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ЦитироватьThe third satellite that is behind schedule is the Astra 5B, which had been preparing for a September or October liftoff as one of two passengers aboard a European Ariane 5 ECA heavy-lift rocket.
But the intended co-passenger for this flight, the Optus 10 satellite owned by Optus Satellite of Australia, has been removed from the Arianespace lineup, at least for the moment.
Industry officials said Optus owner SingTel Optus appears to have decided to delay the launch while the company looks for a buyer for the Optus Satellite fleet.
Evry, France-based Arianespace, which operates the Ariane 5 rocket, was unable to find a quick substitute for Optus 10 before December, meaning Astra 5B will not be generating revenue for SES until 2014.
Bausch did not mention Optus in the conference call, saying only that the intended Astra 5B co-passenger has been replaced in the Arianespace queue by another satellite that would not be available before December.
For SES there is an unhappy irony in the situation. Once SingTel Optus removed the Optus 10 from its launch slot, the Ariane 5 rocket carrying the Astra 5B had a vacancy at what is sometimes called the "second seat" on the Ariane 5 rocket, which means the lower position reserved for the lighter of the two satellite payloads.
SES-8 could have been that payload, given its size, thus providing SES the launch of two satellites aboard the same rocket in September. But SES officials, referring to their long-held policy of seeking to widen the pool of available commercial launchers, have stuck with SpaceX and the Falcon 9 through the successive delays.

ЦитироватьAstra 2E, 2F, 2G, 5B
 
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/81501.jpg)
Astra 2E [EADS Astrium]

 SES S.A. and Astrium announced in December 2009 that SES has ordered four multi-mission satellites from Astrium to provide replacement as well as incremental capacity for its SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES divisions.
The new satellites, to be designated Astra 2E, Astra 2F, Astra 2G and Astra 5B, will allow the release of the existing satellites at two orbital positions (28.2 and 31.5 degrees East) and add new capacity as well as fleet deployment flexibility for the SES group over the coming years. The satellites are scheduled for launch in several steps between 2012 and 2014. The design life of each satellite is 15 years.
The four new satellites will be built on a Eurostar-3000 (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sat/astrium_eurostar-3000.htm) platform.
Three of the new spacecraft, Astra 2E, Astra 2F and Astra 2G, will serve to deliver next generation broadcast, VSAT and broadband services in Europe and Africa, and will carry Ku-and Ka-band payloads at 28.2 degrees East.
The Ku-band capacity will allow SES ASTRA to enhance and secure its existing offering to major Direct-to-Home (DTH) markets in the UK and Ireland. With a Ku-band payload specifically designed to meet the requirements of some of Europe's largest DTH broadcasters, the satellites will have spot beam and pan-European beam switching capabilities to accommodate both pay-TV and free-to-air broadcasters, and to provide these customers with increased functionality. The Ka-band payload will allow SES ASTRA to develop next generation broadband services in Europe, including its ASTRA2Connect product.
Astra 2E, Astra 2F and Astra 2G will also include replacement and new capacity for the SES WORLD SKIES division, serving the African and the Middle Eastern markets with Ku-and Ka-band capacity. The new capacity will provide continuity of service and expansion opportunities for customers that are today already using the Astra 2B (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/astra-2b.htm) steerable beam over West Africa, as well as for new customers
Astra 5B will be deployed at the orbital position 31.5 degrees East, extending SES ASTRA's transponder capacity and geographical reach over Eastern European and neighboring markets for DTH, Direct-to-Cable (DTC) and contribution feeds to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) networks.

Nation:    Luxembourg
Type / Application:    Communication (Direct Broadcasting)
Operator:    SES-Astra
Contractors:    EADS Astrium
Equipment:    60 Ku- and 3 Ka-band transponders (#2E, #2F)
Configuration:    Eurostar-3000
Propulsion:    ?
Power:    2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
Lifetime:    15 years
Mass:    6000 kg; 5968 kg (#2F)
Orbit:    GEO

ЦитироватьAmazonas 4A
 
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/87785.jpg)
Amazonas 4A [OSC]

 Amazonas 4A is spanish communications satellite, which will carry a payload of 24 Ku-band transponders with coverage of South America, from Venezuela and Colombia in the north, to Argentina and Chile in the south. Satellite performance will be 46 to 48.5 dBW throughout the South American mainland. The contract for Amazonas 4A and the higher power Amazonas 4B (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/amazonas-4b.htm) was signed in June 2012 with launch of Amazonas 4A scheduled for early 2014.
 
Nation:    Spain
Type / Application:    Communication
Operator:    Hispasat
Contractors:    Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC)
Equipment:    24 Ku-band transponders transponders
Configuration:    GEOStar-2 Bus
Propulsion:    IHI BT-4
Power:    2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
Lifetime:    15 years
Mass:    3000 kg
Orbit:    GEO

ЦитироватьThe Ariane 5 for Arianespace's fifth heavy-lift mission of 2013 arrives in French Guiana
 
 (http://www.arianespace.com/images/missionup-dates/2013/1080-pano.jpg)
With Kourou's famous Dreyfus Tower in the foreground, the MN Toucan roll-on/roll-off ship arrives in French Guiana with Ariane 5 launcher components for Arianespace's Flight VA216.

 August 6, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA216
Another heavy-lift Ariane 5 has been delivered to French Guiana as Arianespace maintains its commercial mission pace in 2013 with the company's launcher family.
The latest Ariane 5 was delivered yesterday by the MN Toucan, which is one of two roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) ships that transport Arianespace's Soyuz, Ariane 5 and Vega vehicles from Europe to the company's South America operating base.  Its elements were unloaded at Pariacabo Port adjacent to the city of Kourou, positioning them for the transfer by road to the nearby Spaceport.
This new launcher will be used for Flight VA216 – the fifth mission planned in 2013 with the workhorse Ariane 5 from French Guiana.  Previous heavy-lift flights performed during the year were Flight VA214, which orbited the Alphasat and INSAT-3D satellites on July 25; Flight VA213, carrying the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Albert Einstein on June 5; and Flight VA212, orbiting the Amazonas 3 and Azerspace/Africasat-1a spacecraft on February 7.
Arianespace's next Ariane 5 launch, designated Flight VA215, is targeted for August 29 to orbit the Eutelsat 25B/Es'hail-1 and GSAT-7 payloads.  Initial vehicle build-up has been completed at the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building for Ariane 5, readying it for rollout to the Final Assembly Building. Once this move occurs, the Launcher Integration Building will be available for assembly start-up with the newly-delivered Ariane 5 for Flight VA216.

ЦитироватьArianespace's next Ariane 5 mission will serve two key customers: SES and HISPASAT

October 1, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA216

The Ariane 5 for Arianespace's next dual-payload heavy-lift mission has begun its assembly at the Spaceport for a mid-December launch with telecommunications satellites from two established customers: Luxembourg-based SES and Spain's HISPASAT.
As with the 71 Ariane 5s previously launched from French Guiana, this vehicle's build-up employed a well-established integration flow, with the core cryogenic stage being positioned over one of two operational launch tables, followed by rollout and mating of the two solid propellant boosters.
These steps will be followed by positioning of the cryogenic upper stage and vehicle equipment bay as a single unit atop the core stage, completing the initial assembly process in the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building. The Ariane 5 then will be transferred to the Final Assembly Building for installation of both satellite passengers.
The December mission is designated Flight VA216 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system, representing the 216th liftoff of an Ariane since this series of vehicles began operation in 1979.
Riding in the upper position of Ariane 5's payload "stack" will be ASTRA 5B, which is to extend SES' transponder capacity and geographical reach over Eastern European and neighboring markets for direct-to-home, direct-to-cable and contribution feeds to digital terrestrial television networks.
Built by Astrium, ASTRA 5B also carries a hosted L-band payload for the European Commission's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). With a design lifetime of 15 years, ASTRA 5B will have an estimated liftoff mass of 5,800 kg. and is to be positioned at an orbital location of 31.5 deg. East.
Astra 5B's launch is within the scope of SES' Multi-Launch Agreement with Arianespace, representing the exceptional relationship established by these two companies over the past two decades.
 The lower passenger on Arianespace's Flight VA216 is HISPASAT's Amazonas 4A, to be located at an orbital position 61 deg. West after its deployment by the Ariane 5. This Orbital Sciences Corporation-produced telecommunications platform will enhance HISPASAT's relay capacity over Latin America to provide an extended range of communications and television services. With a launch mass of 3,000 kg., Amazonas 4A has a design lifespan of 15 years.

The initial build-up steps for Flight VA216's Ariane 5 are shown in these photos.

(http://www.arianespace.com/images/missionup-dates/2013/1099-1.jpg)
Its core cryogenic stage is raised vertically in the Launcher Integration Building's erection hall,

(http://www.arianespace.com/images/missionup-dates/2013/1099-2.jpg)
and then moved into the facility's integration hall for positioning over the launch table.

(http://www.arianespace.com/images/missionup-dates/2013/1099-3.jpg)
(http://www.arianespace.com/images/missionup-dates/2013/1099-4.jpg)
Both solid propellant boosters are shown during their rollout to the Launcher Integration Building for mating with Ariane 5.

ЦитироватьAriane 5 arrives at the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building for payload installation
 
October 24, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA216
Arianespace's next Ariane 5 for launch during 2013 is now set to receive its two satellite passengers after this heavy-lift vehicle's transfer to the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building in French Guiana.
The Ariane 5 rolled out this week fr om the Launcher Integration Building – where its core cryogenic stage, two solid boosters and cryogenic upper stage were assembled by prime contractor Astrium Space Transportation – to the Final Assembly Building for delivery to Arianespace.
Now under Arianespace's responsibility, the Ariane 5 is positioned for integration of its ASTRA 5B and Amazonas 4A payloads – which will be followed by the final verifications and subsequent transfer to the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone for a December liftoff.
This upcoming mission is designated Flight VA216 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system, signifying the 216th liftoff of an Ariane since this series of vehicles began operation in 1979.
ASTRA 5B – the upper passenger in Ariane 5's payload "stack" – was built by Astrium for Luxembourg-based SES. Once in orbit, it will extend the operator's transponder capacity and geographic reach over Eastern European and neighboring markets for direct-to-home, direct-to-cable and contribution feeds to digital terrestrial television networks.
With an estimated liftoff mass of 5,800 kg., ASTRA 5B also carries a hosted L-band payload for the European Commission's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and will operate from an orbital position of 31.5 deg. East.
Ariane 5's lower passenger, the Orbital Sciences Corporation-produced Amazonas 4A, is to enhance Spanish operator HISPASAT's relay capacity over Latin America to provide an extended range of communications and television services.
 Amazonas 4A – which is to weigh approximately 6,200 kg. at liftoff – will be located at a 61 deg. West orbital slot following its deployment by Ariane 5, positioning this telecommunications platform for coverage across the entire American continent, along with Europe and North Africa.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/89671.jpg)
Riding atop one of two operational launch tables at the Spaceport, Ariane 5 moves to the Final Assembly Building – wh ere it will receive the dual-satellite payload of ASTRA 5B and Amazonas 4A.

ЦитироватьAmazonas 4A – which is to weigh approximately 6,200 kg. at liftoff – will be located at a 61 deg.

ЦитироватьSalo пишет:

ЦитироватьWith an estimated liftoff mass of 5,800 kg., ASTRA 5B also carries a hosted L-band payload for the European Commission's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and will operate from an orbital position of 31.5 deg. East.
Ariane 5's lower passenger, the Orbital Sciences Corporation-produced Amazonas 4A, is to enhance Spanish operator HISPASAT's relay capacity over Latin America to provide an extended range of communications and television services.
Amazonas 4A – which is to weigh approximately 6,200 kg. at liftoff – will be located at a 61 deg. West orbital slot following its deployment by Ariane 5, positioning this telecommunications platform for coverage across the entire American continent, along with Europe and North Africa.

ЦитироватьArianespace's Ariane 5 launch with ASTRA 5B and Amazonas 4A is scheduled for December 6
October 29, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA216

(http://www.arianespace.com/images/missionup-dates/2013/1104-lg.jpg)
 Riding atop one of two operational launch tables at the Spaceport during activity last week, Ariane 5 approaches the Final Assembly Building for integration of its dual-passenger payload.
 
Arianespace has moved up the launch date for its next Ariane 5 mission, which is now set to lift off on December 6 fr om the Spaceport in French Guiana.
This Ariane 5 flight will orbit a pair of telecommunications satellites from two established customers: SES' ASTRA 5B and the Amazonas 4A satellite for HISPASAT. The mission's heavy-lift launcher currently is located in the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building, wh ere it was transferred last week for the integration of its dual-passenger payload.
The December 6 mission is designated Flight VA216 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system, representing the 216th liftoff of an Ariane since this series of vehicles began operation in 1979.
 Its scheduling allows additional checks to be made on the payload for Arianespace's following mission – Flight VS06, using a medium-lift Soyuz launcher – which has been set for December 20.  The passenger for Flight VS06 is the European Space Agency's Gaia star-mapping spacecraft, which requires the modification of two transponders that generate timing signals for downlinking its science telemetry.  Replacing components in the transponders resulted in a delay that puts Flight VS06's liftoff after the launch of Arianespace Flight VA216.

ЦитироватьASTRA 5B lands in French Guiana for its upcoming Ariane 5 flight

November 7, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA216
Payload preparations for Arianespace's next heavy-lift mission are ready to move into gear as the ASTRA 5B satellite has arrived in French Guiana.
ASTRA 5B – which Arianespace will launch for Luxembourg-based operator SES – was delivered by an An-124 cargo aircraft to the Félix Eboué Airport near Cayenne this week, approximately one month prior to its targeted December 6 liftoff date with co-passenger Amazonas 4A.
The Astrium-produced spacecraft's specialized shipping container was unloaded – aided by the aircraft's "kneeling" capability – and then prepared for road transport to the Spaceport, which is located some 65 kilometers away in Kourou.
ASTRA 5B will extend SES' transponder capacity and geographical reach over Eastern Europe and neighboring markets, delivering direct-to-home, direct-to-cable and contribution feeds to digital terrestrial television networks. It also carries a hosted L-band payload for the European Commission's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).
As the upper passenger for Arianespace's next heavy-lift mission, ASTRA 5B's estimated liftoff mass is 5,800 kg., and it will operate from an orbital position of 31.5 deg. East.
With a launch mass of 3,000 kg., Amazonas 4A will join ASTRA 5B on Arianespace Flight VA216 in the lower position of the "payload stack." This spacecraft – to be located at an orbital position of 61 deg. West – will provide enhanced relay capacity over Latin America and an extended range of communications and television services for operator HISPASAT.
Designated VA216 in the company's numbering system, this liftoff represents the 216th flight of an Ariane-series vehicle, as well as the fifth heavy-lift launch this year. On its four 2013 missions to date, Ariane 5 has successfully orbited seven payloads with a combined total payload lift performance of more than 50,000 kg.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/90105.jpg)
Following its arrival at French Guiana's Félix Eboué Airport, ASTRA 5B's container is rigged to be moved from the An-124 cargo jetliner's unloading ramp to a flatbed trailer, which is used to transfer it by road to the Spaceport.

ЦитироватьAriane 5 Flight VA216 is postponed for additional payload checks

November 13, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA216

Arianespace has postponed its upcoming Ariane 5 mission after learning one of the two satellite passengers – HISPASAT's Amazonas 4A – requires additional verifications. Amazonas 4A is to be joined on the flight by SES' ASTRA 5B.

A new launch date will be announced by Arianespace as soon as possible.

Next up in the Arianespace flight manifest is its December 20 launch of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Gaia star-mapper, which will be lofted from the Spaceport in French Guiana using a Soyuz vehicle.

Built by Astrium, this scientific satellite will collect a massive amount of data over its planned five-year mission – providing enough information to answer questions related to the origin, structure and evolutionary history of the galaxy.

ЦитироватьSES's Astra 5B Launch Delayed Again as Ariane 5 Co-passenger Hispasat Calls Timeout To Tweak Satellite

By Peter B. de Selding | Nov. 13, 2013

(http://www.spacenews.com/sites/spacenews.com/files/styles/large/public/images/articles/Amazonas4A_OS4X3.jpg) (http://www.spacenews.com/sites/spacenews.com/files/images/articles/Amazonas4A_OS4X3.jpg)
Hispasat issued a statement saying "a number of adjustments ... need to be made to boost the satellite's reliability ... stemming from an anomaly detected during one of the last tests of the Amazonas 4A before being transported to the launch pad. Credit: Orbital Sciences artist's concept

PARIS — Satellite fleet operator SES's struggles with its Ariane 5 launch co-passengers continued Nov. 13 with the announcement that the Amazonas 4A satellite, scheduled to share an Ariane 5 launch with SES's Astra 5B, would not be ready for an early-December liftoff.
Amazonas 4A is owned by Hispasat of Spain. Hispasat issued a statement saying "a number of adjustments ... need to be made to boost the satellite's reliability ...  stemming from an anomaly detected during one of the last tests of the Amazonas 4A before being transported to the launch pad.
"Although tests show that any risk is remote, Hispasat prefers to resolve any problems affecting a satellite's performance, however small, before launch given that it considers the robustness and reliability of its satellites to be of paramount importance."
Amazonas 4A was built by Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., in what Hispasat described in late October as "record time."
The Evry, France-based Arianespace launch consortium and Luxembourg-based SES announced the launch delay separately Nov. 13.
SES said it is now counting on a January launch.
The Ariane 5 flight had already been moved up to early December from mid-December following the approval of Hispasat and SES in order to leave enough time for the launch service provider to redeploy its ground tracking antennas to support a Dec. 20 flight of Europe's Gaia star-mapping satellite.
Gaia will be launched on a Europeanized Soyuz rocket, which operates from a separate launch installation near the Ariane 5 facilities at Europe's Guiana Space Center spaceport on the northeast coast of South America. The Gaia launch campaign, which was delayed by a last-minute satellite issue of its own, will not be affected by the Ariane 5 delay, an Arianespace official said.
SES said its Astra 5B telecommunications satellite, built by Astrium Satellites of Europe, will be stored at the Guiana site in anticipation that Amazonas 4A will be ready for a January liftoff.
For SES, it is the second time this year that Astra 5B's launch has been delayed because of a last-minute problem with a co-passenger. The scheduled launch this summer with the Optus 10 satellite owned by Australia's Optus was scrubbed when Optus 10 was pulled from the manifest (http://www.spacenews.com/article/financial-report/36475ses-sees-emerging-market-focus-paying-off) pending a possible sale of Optus.
Arianespace, which occasionally struggles to find lighter-weight passengers to accompany heavier satellites on Ariane 5, scrambled to find a replacement and settled on Amazonas 4A.
SES, along with the French space agency, CNES, has said Arianespace's second-passenger problem with Ariane 5 is one argument on behalf of an immediate program to build an Ariane 6 successor that would be modular in nature and carry one satellite at a time. European governments are expected to decide in December 2014 whether to proceed with full development of Ariane 6. A positive decision would mean the next-generation rocket would be available around the end of the decade.

ЦитироватьJester пишет:
ASTRA-5B fit check
 (https://forum.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/file/26249)

ЦитироватьThe heavy-lift Ariane 5 workhorse will also perform Arianespace's second mission this year – scheduled for March 7 – which is to loft SES' Astra 5B and HISPASAT's Amazonas 4A spacecraft on Flight VA216. 

ЦитироватьAriane 5 Flight VA216 is postponed for payload checks
 
February 14, 2014 – Ariane Flight VA216
In order to allow HISPASAT to perform complementary checks on its Amazonas 4A satellite, Arianespace will reschedule the Ariane 5 mission originally planned for March 7.
A new launch date will be announced soon. 
 The VA216 flight will carry Amazonas 4A for HISPASAT, along with its co-passenger: SES's ASTRA 5B spacecraft.

Цитировать The go-ahead is given for Arianespace's Ariane 5 mission with ASTRA 5B and Amazonas 4A
 
March 19, 2014 – Ariane Flight VA216
Arianespace's second Ariane 5 flight of 2014 has been approved for its March 21 liftoff following today's successful launch readiness review, which was performed at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

With today's "green light," Ariane 5 is now cleared for its March 20 rollout fr om the Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone – wh ere it will be readied for liftoff on Friday during a launch window opening at 7:05 p.m. local time in French Guiana.
The payload lift performance for Arianespace's latest Ariane 5 mission is more than 9,575 kg., which includes some 8,755 kg. for its two satellite passengers – ASTRA 5B and Amazonas 4A – along with the launcher's dual-payload dispenser system and satellite integration hardware.
Riding in the Ariane 5 payload "stack's" upper position is ASTRA 5B, which was built by Airbus Defence and Space for SES, and will operate from a 31.5 deg. East orbital slot. Based on the Eurostar E3000 platform, this spacecraft will be deployed first during the 34-minute flight sequence and is outfitted with 40 Ku-band and 6 Ka-band transponders.
 Amazonas 4A is installed in the payload stack's lower position, and its deployment by Ariane 5 will mark the mission's completion. The Orbital Sciences Corporation-produced satellite, which is equipped with 24 Ku-band transponders, will be operated by HISPASAT from an orbital position of 61 deg. West.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/222778.jpg)
The review is held prior to each Ariane 5 mission, ensuring that the heavy-lift vehicle and its payload are flight-ready, along with the Spaceport's infrastructure and the network of downrange tracking stations.

ЦитироватьA 24-hour delay for Arianespace's dual-payload Ariane 5 mission

March 20, 2014 – Ariane Flight VA216

High winds at ground level prevented today's transfer of the Ariane 5 launcher for Arianespace's Flight VA216 mission with ASTRA 5B and Amazonas 4A, resulting in a 24-hour postponement of this mission from the Spaceport in French Guiana.

The Ariane 5 and its two telecommunications satellite payloads remain in a safe condition inside the Final Assembly Building. Its rollout from the facility to the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone is now scheduled for tomorrow, enabling the countdown to begin for a liftoff on Saturday, March 22 at 7:04 p.m. local time during a launch window of 58 minutes.

ASTRA 5B is located in the Ariane 5 payload "stack's" upper position and will be deployed first during the 34-minute flight sequence. It was built by Airbus Defence and Space for SES, and will operate from a 31.5 deg. East orbital slot.

Installed in the payload stack's lower position, Amazonas 4A is an Orbital Sciences Corporation-produced satellite. It will be operated by HISPASAT from an orbital position of 61 deg. West.

Launch window for VA216
UTC: From 10:04 p.m. to 11:02 p.m. on March 22, 2014

ЦитироватьSalo пишет:
 http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2014/1144.asp

ЦитироватьA 24-hour delay for Arianespace's dual-payload Ariane 5 mission

.......
Launch window for VA216
UTC: From 10:04 p.m. to 11:02 p.m. on March 22, 2014

ЦитироватьВВК пишет:

ЦитироватьSalo пишет:
  http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2014/1144.asp 

ЦитироватьA 24-hour delay for Arianespace's dual-payload Ariane 5 mission

.......
Launch window for VA216
UTC: From 10:04 p.m. to 11:02 p.m. on March 22, 2014

Вроде как в 13.04 мск получается? или нет?

ЦитироватьГригорий Ткачев пишет:
Через 2 часа 14 мин. http://www.videocorner.tv/videocorner2/live_flv/index.php?langue=en

ЦитироватьMarch 22, 2014 – Ariane Flight VA216

The workhorse Ariane 5 orbited a pair of payloads – ASTRA 5B for SES and HISPASAT'S Amazonas 4A – this evening, continuing the relationships with two customers that have come to rely on Arianespace's launch services.

Lifting off from the Spaceport in French Guiana, Flight VA216 provided a total payload lift performance of some 9,580 kg. on the delivery mission to geostationary transfer orbit.  It was one of multiple launch campaigns currently underway for Arianespace missions, covering its full launcher family – composed of the heavy-lift Ariane 5, medium-lift Soyuz and light-lift Vega.

ASTRA 5B was deployed by Ariane 5 at 27 minutes into the mission, with Amazonas 4A separated from the launcher at 34 minutes after liftoff.

This was Ariane 5's second flight in 2014, and the 73rd overall launch of the vehicle – continuing its on-target track record with the 59th consecutive success.  The mission was designated Flight VA216 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system.

Ariane 5 also continued its high delivery accuracy, providing an on-target delivery with the following estimated orbital parameters at the injection of its cryogenic upper stage:
- Perigee: 249.7 km. for a target of 249.7 km.
- Apogee: 35,895 km. for a target of 35,888 km.
- Inclination: 2.99 deg. for a target of 3.00 deg.

Chairman and CEO Stéphane Israël noted that ASTRA 5B was the SES group's 39th satellite to use Arianespace launchers in the framework of a 25-year-long cooperation that started in December 1988 with the launch of ASTRA 1A.  SES operates the leading direct-to-home (DTH) satellite broadcast system in Europe based on its ASTRA family of satellites, serving more than 135 million households via cable and DTH networks.

Спойлер

ASTRA 5B was produced by Airbus Defence and Space using a Eurostar 3000 L platform, and had a mass at liftoff of more than 5,700 kg.  It is fitted with 40 active Ku-band and 6 Ka-band transponders, and will be positioned at 31.5 degrees East. Also aboard ASTRA 5B is an L-band payload for the European geostationary navigation overlay system, EGNOS.

Amazonas 4A was the eighth satellite launched by Arianespace for Spain, and the sixth for HISPASAT.  It is part of the Amazonas relay platform series that is expanding HISPASAT's business over South America.

"I am happy that, tonight, we have been up to the trust HISPASAT placed in our service, and I wish Amazonas 4A a safe journey to its final destination," Israël said in comments from the Spaceport's mission control center.  "I have no doubt it will be there on spot to broadcast worldwide the images of La Roja's victory in the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil!"

As the 25th Orbital Sciences Corporation-built satellite launched by Arianespace, Amazonas 4A is based on a GEOStar-2.4 platform, and weighed in at about 3,000 kg. for liftoff.  This high-power satellite's 24 active Ku-band transponders will provide a broad range of telecommunications services across all of South America, and has a design life of 15 years.

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьPower system failure detected on Amazonas 4A
 BY STEPHEN CLARK (mailto:sclark@spaceflightnow.com)
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: April 17, 2014
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/92725.gif)
 
Engineers are studying an unspecified power subsystem anomaly on the recently-launched Amazonas 4A communications satellite that will likely reduce the spacecraft's transponder capacity unless it can be fixed, officials said this week.
 

Спойлер

Built by Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp. for Hispasat of Madrid, the spacecraft launched March 22 on top of an Ariane 5 rocket and positioned itself into geostationary orbit 22,300 miles over the equator to begin activations and tests. It was supposed to enter service late this spring.
But Hispasat announced Monday an anomaly was detected in the spacecraft's power subsystem.
"Hispasat and Orbital, the company responsible for the satellite's construction, are looking into the possible cause of this anomaly and taking corrective action," Hispasat said in a statement. "The satellite is currently secure in its geostationary orbit in the position where in orbit tests will be conducted."
Speaking to investment analysts in a previously-scheduled earnings call Thursday, Orbital chairman and chief executive David Thompson described the problem on Amazonas 4A as a "partial electrical system failure" that occurred about two weeks ago.
"If it cannot be fixed, this problem will likely reduce the transponder capacity of the satellite during its 15-year operational lifetime," Thompson said.
Amazonas 4A is based on Orbital's GEOStar 2 satellite platform and weighed nearly 6,500 pounds fully fueled at liftoff.
Hispasat said the economic impact of the problem to the company "would be negligible because the satellite's insurance policy covers all potential incidents."
The Spanish operator said there was a contingency plan in place to prevent any disruption in service.
Amazonas 4A is fitted with 24 Ku-band transponders to broadcast high-definition television over South America. Officials aimed to have the satellite in service by June to bolster communications infrastructure to broadcast the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Thompson did not disclose details of the satellite's problem, but he said engineers are part of the way through an investigation into the failure's root cause.
He said there is no indication the anomaly is a fleet-wide issue that could affect other satellites already in space or under construction.
"We're focused on two of the highly likely causes of the failure," Thompson said. "One of those, although I don't want to get into too much detail here, had to with something that was specific to the Amazonas 4A satellite that is not done on any prior or any current satellite in production."
The other potential failure mode, Thompson said, involves a well-known component with extensive heritage on flying satellites. Orbital already planned to phase out that part and replace it with a new design, and Amazonas 4A was the final Orbital-built satellite to use the previous component, according to Thompson.

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"For those reasons, we don't anticipate this problem being systematic in any way," Thompson said. "This isn't a latent problem that might arise from a satellite already in orbit, and given the other characteristics of the likely causes of the problem, it's not one we would expect to encounter on any satellites currently in design or production."

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Garrett Pierce, Orbital's chief financial officer, told analysts the company's first quarter revenues were $13 million lower than expected due to the potential loss of performance incentives attributable to the Amazonas 4A anomaly, resulting in a $6.4 million reduction in operating income.
Pierce said the company expects to book insurance proceeds related to the anomaly in the second quarter financial results, which should offset the hit on the financial statements released Thursday.
Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1 (http://www.twitter.com/stephenclark1/).

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ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
Я чтото так и не смог понять в чём состоит проблема. По непонятной причине выдаваемая на транспондеры мощность меньше расчётной или есть чтото более конкретное?

ЦитироватьСтарый пишет:
Проявляется то проблема в чём? Транспондеры не выдают мощность?

Цитироватьanik пишет:
Упс... Надо было подольше на Земле его подержать... Дважды откладывали пуск из-за проблем с "Амазонасом"...

Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes

Hispasat's Amazonas 4A, built by Orbital & launched 3 wks ago, has power-system anomaly. Investigation ongoing on cause/consequences.

Цитироватьanik пишет:
Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes

Hispasat Amazonas 4A likely to suffer 50% capacity dip from power system failure, industry officials say. Sat insured for EUR 145M ($199M).

Цитироватьanik пишет:

One industry official said the satellite has been unable to fully deploy one of its solar arrays

ЦитироватьVeganin пишет:

Цитироватьanik   пишет:
Упс... Надо было подольше на Земле его подержать... Дважды откладывали пуск из-за проблем с "Амазонасом"...

Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes

Hispasat's Amazonas 4A, built by Orbital & launched 3 wks ago, has power-system anomaly. Investigation ongoing on cause/consequences.

Надо было кусачками поработать - глядишь, в Тихий океан упал бы и Орбиталу не пришлось бы объяснять заказчикам, что на других спутниках компоненты нужной кондиции   ТЗЧ и точка.

ЦитироватьHispasat and Orbital continue to evaluate the issue but both companies have made statements suggesting that the anomaly is permanent and will reduce the broadcasting capacity of the satellite's Ku-band payload.
 
Thompson said the investigation is focusing on two possible causes of the problem. In both cases, he said, the issue is isolated to Amazonas 4A and will not affect any other Orbital-built satellites in orbit or in production.
 
One of the failure scenarios "had to do with something that was specific to the Amazonas 4A, that is not done on any prior satellite or any satellite in production," Thompson said.
 
"The other failure mode is focused on a component that we have used many times in the past — at least 50 of these have been used by us over the last 10-12 years." Thompson said. "It probably comes down to a combination of unit-to-unit variability compounded by certain peculiar aspects of this particular satellite."
 
For reasons unrelated to Amazonas 4A, Orbital is no longer using this component design.
 
Orbital Chief Financial Officer Garrett E. Pierce said during the conference call that the company's revenue for the three months ending March 31 was down $13 million from forecasts because of the Amazonas 4A issue. Operating income was down $6.4 million in the period because of Amazonas 4A and the likely loss of future orbital incentive payments from Hispasat.
 
Satellite owners commonly withhold about 10 percent of what they agreed to pay for a satellite pending successful operations in orbit. These payments are made annually, with interest, throughout the satellite's scheduled 15-year operating life.
 
Pierce said Orbital had taken out insurance against the potential loss of its incentive payments, and that a claim for full recovery of the $6.4 million, and "possibly more," should be received by June.
 
Thompson said he remains optimistic that an option for another satellite order from Hispasat would be exercised despite the Amazonas 4A issue.

ЦитироватьThe power system failure on the Hispasat Amazonas 4A satellite is likely to result in an estimated 50 percent loss of capacity and an insurance claim equivalent to 50 percent of the satellite's insured value of 145 million euros ($199 million), industry officials said.
Officials cautioned that the satellite's owner, Madrid-based Hispasat, has not yet informed insurance underwriters of a precise estimate of the capacity loss. The estimate will depend on how much power margin Hispasat built into the spacecraft and whether the anomaly, in addition to cutting available power, will have the effect of reducing the satellite's planned 15-year service life.

ЦитироватьLuxembourg, June 2nd, 2014 – SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) announces that the ASTRA 5B satellite went live today at the orbital position of 31.5 degrees East over Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The spacecraft provides DTH (Direct-to-Home) as well as direct-to-cable services and contribution feeds to digital terrestrial television networks in its target markets.

ASTRA 5B was successfully launched by an Ariane 5 rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guyana, on March 22nd, 2014. Since then, the spacecraft has successfully completed a number of in-orbit maneuvers and undergone a series of extensive in-orbit tests to confirm its flawless performance.

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ASTRA 5B was built by Airbus Defence and Space Systems in Toulouse, France, based on the highly reliable Eurostar E3000 platform. The satellite is equipped with 40 Ku-band transponders (36 MHz equivalent) and 6 Ka-band transponders. The spacecraft also carries the second SES hosted L-band payload for the European Commission's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). EGNOS helps to verify, improve and report on the reliability and accuracy of positioning signals in Europe.

ASTRA 5B replaces ASTRA 1G at the orbital position of 31.5 degrees East, SES's new video neighborhood for CEE, Russia and CIS. With ASTRA 5B the available capacity at that SES slot increases from 19 to 40 active transponders. The maneuver illustrates SES's capabilities to successfully develop new orbital positions using spacecraft that have achieved their primary missions, until the orbital slot is supplemented with fresh, state-of-the-art satellite capacity.

Martin Halliwell, Chief Technology Officer at SES, stated: "In line with our well-defined strategy, ASTRA 5B greatly increases SES's satellite capacities over CEE, Russia and the CIS. With the Operational Service Date (OSD) of ASTRA 5B, SES has as of today 1,536 active satellite transponders on its global satellite fleet, comprising 55 active spacecraft at 37 orbital slots around the world. We would like to thank our European partners at Airbus Defence and Space Systems and Arianespace for the successful ASTRA 5B mission."

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SES S.A. | 02.06.2014

ЦитироватьВВК пишет:
Не подскажет кто, а этой позицией 31,5 до Астры -1G кто пользовался?

Цитироватьche wi пишет:
03.06.2014 08:39:21
            
            
               

ЦитироватьВВК пишет:
Не подскажет кто, а этой позицией 31,5 до Астры -1G кто пользовался?

Optus A3 (Aussat 3) там когда-то был, потом Astra 1D, Astra 5A (Sirius 2), Astra 2C.