last 2 hr., 22 min. Produced by Thales Alenia Space, the four O3b Networks satellites weigh approximately 700 kg. each and are to operate in medium Earth orbit (MEO).

The previous two Arianespace Soyuz missions for O3b Networks also lofted four spacecraft each on launches performed in July 2014 and June 2013 – enabling the company to deliver connectivity that combines the reach of satellite with the speed of fiber, providing customers with affordable, low latency, high bandwidth connectivity.

Flight VS10 will be Arianespace’s 11th mission overall in 2014, as well as its 10th Soyuz launch performed from French Guiana since the workhorse Russian-built vehicle’s 2011 introduction at the Spaceport.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2014/1250.asp

[Prober]

only 5 hrs away...

[Jester]

Fairing serial for Stan

[Chris Bergin]

Moved for live coverage!

[Ben the Space Brit]

Here we go! Hope the prop and coolant lines are sufficiently spaced this time!