Superbird-8, GSAT-18 - Ariane 5 ECA (VA231) - Куру ELA-3 - 05.04.2018 21:34 UTC

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Заключительное слово

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/liftoff-of-arianespaces-ariane-5-with-dsn-1superbird-8-and-hylas-4/

Ariane 5 | April 5, 2018

Liftoff of Arianespace's Ariane 5 with DSN-1/Superbird-8 and HYLAS 4

The Arianespace mission with DSN-1/Superbird-8 and HYLAS 4 is now underway following Ariane 5's liftoff from the Spaceport in French Guiana.

Total lift performance for the launch is estimated at 10,260 kg., with the two satellites to be deployed to geostationary transfer orbit during a flight lasting just under 34 minutes.

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/va242-launch-success/

Ariane 5 | April 5, 2018

200+ satellites launched: Ariane 5 surpasses key milestone on its latest dual-payload success


The Ariane 5 for Flight VA242 is shown ready for liftoff at the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone.

Telecommunications satellites for two major Arianespace customers – Japan's SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation and Avanti Communications of the UK – were orbited today on a record-breaking flight for the launch services provider.

Ariane 5 lofted the DSN-1/Superbird-8 and HYLAS 4 payloads from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana during a flight lasting just under 34 minutes, and in doing so, exceeded the 200-mark in the number of satellites launched during its operational career (DSN-1/Superbird-8 is #200; HYLAS 4 is #201).

The heavy-lift workhorse delivered an estimated total lift performance of 10,260 kg. on today's flight, including the two passengers and hardware for its dual-payload deployment system. Designated VA242 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system, this mission was the 242nd launch of an Ariane-series vehicle to date, as well as the 83rd Ariane 5 success since 2002.

Спойлер

Another launch at the service of Japan

As the 19th SKY Perfect JSAT satellite entrusted to Arianespace for launch, DSN-1/Superbird-8 – a dual-use relay platform – rode in the upper payload position on Ariane 5 and was deployed first on today's flight.

Its Superbird-8 payload uses high-performance Ku- and Ka-band transponders for communications services primarily in the Japanese market. DSN-1 is an X-Band Defense Communications Satellite, in association with the Program to Upgrade and Operate X-Band Satellite Communications Function, for which the DSN Corporation, a subsidiary of SKY Perfect JSAT, has concluded a program contract with Japan's Ministry of Defense.



"We are proud to help provide civilian and defense satellite communication services for the Japanese market and Japan's Ministry of Defense," said Arianespace Chairman and CEO Stéphane Israël, who provided his post-flight comments from the Spaceport's mission control center.

Koki Koyama, Board Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer of SKY Perfect JSAT, thanked Arianespace for today's mission success and noted that his company's first satellite – JSAT-1 – was launched on an Ariane vehicle in March 1989. "JSAT-1 served many customers and became part of the business foundation of SKY Perfect JSAT," he said, adding that SKY Perfect JSAT was now looking forward to a long life with DSN-1/Superbird-8 at the service of both civilian and defense ministry operators.

DSN-1/Superbird-8 was produced by MELCO (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation) using a DS2000 platform, with manufacturing management provided by NEC Corporation. It is the third MELCO-built satellite to be launched by Arianespace and will operate from a final orbital position at 162 deg. East Longitude.

Delivering satellite communications across Europe

Completing today's mission was the deployment of HYLAS 4, which was released from Ariane 5's lower passenger position. Once it its final orbital slot of 33.5 deg. West Longitude, this platform will deliver high-speed, reliable and secure satellite communications in Ka-band to Internet service providers (ISPs), mobile network operators (MNOs), governments and satellite operators across Europe.

"With the launch of this high-throughput satellite, Arianespace is proud to help provide services in regions such as West and Central Africa," Israël said. Produced by Orbital ATK, HYLAS 4's steerable beams also enable coverage for Europe, South America, the Caribbean and Middle East.

The CEO also gave special thanks to Ariane 5 production prime contractor ArianeGroup, the European Space Agency, the French CNES space agency, the ground contractors in French Guiana and his own teams at Arianespace.

The 2018 launch cadence continues

Flight VA242 was Arianespace's third mission so far this year. Next up in the company's launch manifest is another with Ariane 5: Flight VA243, which is scheduled to orbit the GSAT-11 and Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 satellites on May 25.

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http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/va242-launch-success/

Ariane 5 | April 5, 2018

Mission success: Flight VA242 orbits DSN-1/Superbird-8 for SKY Perfect JSAT and HYLAS 4 for Avanti Communications



Arianespace has successfully launched two telecommunications satellites: DSN-1/Superbird-8 for the Japanese operator SKY Perfect JSAT; and HYLAS 4 for the British operator Avanti Communications.

Arianespace's third launch of the year took place on Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 6:34 p.m. (local time) from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

With this 98th launch of Ariane 5, the heavy-lift launcher has now transported more than 200 satellites since its entry in service.

Спойлер

Arianespace: long-standing partner to SKY Perfect JSAT, and the operator of reference in Japan

DSN-1/Superbird-8 is the 19th satellite launched by Arianespace for SKY Perfect JSAT. SKY Perfect JSAT is the leading satellite operator in Asia, and plays a major role in the satellite broadcasting and telecommunications markets.

Arianespace has two more SKY Perfect JSAT satellites in its order book: Horizons 3e and JCSAT-17.

Superbird-8 will provide telecom services, primarily for the Japanese market, and will replace Superbird-B2, launched by Arianespace in 2000.

DSN-1 is an X-Band Defense Communications Satellite, in association with the Program to Upgrade and Operate X-Band Satellite Communications Function, for which the DSN Corporation, a subsidiary of SKY Perfect JSAT, has concluded a program contract with Japan's Ministry of Defense.

With this latest successful launch, Arianespace confirms its status as a benchmark launch services provider for the country's two leading operators, SKY Perfect JSAT and B-SAT.

Since launching JCSAT-1 in 1989, Arianespace holds nearly 75% of the Japanese geostationary satellite launch market open to competition.

Arianespace at the service of Avanti Communications

Arianespace has launched the entire operational fleet of British operator Avanti Communications. HYLAS 4 is the third satellite launched for this company by Arianespace, following HYLAS 1 (in November 2010) and HYLAS 2 (August 2012). The HYLAS 3 auxiliary payload, integrated in the EDRS-C satellite, will be launched as well by Ariane 5.

At the forefront of Ka-band satellite communications in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Avanti Communications' HYLAS satellite fleet provides broadband Internet access via top service providers to homess, schools, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and governments.

Thanks to its Ka-band capacity, HYLAS 4 will provide secure and reliable satellite communications services to Internet Service Providers (ISP), Mobile Network Operators (MNO's), governments and satellite operators throughout Europe. This High Throughput satellite will also cover regions in central and western Africa, while its steerable spotbeams will enable it to cover Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East and South America.

Ariane 5 has launched more than 200 satellites since 1996

With today's Flight VA242 mission, the 98th completed by Ariane 5 since it entered service in 1996, Arianespace has now launched its 200th and 201st satellites with its heavy-lift launcher. This is a record for the Ariane launcher family, since the previous generation of Ariane 4 vehicles had orbited a total of 187 satellites during its entire service life. The 201 satellites were launched for 70 different customers, amounting to a cumulative total mass more than 775 metric tons.

Shortly after the announcement of the orbital injection of the two satellites, Stéphane Israël, Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace, said:

"Arianespace is very proud to serve our Japanese and British customers with this third launch of 2018. We are very honored by SKY Perfect JSAT's ongoing trust in us, since we have launched 19 of their satellites since 1989; and by the trust of the Japanese Ministry of Defense. Congratulations go to Avanti Communications, which has entrusted us with the launch of all three of its satellites now in orbit. I would like to congratulate NEC Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, builders of DSN-1/Superbird-8, and Orbital ATK, which built HYLAS 4.

"I would also like to thank all of our partners in this new Ariane 5 success which confirms the launcher's outstanding reliability: ArianeGroup, together with the entire industrial sector; ESA, which provides key support for the Ariane program; CNES/CSG, our ground segment companies and all staff at the launch center, who are mobilized with us for a sustained launch rate. And finally, "bravo" to everyone at Arianespace who successfully completed this third launch of the year."

The DSN-1/Superbird-8 satellite was built on a DS2000 platform by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO), with NEC as prime contractor.

Once positioned at 162° East longitude, it will replace Superbird-B2, launched by Arianespace in 2000, and will cover Japan and neighboring regions. It weighed 5,348 kg. at liftoff and offers a design life exceeding 15 years.

HYLAS 4 was built by Orbital ATK.

It is a very-high-throughput Ka-band satellite, with 53 operational transponders and four gateway beams.

Positioned at 33.5° West, it will provide broadband communications and connectivity services in Africa and Europe. It weighed 4,050 kg at liftoff and offers a design life of 15 years.

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 1 ч. назад

Arianespace has reached a new record with #Ariane5: 201 satellites launched, representing a total mass of more than 775 tons and supporting 70 different customers. The previous record was 187 satellites with #Ariane4. #MissiontoSuccess

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Launch Successful - VA242

arianespace

Опубликовано: 5 апр. 2018 г.

(0:59)

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Запись трансляции пуска (англ. яз.)

Arianespace Flight VA242 - HYLAS 4 and DSN-1/Superbird-8 (EN)

arianespace

Трансляция началась 2 часа назад

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То же на фр. яз. (1:15:05)

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Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 1 ч. назад

The Hylas 4 satellite has separated, completing the Ariane mission. 4 objects in geotransfer orbit: Kirameki 1, Hylas 4, SYLDA and the ESC-A rocket stage.

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Caleb Henry‏ @CHenry_SN 2 ч. назад

Side booster separation. #VA242

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Successful Mission Arianespace VA242 - HYLAS 4 et DSN-1/Superbird-8

arianespace

Опубликовано: 5 апр. 2018 г.

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Arianespace Flight VA242 - Official Speeches

arianespace

Опубликовано: 5 апр. 2018 г.

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НОРАД обнаружил все 4 объекта запуска

Код Выделить Развернуть

0 TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
1 43271U 18033A   18095.98574083 -.00000306  00000-0  00000+0 0  9998
2 43271   2.9988 346.2478 7278358 177.5650  60.6525  2.28061466    09

0 TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
1 43272U 18033B   18095.98187626 -.00000304  00000-0  00000+0 0  9990
2 43272   3.0317 345.5056 7276687 178.2550  57.5939  2.28513621    01

0 TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
1 43273U 18033C   18095.98355796 -.00000305  00000-0  00000+0 0  9997
2 43273   3.0201 345.8329 7278421 177.9376  58.9354  2.28362514    09

0 TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
1 43274U 18033D   18095.95328138 -.00000297  00000-0  00000+0 0  9995
2 43274   3.0192 346.8471 7253340 176.8546  34.4696  2.31045398    08
43271 / 18033A: 257 x 35 747 km x 2.999°
43272 / 18033B: 253 x 35 687 km x 3.032°
43272 / 18033C: 251 x 35 710 km x 3.020°
43274 / 18033D: 260 x 35 323 km x 3.019°

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http://spaceflight101.com/ariane-5-va242/ariane-5-va242-launch-success/

Ariane 5 Blasts Off at Sunset on Heavy-Haul with Japanese & U.S.-Built Communications Satellite Pair
 April 5, 2018

Photo: Arianespace Webcast

Loaded with a payload mass of over ten metric tons, Europe's Ariane 5 rocket pierced into the twilight haze over French Guiana on Thursday on a flight to redeem itself after a nail-biting mission in January that saw the rocket take a wrong turn and lift its passengers into an erroneous orbit. Coming back ten weeks after the January mission, Ariane 5 was tasked with lifting the Superbird-8/DSN-1 satellite for Japan and HYLAS 4 for London-based operator Avanti Communications.

Ariane 5 blasted off fr om the edge of the Amazon at 21:34 UTC, 6:34 p.m. local time – just three minutes before sunset over the Atlantic-side launch pad. Riding into low-hanging clouds, Ariane 5 fired its boosters for the first two minutes and 15 seconds of the flight before they dropped away and the vehicle continued its express flight across the ocean powered by its cryogenic core stage alone. The 17-meter long fairing separated three and a half minutes into the flight and the second stage of the rocket took over at the nine-minute mark to complete the final boost into orbit, tasked with accelerating the satellites to nearly 9.5 Kilometers per second at the point of engine shutdown.

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Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES/Optique Video du CSG

Checking off its 93rd successful flight since debuting in 1996, Ariane 5 dispatched the semi-secret Superbird-8/DSN-1 dual-use commercial/military communications satellite 28 minutes after launch. HYLAS 4, built by Orbital ATK for Avanti, was released at T+34 minutes to mark the successful conclusion of Ariane's comeback mission.

The year was off to a somewhat rocky start for the Ariane 5 workhorse, lifting off on January 25 with the SES 14 and Al Yah 3 satellites on what was expected to be a rare Supersynchronous Transfer Mission by the vehicle. However, Ariane 5 lifted off with faulty programming in its inertial navigation system that caused the vehicle to roll by 20 degrees immediately after taking flight and heading off on a flight path shifted to the south by 20 degrees from the desired flight trajectory – resulting in the satellites reaching a less-than-optimal orbit and having to spend additional propellants to rectify the situation.


Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES/Optique Video du CSG

In the weeks after, it transpired that the specific mission parameters of the VA241 flight required an azimuth setting of 70 degrees to be put into the rocket's navigation system whereas virtually all other Geotransfer missions employed a 90-degree setting. It is therefore clear why all entities reviewing the parameters did not spot the erroneous input due to it usually being 90°; it is however less clear why launch simulations with the input parameters did not reveal the off-nominal flight trajectory.

An independent investigation led by ESA zeroed-in on the human error that caused the faulty azimuth setting in the rocket's navigation platform and how this was missed in the rigorous pre-flight validation process. A number of recommendations were made to strengthen the quality control related to the development and validation of flight parameters for Ariane 5; and a CNES-led inquiry studied the response of the flight safety team to the launch vehicle deviating from its flight path, but, to best public knowledge, remain just inside the bounds of allowable safety limits.


Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES/Optique Video du CSG

Getting back on track after overcoming January's close call, Arianespace is eyeing up to 14 missions of its launch vehicle fleet this year if the current manifest can remain in place despite the typical schedule fluidity in the space flight business. Per the company's 2018 plans, Ariane 5 would fly up to seven missions, six in its ECA configuration to deliver pairs of satellites into Geostationary Transfer and send  ESA's BepiColombo mission on a long odyssey to Mercury; the lone flight of the ES variant will be in support of the Galileo constellation.

Named VA242 in Arianespace's numbering system of missions, Thursday's Ariane 5 carried a total payload upmass of 10,260 Kilograms including the 5,348-Kilogram Superbird-8/DSN-1 riding in the upper passenger slot and the 4,050-Kilogram HYLAS 4 affixed to the rocket's second stage and enshrouded by the Sylda adapter that allows Ariane 5 to launch two sizeable satellites in a stacked configuration.


Superbird-8/DSN-1 Satellite – Image: SKY Perfect JSAT

Superbird-8/DSN-1 fulfills a dual role in military and commercial communications, flying under SKY Perfect JSAT's commercial fleet and joining DSN Corp's two-satellite constellation designed to deliver encrypted communications to the Japanese government and the country's armed forces.

Built on the DS2000 platform by Mitsubishi Electric, the satellite had been targeting a 2016 launch date until it sustained severe damage due to an overpressurization in its climate-controlled transport container when being shipped to French Guiana. As a result, it had to be sent back for refurbishment and re-testing, setting the project back by nearly two years.

The commercial part of the satellite, to be re-named Superbird-B3 once in orbit, comprises a series of Ku/Ka-Band transponders designed to deliver business telecommunications and VSAT networking as part of JSAT's fleet. It is replacing the Superbird-B2 satellite launched in 2000 and, through the use of modern-day technology, also allows for significant expansion services to be offered.


DS-2000 Components – Photo: Mitsubishi Electric

DSN Corporation, a subsidiary of SKY Perfect JSAT with involvement of a number of other Japanese companies, was formed as the country's first Private Finance Initiative in which the involved companies incur the capital investment in realizing the two-satellite DSN system and then drive in annual revenue from the lease of the system to the Japanese government through 2031.

DSN comprises two space segment elements: DSN-1 is a hosted X-Band payload riding on Superbird-8 & positioned at 162 degrees East to cover Japan and the Asia-Pacific Region; and DSN-2, a dedicated satellite stationed further west to provide additional coverage across the Indian Ocean and deployed forces in the area. Given its military nature, no detailed information on the structure of DSN is available and neither are any photos of its satellites published before launch.

>> Superbird-8/DSN-1 Satellite Overview


Image: Orbital ATK


Photo: Arianespace/ESA/CNES/Optique Video du CSG

HYLAS 4 is Avanti's third owned-and-operated satellite, all three of which have launched on Arianespace vehicles. It was built by Orbital ATK as the third GEOStar-3 satellite, employing a platform that offers a revamped structure and enhanced electrical power system to support heavier and more power-demanding payloads than Orbital's predecessor satellite bus. The addition of hybrid and electric propulsion capability allows for flexible maneuvering and a longer operational life.

Operating from 33.5 degrees West, HYLAS 4 will deliver 66 fixed Ka-Band beams to Europe and Africa, plus four steerable beams to direct Ka-Band capacity wh ere it is needed within the satellite's footprint to support flexible broadband and networking services.

With its powerful payload, HYLAS 4 will double Avanti's total capacity and expand services to 36 countries across the globe. It is hoped to operate for up to 19 years, taking advantage of propellant margin gained by moving HYLAS 4 from a late 2017 Ariane 5 launch to the VA241 mission that paired it with a lighter upper-berth passenger and allowed it to take on more propellant.

>> HYLAS 4 Satellite Overview

Loading up on 184 metric tons of Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen, Ariane 5 stood fully fueled when computers were handed control for the final countdown sequence toward the late afternoon liftoff. The trusted Vulcain 2 engine came to life when clocks reached zero, soaring to a launch thrust of nearly 100 metric ton force under close supervision by computers that ensured the engine was up and running before committing to flight via the ignition of the boosters at 21:34:07 UTC.


Photo: Arianespace Webcast


Photo: Arianespace Webcast

Jumping off from its launch pad on the edge of the Amazon jungle, Ariane 5 had a thrust equivalent to ten Airbus A380s running at full power. Riding on pillars of fire and smoke, Ariane 5 pitched and rolled onto a due easterly departure path for a quick flight across the Atlantic Ocean, heading into a veil of darkness as it passed into the night within minutes of lifting off.

The twin EAP boosters did most of the work in the initial flight phase, contributing the majority to Ariane's total launch thrust of around 1,420 metric-ton-force – helping accelerate the launcher beyond the speed of sound just 49 seconds into the flight. Ariane 5 encountered Maximum Dynamic Pressure shortly after T+1-minute when passing 13 Kilometers in altitude.

The two boosters, each consuming some 237 metric tons of propellant, finished their job at T+2 minutes and 21 seconds, helping accelerate Ariane 5 to over 2 Kilometers per second. Burnout of the boosters was sensed by their declining chamber pressure, triggering pyrotechnics to separate the boosters and separation motors to push them away from the still-firing core stage 66 Kilometers in altitude.

Now only relying on its Vulcain engine, Ariane 5 continued towards orbit with a vacuum thrust of 136,600 Kilogram-force, tasked with accelerating the vehicle by another five Kilometers per second before handing over to the upper stage. Passing 112 Kilometers in altitude at T+3 minutes and 28 seconds, Ariane 5 split open its Swiss-built payload fairing and separated the 17-meter long halves as aerodynamic forces were no longer a danger to the payloads.


Photo: Arianespace Webcast

The first stage exhausted its supply of cryogenics eight minutes and 54 seconds into the flight when it shut down its Vulcain 2 engine, having reached a sub-orbital speed of 6.96 Kilometers per second. Four seconds later –168 Kilometers in altitude – the 30.5-meter core stage dropped away and cleared the ESC-A upper stage to take over powered flight duties.

The 6,400-Kilogram-force HM-7B engine of the second stage fired up just past T+9 minutes on a burn of 16 minutes and five seconds to provide another 2.5 Kilometers per second of delta-v to achieve the planned GTO injection speed of 9.49km/s. Ariane 5 aimed for an optimized Geostationary Transfer Orbit of 250 by 35,786 Kilometers at an inclination of only 3 degrees – taking advantage of French Guiana's low latitude plus surplus performance on the Ariane 5 to shave another three degrees off the inclination.

Ariane 5 finished its heavy haul into Geostationary Transfer Orbit just after passing T+25 minutes, concluding the powered phase of the mission. Enjoying a smooth climb, Ariane 5 traded the power of its main engine to the precision of its attitude control thrusters for the ballistic phase designed to carefully deploy the satellites on safe orbital paths.


Image: Arianespace Webcast

Springs pushed the heavy Superbird-8/DSN-1 on its way 28 minutes after launch, embarking on a semi-classified mission serving the Japanese armed forces and commercial customers across the island nation for at least 15 years. With the heavier of its two passengers away, the ESC-A upper stage maneuvered into a slightly different direction to jettison the Sylda adapter onto a different flight path than the first payload to reveal the lower passenger. HYLAS 4 sailed off at the T+34-minute mark, embarking on a mission delivering broadband services to Europe and Africa.

Checking off its return to service, Arianespace is already deep in the campaign for the next Ariane 5 mission, currently targeting liftoff on May 25 with India's heaviest communications satellite to date, GSAT-11, and the Intelsat 38 satellite for one of the world's largest satellite fleet operators.

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http://www.avantiplc.com/news/successful-launch-of-hylas-4/

Successful launch of HYLAS 4

Avanti Communications Group Plc ("Avanti"), a leading satellite operator providing Ka-band satellite data communications services across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, announces the successful launch of HYLAS 4 from Kourou, French Guiana on Ariane Flight VA242 on Thursday 5th April 2018.

The Ariane 5 rocket launched HYLAS 4 into the correct orbit on schedule. HYLAS 4 successfully separated from the Ariane 5 on time and telemetry was received by the control centre at the European Spaceport.

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David Bestwick, Chief Technology Officer of Avanti Communications, said:
"I'm pleased to announce HYLAS 4 has been successfully launched and is operating under our control. The satellite will undertake a series of pre-planned in orbit acceptance tests over the coming months before we commence service for customers.

"HYLAS 4 will set the new standard of affordability, quality and flexibility to Internet Service Providers, Mobile Network Operators, Governments and other Satellite Operators. The High Throughput Satellite (HTS) has 64 Ka-band spot beams that complement our existing coverage across Europe, East and Southern Africa, as well as providing new capacity across West and Central Africa. Furthermore, HYLAS 4 has 4 steerable beams which can provide highly flexible capacity across Africa and Latin America."

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Décollage du Vol Ariane 242 depuis le Centre spatial guyanais.

CNES CSG

Опубликовано: 5 апр. 2018 г.

 (1:02)

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/04/05/ariane-5-returns-to-service-with-dual-satellite-launch/

Ariane 5 returns to service with dual-satellite launch
April 5, 2018 | Stephen Clark


A European Ariane 5 rocket lifts off Thursday from French Guiana. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

Boosted by two solid-fueled motors and a hydrogen-burning main engine, a European Ariane 5 rocket took off Thursday from French Guiana with a Japanese military communications payload and a U.S.-built, British-owned broadband satellite, returning to service after a January mission placed two spacecraft in the wrong orbit.

Riding nearly 3 million pounds of thrust, the Ariane 5 lifted off from a launch pad nestled on the northeastern shore of South America at 2134 GMT (5:34 p.m. EDT; 6:34 p.m. French Guiana time).

The Ariane 5's on-board guidance computer commanded the rocket's twin solid rocket boosters to swivel their exhaust nozzles, steering the launcher toward the east from the Guiana Space Center, a European-funded, French-managed spaceport near Kourou, French Guiana.

The rocket's solid-fueled boosters, primarily manufactured and prepared by affiliates of the Italian company Avio, burned out and jettisoned less than two-and-a-half minutes into the flight. The Ariane 5's nose fairing, built by Ruag Space in Switzerland, dropped away from the launcher around a minute later.

Status callouts from the space center's range operations manager indicated the Ariane 5 flew right on course as it headed over the Atlantic Ocean. The Ariane 5's French-made core stage Vulcain 2 main engine shut down and separated around nine minutes after liftoff, and the German-built HM7B upper stage ignited, consuming a mix of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for around 16 minutes to place two communications satellite — named DSN 1/Superbird 8 and Hylas 4 — into an elliptical geostationary transfer orbit.

After arriving in in orbit, the Ariane 5's upper stage released the Japanese DSN 1/Superbird 8 satellite around 28 minutes into the mission. A few minutes later, the rocket jettisoned a composite structure to reveal Hylas 4 for separation.

Arianespace confirmed deployment of the Hylas 4 communications craft around Plus+34 minutes. Moments later, Arianespace chairman and chief executive Stephane Israel declared success.

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"Arianespace is delighted to announce that DSN 1/Superbird 8 and Hylas 4 have been separated as planned in their targeted geostationary transfer orbits," Israel said. "For our third launch of the year, Ariane 5 performed flawlessly. Congratulations to all."

Thursday's launch from the edge of the Amazon rainforest came a little more than two months after an Ariane 5 rocket deployed two commercial communications satellites into an off-target orbit.

Investigators probing the erroneous launch determined coordinates programmed into the Ariane 5's inertial reference units led the rocket approximately 20 degrees off course from its intended easterly trajectory seconds after liftoff Jan. 25.

The rocket performed as programmed, but the incorrect navigation input caused it to place its two satellite payloads — the SES 14 and Al Yah 3 communications satellites — into an unplanned orbit. The spacecraft will make up for the orbit shortfall using their on-board fuel, but it will take longer than planned to place the satellites into commercial service.

For details about the investigation into the Jan. 25 launch anomaly, see our earlier story.

Investigators recommended Arianespace and its parent company, Ariane Group, to improve the way engineers develop and verify documentation before a launch, and to introduce additional consistency checks to prevent the recurrence of an error like the one Jan. 25.

Arianespace said the cause of the trajectory deviation during the Jan. 25 launch was "perfectly understood and corrective measures clearly identified." The recommendations were "immediately implemented," Arianespace said, and will be applied to future Ariane 5 flights, beginning with Thursday's mission.

The Jan. 25 anomaly ended a streak of 82 consecutive flawless Ariane 5 flights dating back to 2003.

Arianespace continued its 2018 launch campaign with the successful March 9 liftoff of a Russian-built Soyuz rocket from French Guiana carrying four commercial O3b broadband satellites.

The Ariane 5 rocket launched Thursday aimed to release the DSN 1/Superbird 8 communications satellites in an elongated orbit ranging between 155 miles (250 kilometers) and 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth, with an inclination of 3 degrees to the equator.

U.S. military tracking data published late Thursday indicated the Ariane 5 reached an orbit close to the pre-flight prediction.


Technicians inside a clean room at the Guiana Space Center fuel the Hylas 4 satellite with its on-board propellant supply. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – JM Guillon

Built by Mitsubishi Electric Corp. under the contract management of NEC Corp., the DSN 1/Superbird 8 satellite has a dual mission for commercial customers in Japan and the Japanese Ministry of Defense.

The commercial part of the satellite's payload, known as Superbird 8, will provide Ku-band an Ka-band communications services in the Japanese market for Sky Perfect JSAT Corp., replacing coverage currently provided by the aging Superbird B2 satellite launched in 2000.

The rest of the satellite's telecom capacity, operating in X-band frequencies, will be employed by the Japanese Ministry of Defense through a commercial provider named DSN Corp., a subsidiary of Sky Perfect JSAT. The Japanese military's first dedicated communications satellite, known as DSN 2, launched on an H-2A rocket in January 2017.

The 11,790-pound (5,348-kilogram) DSN 1/Superbird 8 spacecraft was supposed to launch on an Ariane 5 rocket in 2016, but the satellite was damaged during its transport to the launch base from Japan aboard a cargo plane. The satellite was returned to Japan for repairs.

Also known as Kirameki 1, the Japanese telecom relay craft will enter service in the next few months.

"Kirameki 1 is extremely important to the communications infrastructure for Japanese security," said Masashi Yasuzato, a project manager at the Japanese Defense Ministry's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency. "In cooperation with Kirameki 2 launched last year, I believe this launch is very meaningful and will greatly contribute to the operations of the Japan Self-Defense Forces in the future."

The Hylas 4 communications satellite, built by Orbital ATK, will provide high-speed broadband services across Europe and Africa. Owned by London-based Avanti Communications, Hylas 4 will provide connectivity to mobile network operators and Internet providers, and beam high-speed services to civilian and defense users in governments.

Hylas 4 joins two other satellites in Avanti's network, and the newest addition is set to double the company's broadband capacity, according to David Bestwick, Avanti's chief technology officer.

"Hylas 4 is extremely important to Avanti," Bestwick said in remarks after Thursday's launch. "It more than doubles the communications capacity that we have in orbit, and it completes our coverage of Africa and the Middle East."

The new spacecraft carries 64 fixed Ka-band beams that can reach Avanti customers in Europe and Africa. Four additional steerable Ka-band beams aboard Hylas 4 can also provide coverage over Europe, Africa and South America.

"The World Bank has said that if a country can increase its broadband penetration by 10 percent, then an increase in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of 4 percent will follow," Bestick said. "Now with Hylas 4 in orbit with 100 gigabits per second of capacity, we want to help all the nations of Africa achieve that objective."

In addition to the two satellites it owns, Avanti leases Ka-band capacity on an SES-owned communications satellite, and plans to launch another broadband spacecraft on an Ariane 5 rocket in 2019 in a public-private partnership with the European Space Agency.

The 8,928-pound (4,050-kilogram) satellite is based on Orbital ATK's GEOStar 3 spacecraft platform. It carries a hydrazine-fueled thruster to conduct five major orbit-raising burns over the next 10 days, followed by the extension of the satellite's power-generating solar panels to their full span April 15.

Testing of the Hylas 4 satellite's Ka-band telecom payload will begin April 19.

Both satellites launched Thursday have missions expected to last at least 15 years.

Arianespace's next mission is scheduled for May 25, when an Ariane 5 rocket will place into orbit the Indian GSAT 11 communications satellite and Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38, a television broadcast spacecraft shared by Azerbaijan's national satellite operator and Intelsat.

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