Alphasat I-XL, Insat-3D - Ariane 5ECA (VA214) - Куру ELA-3 - 25.07.2013 19:54 UTC

[Salo]

Смотря по какому времени.

[instml]

В ночь с 25 на 26-е

[che wi]

Ферштейн.

[Space Alien]

I asked around about the launch time on Twitter. Here's the response:

Inmarsat Newsdesk ‏@InmarsatNews
@Cosmic_Penguin Alphasat launches on July 25 at 17:53 French Guiana time, subject to change.

= 20:53 UTC.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=10955.msg1069354#msg1069354

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2013/1063.asp

INSAT-3D completes initial preparations for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 flight fr om the Spaceport

July 3, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA214

India's INSAT-3D weather satellite for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 mission has completed its initial pre-launch checkout at the Spaceport in French Guiana, and is now being readied for fueling.

To be orbited along with the European Alphasat telecommunications spacecraft on July 25, INSAT-3D will provide enhanced meteorological observation and the monitoring of land/ocean surfaces with its six-channel imager and 19-channel sounder.  Also installed on the Indian spacecraft is a data relay transponder, along with a payload to assist in satellite-aided search and rescue operations.

Developed by the country's space agency – the Indian Space Research Organisation, along with its Space Applications Centre – this satellite is adapted from India's I-2K spacecraft bus.  Once fueled, INSAT-3D will have an estimated liftoff mass of 2,090 kg.

Pre-launch activities with INSAT-3D in French Guiana have included a solar array test deployment, along with a fit-check on the adapter that will serve as the interface with Ariane 5.   This week, the satellite was transferred within the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation center – moving from its previous location in the S5C large processing hall to the S5B hall, wh ere the fueling will be carried out.

Arianespace's upcoming mission with INSAT-3D and Alphasat will be its third Ariane 5 liftoff at the Spaceport in 2013, and is designated VA214 to signify the 214th launch of an Ariane-series vehicle.

Other Arianespace flights performed so far this year from French Guiana with the company's three-member launcher family were one mission each of medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega vehicles.  Completing the activity was a Soyuz flight from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, performed by the Starsem affiliate of Arianespace.


INSAT-3D undergoes its fit-check with the cone-shaped device that will serve the satellite's interface with Ariane 5.  


This activity occurred in the Spaceport S5 payload preparation center's S5C processing hall, and was followed by INSAT-3D's internal transfer to the S5B zone for fueling.

[Salo]

Всё-таки 25 июля. Окно 23:53-01:11 ЛМВ.

[Salo]

Alphasat and INSAT-3D are fueled for Arianespace's heavy-lift Ariane 5 flight from French Guiana on July 25

July 9, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA214

The two satellite passengers for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 mission are being fueled at the Spaceport, preparing them for a July 25 liftoff on the company's fifth flight in 2013 from French Guiana with its launcher family.

Utilizing the capacity and flexibility of the Spaceport's large S5 payload preparation facility, the Indian INSAT-3D meteorological platform is receiving its fuel load in the S5B hall, while Europe's Alphasat telecommunications spacecraft is undergoing a "top-off" in the separate S5A hall.

Alphasat is the largest European telecommunications satellite ever built, with a mass exceeding 6.6 metric tons when fueled.  It also is the first to use the Alphabus spacecraft bus – the result of a coordinated European response to the increased market demand for larger telecommunication payloads.

Once in orbit, Alphasat will expand the U.K.-based Inmarsat operator's global mobile telecommunication network – delivering new capabilities in terms of performance and resource availability, providing 50 percent more accessible spectrum with double spectral efficiency and nearly 20 percent more channels.  The satellite was built by Astrium, and its solar array will span nearly 40 meters once deployed in orbit, generating more than 12 kW of power.

The Alphasat mission was developed in the largest public–private partnership biggest of its kind, involving Inmarsat and the European Space Agency.  This will provide the capacity to handle more than 750 channels in L-band, with improved quality – particularly for satellite phone users.  When in service, Alphasat will augment Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service, enabling communications across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East with increased capacity.

Alphasat will ride in Ariane 5's upper payload position, while the INSAT-3D co-passenger is to be accommodated in the lower portion of the payload "stack."  Developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) – the country's space agency, along with its Space Applications Centre – INSAT-3D is to provide enhanced meteorological observation and the monitoring of land/ocean surfaces with a six-channel imager and 19-channel sounder.

Also integrated on the Indian spacecraft is a data relay transponder, along with a payload to assist in satellite-aided search and rescue operations.  INSAT-3D will have a mass at liftoff of approximately 2,100 kg.

Arianespace's July 25 mission is designated Flight VA214 to signify the 214th launch of an Ariane-series vehicle from French Guiana.  It follows the company's launcher family missions already performed at the Spaceport in 2013 by two other heavy-lift Ariane 5s, along with one mission each of medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega vehicles.  Complementing the activity during the first half of 2013 was a Soyuz flight from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, performed by the Starsem affiliate of Arianespace.


Alphasat is fueled in the S5A hall of the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation facility,


while INSAT-3D receives its fuel load in the S5B hall.

[Salo]

[Liss]

Salo пишет:
Всё-таки 25 июля. Окно 23:53-01:11 ЛМВ.

NOTAM'ы:
 

A0216/13 - TEMPORARY DANGEROUS AREA ACTIVATED DUE TO ROCKET LAUNCHING ARIANE VA214 ZA/V214 LATERAL LIMITS AS FOLLOWS QUADRILATERAL: 0511N04732W 0440N04734W 0444N04835W 0515N04833W. AMSL - UNL, DAILY 1850-2300, 25 JUL 18:50 2013 UNTIL 04 AUG 23:00 2013. CREATED: 09 JUL 15:15 2013

A0217/13 - TEMPORARY DANGEROUS AREA ACTIVATED DUE TO ROCKET LAUNCHING ARIANE VA214 ZB/V214 LATERAL LIMITS AS FOLLOWS QUADRILATERAL: 0454N04547W 0437N04548W 0445N04732W 0502N04731W. AMSL - UNL, DAILY 1850-2300, 25 JUL 18:50 2013 UNTIL 04 AUG 23:00 2013. CREATED: 09 JUL 15:25 2013

[Salo]

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Telecommunications_Integrated_Applications/Alphasat/Alphasat_stacks_up

Alphasat_stacks_up


Alphasat lifted onto launch adaptor
 
 12 July 2013 On Wednesday, Alphasat was mated with its launcher adaptor in preparation for installation on the Ariane 5 rocket.
 Several weeks ago, Ariane was checked for compatibility with an Arianespace adaptor in a dry run for this week's mating. The adaptor was developed by RUAG Aerospace Sweden with a mixed carbon fibre and aluminium structure and equipped with a low-shock clampband separation system.
 

Alphasat stack moved to pallet
 
 Adaptors securely attach a satellite to its launcher, and this one was especially designed and qualified for Alphabus, the high-power platform developed by Astrium and Thales Alenia Space.
 The clampband is a ring on top that keeps the satellite in place until the separation system releases the band and frees its payload.
 Alphasat was lifted onto the adaptor and the clampband tension adjusted. The adaptors' umbilical lines were then connected to the satellite, completing the procedure.
 After mating, the stack was bolted to a platform on air bearings and ins erted in to the large air-conditioned container that will be used to reach the Batiment d'assemblage final. There, it will be placed on top of Ariane's Sylda dual launch pod, which is used to support the upper payload during a double launch. The lower payload is India's Insat-3D co-passenger.
 Following addition of the fairing, the entire 'upper composite' will be installed on top of the waiting Ariane 5, where Insat-3D will have already been placed.

[Salo]

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Telecommunications_Integrated_Applications/Alphasat/Alphasat_carries_new_space_compass

Alphasat_carries_new_space_compass


Development of Astro APS star tracker
 
 15 July 2013 Getting into orbit is a massive undertaking. Launches are complicated and delicate affairs, but by no means the end of the story. Once a satellite arrives in space, it faces a whole new set of challenges.
 For a telecommunications satellite to do its job, it needs to know where it is pointing. Startrackers use the visible stars in much the same way as ships have for centuries.
 Alphasat, Europe's largest telecom satellite, is carrying four Technology Demonstration Payloads (TDPs). One of these is Astro APS, a new-generation startracker built by Jena-Optronik, a German company with 40 years of experience in attitude, optical and orbit control sensors.
 
 Astro APS – standing for Active Pixel Sensor – is a cut above the rest because of its toughness. Radiation is one of the many challenges that high orbits present for intricate technology, and a major requirement for a device is the ability to cope with it.
 Radiation-resiliency is such an important stipulation that another of Alphasat's TDPs, the Environmental Monitor, has the sole task of measuring it so that we can learn more about how to protect equipment in orbit.
 One of the main benefits of Astro APS' increased durability is a prolonged lifetime. TDP 6, as the startracker is also known, has a life expectancy of 18 years.
 Most technology destined for space must be built to contend with extreme temperatures, as this is one of the many factors that make space such a hostile environment. The advanced startracker is fortified to remain operational under temperatures as low as –30ºC and as high as +60ºC.
 With a titanium body, its endurance means it can keep running for longer than previous products, while also being lighter and smaller. Hosted payloads must provide as little interference with the satellite's main purpose as possible, and at less than 2 kilos, TDP 6 comes in well under the required maximum weight.

 
Paving the way for a new generation
 
 The fact that Alphasat's TDP features all of these assets is not a coincidence – Jena-Optronik and the DLR German Aerospace Center are using the opportunity provided by Inmarsat's satellite to secure flight experience for a new generation of startrackers.
 Startrackers are known for being difficult to experiment with on Earth, as even the most sophisticated imitation of space conditions cannot provide us with completely accurate and representative results. In the absence of a flight opportunity, they are tested via electronic images and the night sky but both methods come with their own limitations.
 Assessment in orbit is the only reliable way of evaluating new features.
 In light of these constraints on terrestrial startracker experiments, ESA's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme encouraged the development of technology that is both more efficient and cheaper to produce, and could capitalise on the opportunity provided by Alphasat –  which is how it now carries an instrument that weighs less than 2 kg, but can nevertheless help steer a satellite that tips the scales at almost 7 tonnes.
 
 In addition to being lighter, more resilient and less expensive, Astro APS is also smarter than its Jena-Optronik predecessors. It contains a catalogue of more than 3000 stars, specially optimised for the Alphasat mission.
 If needed, it can determine the satellite's attitude within 10 seconds without its full range of vision ora prioriinformation – colloquially known as the "lost in space" scenario – by using just the remaining visible stars.
 It is capable of autonomous attitude acquisition, which means that it can switch itself on and track the direction the satellite is pointing in automatically, while retaining the option for manual telecommands at any time.
 Previously, a challenge for previous startrackers was false stars on the detector – 'white spot noise'. This new and improved instrument can separate these distractions from the real thing.
 Apart from verifying the new-generation technology, TDP 6 also aids the experiments of TDP 1, the Laser Communication Terminal. By providing the terminal with attitude data, it improves the lasers' ability to connect with low-orbit satellites – supporting a whole new area of space technology.
 
 TDP 6: Startracker
 Access the video

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2013/1066.asp

Europe's Alphasat satellite takes its place in the payload "stack" for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 mission

July 15, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA214

Construction of the payload "stack" for Arianespace's upcoming Ariane 5 flight is now underway at the Spaceport in French Guiana, with the Alphasat satellite readied for its positioning as the mission's upper passenger.

During activity in the launch site's Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5, Alphasat was installed atop the SYLDA dispenser system, which allows two spacecraft to be deployed on the same mission.

Developed by Astrium, Alphasat is one of the most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever built. It will have a launch mass of 6,650 kg., and is the result of a large-scale public-private partnership involving Inmarsat and the European Space Agency (ESA).

The satellite carries an advanced, new generation L-band geo-mobile communications relay system that will augment Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service, enabling increased-capacity communications across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. This spacecraft features eight new-generation digital signal processors and an 11-meter antenna reflector. It also is configured with four technology demonstration payloads for ESA.

Alphasat is the first flight model of Europe's new Alphabus high capacity satellite platform, developed jointly by Astrium and Thales Alenia Space with the support of ESA and the French CNES national space agency. The goal is to address the communications satellite market's upper range – as the Alphabus platform is capable of satellite launch masses up to 8,800 kg. and power ratings as high as 22 kW.

For Arianespace's upcoming Ariane 5 launch – set for July 25 – Alphasat will be orbited along with India's INSAT-3D satellite, which has a mass at liftoff of approximately 2,100 kg. Built by the country's Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) space agency, along with its ISRO Space Applications Centre – INSAT-3D is designed to provide enhanced meteorological observation and the monitoring of land/ocean surfaces. Also carried is a data relay transponder, along with a system to assist in satellite-aided search and rescue operations.

INSAT-3D will be riding as the Ariane 5 mission's lower payload, located under Alphasat inside the SYLDA dispenser system.

The July 25 mission is designated Flight VA124 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system, signifying the 214th launch of an Ariane-series vehicle.


This series of images highlights processing activity with Alphasat at the Spaceport.  Alphasat is transferred fr om the S5 payload processing building – where it was fueled – into the large CCU3 spacecraft transportation container.


The CCU3 container is shown during its move to the Ariane 5 Final Assembly Building,


wh ere Alphasat is lowered into position atop the SYLDA disperser system.

[PIN]

Salo пишет:
Astro APS – standing for Active Pixel Sensor – is a cut above the rest because
of its toughness.

Все написанное про этой ЗД в цитируемой статье присуще и некоторым другим ЗД. Забыли, однако, об одной осоенности его - он не ослепляется Луной и полностью работоспособен при попадании Луны прямо в поле зрения.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2013/1067.asp

Alphasat is encapsulated as the upper passenger on Arianespace's upcoming dual-payload Ariane 5 mission

July 16, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA214

The upper portion of Ariane 5's dual-passenger "stack" has been completed, with the Alphasat satellite and SYLDA dispenser system now encapsulated inside the launcher's payload fairing in preparation for a July 25 liftoff fr om French Guiana.

This encapsulation occurred in the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5, adjacent to wh ere the launcher is waiting to receive Alphasat and the mission's co-passenger, INSAT-3D.

The integration process' next step will occur when INSAT-3D is positioned on the launcher's core section as the lower payload, allowing the stack to be completed with installation of the Alphasat/SYLDA/fairing combination atop it.

During the flight sequence, the payload fairing will be jettisoned first at approximately 3 minutes into the mission, followed by deployment of Alphasat at just under 28 minutes into the flight. The SYLDA dispenser is then to be released, allowing the subsequent separation of INSAT-3D to complete the Arianespace mission 32 minutes after liftoff.

Arianespace's upcoming Ariane 5 mission, designated VA214 in the company's launcher family numbering system, is scheduled on July 25 during a launch window that opens at 4:53 p.m. and continues through 6:11 p.m., local time in French Guiana.

The Alphasat passenger for this flight will have a launch mass of 6,650 kg., and it is one of the most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever built. Developed by Astrium, Alphasat is configured with an advanced, new generation L-band geo-mobile communications relay system that will augment Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service – enabling increased-capacity communications across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Development of Alphasat results from a large-scale public-private partnership involving Inmarsat with the European Space Agency (ESA), and is the first flight model of Europe's new Alphabus high capacity satellite platform.

Ariane 5's Indian INSAT-3D co-passenger on the VA214 mission will provide enhanced meteorological observation and the monitoring of land/ocean surfaces. It was developed by the country's Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) space agency along with its ISRO Space Applications Centre, and has a liftoff mass of approximately 2,100 kg.


The encapsulation of Alphasat is detailed in this photo sequence, taken inside the Ariane 5's launcher Final Assembly Building. The payload fairing is positioned for lowering over the satellite – which previously was mounted on the SYLDA dispenser.


The fairing begins its descent,


and nearly covers the 6,650 kg. spacecraft.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2013/1068.asp

INSAT-3D is installed on Ariane 5 for Arianespace's July 25 heavy-lift mission

July 17, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA214

Final payload integration is underway for Arianespace's next heavy-lift flight, with the INSAT-3D weather satellite now integrated atop its Ariane 5 launcher at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

This Indian spacecraft is installed in the lower payload position for Ariane 5's dual-passenger mission, which is set for liftoff on July 25 along with Europe's Alphasat telecommunications relay platform.

INSAT-3D's mating occurred in the upper levels of the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5.  The satellite is adapted from India's I-2K spacecraft bus and has a liftoff mass of approximately 2,100 kg. It was developed by the country's Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) space agency with its ISRO Space Applications Centre.

Carrying a six-channel imager and 19-channel sounder, INSAT-3D will provide enhanced meteorological observation and the monitoring of land/ocean surfaces.  The satellite also carries a data relay transponder, as well as a system to assist in satellite-aided search and rescue operations.

INSAT-3D's co-passenger for the upcoming Ariane 5 flight is the 6,650-kg. Alphasat satellite, which is one of the most sophisticated commercial communications spacecraft ever built.  Developed by Astrium, it is configured with an advanced, new-generation L-band geo-mobile communications relay system to augment Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service provided by the U.K.-based telecommunications operator Inmarsat – enabling increased-capacity communications across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Alphasat is the result of a large-scale public-private partnership involving Inmarsat and the European Space Agency (ESA), and represents the first flight model of Europe's new Alphabus high capacity satellite platform.  It will ride in the upper position of Ariane 5's payload "stack."

The July 25 mission with Ariane 5 – designated Flight VA214 in its launcher family numbering system – will be Arianespace's third heavy-lift launch in 2013 from the Spaceport.  In addition, Arianespace has conducted one mission each at French Guiana of the medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega members of its launcher family.  Complementing the activity in the first half of 2013 was a Soyuz flight from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, performed by the Starsem affiliate of Arianespace.


This photo, taken in the upper levels of the Spaceport's Ariane 5 Final Assembly Building, shows INSAT-3D as it is installed atop the heavy-lift vehicle's core stage section.

Launch window for Ariane VA214
UTC Between 7:53 p.m. and 9:11 p.m. on July 25, 2013

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/images/launch-kits/launch-kit-pdf-eng/VA214-launch-kit-ENGLISH.pdf

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2013/1069.asp

Both payloads for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 flight are now mated to the launcher

July 18, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA214

The heavy-lift Ariane 5 for Arianespace's July 25 mission from French Guiana is now complete following integration of its full payload "stack," consisting of the Alphasat and INSAT-3D spacecraft.

Encapsulated in its ogive-shaped protective fairing, Alphasat was lowered into place yesterday over INSAT-3D – which was installed atop Ariane 5's cryogenic core stage during activity earlier in the week.

These integration steps were performed inside the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5, enabling a new series of preparation milestones to begin. They include the launch readiness review on July 23, followed by Ariane 5's rollout to the ELA-3 launch zone the next day, and subsequent countdown to the July 25 liftoff during a 1-hour, 18-minute launch window that opens at 4:53 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

Ariane 5 is to deliver a payload lift performance of more than 9,750 kg. for the upcoming mission, which includes a combined total of some 8,770 kg. for Alphasat and INSAT-3D, plus the launcher's SYLDA dual-passenger dispenser system and satellite integration hardware.

Riding as the upper payload in Ariane 5's stack is Europe's Alphasat telecommunications spacecraft, which will be released at approximately 27 minutes after liftoff. Developed by Astrium, it is the result of a large-scale public-private partnership involving Inmarsat and the European Space Agency (ESA), and represents the first flight model of Europe's new Alphabus high capacity satellite platform.

INSAT-3D – which is adapted from India's I-2K spacecraft bus – will be deployed from Ariane 5's lower passenger position at approximately 32 minutes into the flight. This Indian meteorological satellite was developed by the country's Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) space agency with its ISRO Space Applications Centre.


During integration activity inside the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5, the payload fairing containing Alphasat is lowered over INSAT-3D to create the launcher's dual-payload "stack."

[Space Alien]

Passengers for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 mission have a high-visibility representation on the payload fairing


It is a tradition for satellite passengers on Arianespace missions to be accompanied by their logos on a launch vehicle's payload fairing during the first minutes of flight – and this week's Ariane 5 mission with Alphasat and INSAT-3D is no exception.

During recent activity in the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5, a decal with the logo for Inmarsat – which will operate the Alphasat spacecraft once in orbit – was positioned on the fairing's upper portion.

Below it is a horizontal band of symbols for INSAT-3D: the Indian flag; the Indian Space Research Organisation's logo, along with India's national emblem based on the Lion Capital of Ashoka; and the INSAT-3D name written in Sanskrit and English.

Also included on the fairing are logos for the European Space Agency (ESA), UK Space Agency and the French CNES space agency – all representing the partnership that have backed Alphasat's development.

Alphasat carries an advanced, new-generation L-band geo-mobile communications relay system to augment Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service, enabling increased-capacity communications across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It also is configured with four technology demonstration payloads for ESA.

As Europe's largest telecommunications satellite ever built, Alphasat is the result of a public-private partnership with ESA and Inmarsat, evolved under ESA's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) program.  The UK Space Agency –with the support of the UK's Regional Development Agencies for London, South-East England and East of England – was instrumental in making Alphasat a reality by supporting the development of critical new payload technologies under the ESA ARTES program.

Alphasat is the first of a new satellite bus design for high-power communications relay platforms – designated Alphabus – developed by Astrium and Thales Alenia Space.  The CNES space agency was in charge of defining this product line and participating in developing certain equipment within French industry. CNES brought its expertise in integrating a variety of partnerships between agencies and industry, while also providing its experience in guiding the development of complex and innovative systems.

The INSAT-3D co-passenger on Ariane 5's upcoming mission will provide enhanced meteorological observation and the monitoring of land/ocean surfaces with a six-channel imager and 19-channel sounder. In addition, the Indian spacecraft caries a data relay transponder along with a payload to assist in satellite-aided search and rescue operations.

The Ariane 5 liftoff with Alphasat and INSAT-3D is set for a July 25 at the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch complex.  Designated Flight VA214, this mission will have a duration of just under 33 minutes.  The launch vehicle's payload fairing – which also includes the Arianespace corporate logo – will protect Ariane 5's two satellite passengers during its ascent through the denser layers of the atmosphere, and will be jettisoned at 3 min., 17 sec. into the flight.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2013/1070.asp

[G.K.]

Salo пишет:
 Both payloads for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 flight are now mated to the launcher

Пара вопросов к этой новости:
1. Чёрная проставка- это и есть тот объект, который отделяется при пуске Ариан-5? (силда)
2. Что за белая "прокладка" между ГО и проставкой?

[Salo]