SGDC 1, Koreasat-7 (Mugungwa 7) – Ariane 5 ECA – Куру ELA-3 – 04.05.2017 21:50 UTC

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 21 мин. назад

#Ariane5 has rolled out to the launch pad for tomorrow's dual-passenger mission w/ #SGDC and #KOREASAT-7. See you at 20:31 UTC for liftoff!

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Arianespace‏ @Arianespace 9 мин. назад

#Ariane5 is present in the ELA-3 launch zone with #SGDC and #KOREASAT-7 payloads. Liftoff is at 20:31 UTC tomorrow http://bit.ly/2pFUcyc 

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/va236-ariane-5-rollout/

Ariane 5 | May 3, 2017
 
Ariane 5 is ready for Arianespace's fourth mission of 2017
 
The heavy-lift Ariane 5 for Arianespace's fourth flight of 2017 is now in the launch zone, poised for a dual-payload mission fr om the Spaceport in French Guiana tomorrow to orbit telecommunications relay platforms for Brazil and South Korea.


The Ariane 5 for Arianespace Flight VA236 moves into position at the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone.
 
Equipped with the SGDC and KOREASAT-7 satellite passengers, the Ariane 5 was transferred today from the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone, wh ere it is scheduled for liftoff on May 4 during a launch window that opens at 5:31 p.m., local time in French Guiana.

Designated Flight VA236 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system, Ariane 5's total payload lift performance on this mission to geostationary transfer orbit is estimated at 10,289 kg.

SGDC (Geostationary Satellite for Communications and Defense) is the upper passenger, and will be released at 28 minutes after liftoff. Riding in the lower payload position is KOREASAT-7, which is to be deployed 36 minutes into the mission.

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Providing relay capacity for South America and Asia

Both SGDC and KOREASAT-7 were produced in France by Thales Alenia Space using this company's Spacebus satellite platforms.

Based on the Spacebus 4000C4 configuration, SGDC is the initial satellite to be launched by Arianespace for Telebras S.A., performed within the framework of a contract with SGDC prime contractor VISIONA Tecnologia Espacial S.A.

It will operate from an orbital position of 75 deg. West with Ka- and X-band transponders, providing sovereign and secure means for Brazilian government and defense strategic communications, as well as high-quality Internet services to 100 percent of the Brazilian territory as part of the National Broadband Plan.

KOREASAT-7 was built with a Spacebus 4000B2 platform, and will be the third KOREASAT satellite launched by Arianespace for ktsat – a wholly-owned subsidiary of South Korea's KT Corp. When located at the 116 deg. East orbital slot, KOREASAT-7 will be used for a full range of video and data applications, including Internet access, direct-to-home broadcasting (DTH), government communications and connectivity for VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) networks.  Its coverage area encompasses Korea, the Philippines, the Indochinese Peninsula, India and Indonesia.

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/05/03/ariane-5-rocket-rolled-to-launch-pad-with-satellites-for-brazil-south-korea/

Ariane 5 rocket rolled to launch pad with satellites for Brazil, South Korea
May 3, 2017 Stephen Clark

 
An Ariane 5 rocket rolls out to the ELA-3 launch pad at the Guiana Space Center on Wednesday ahead of a liftoff attempt with satellites owned by the Brazilian government and a South Korean telecom company. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

A month-and-a-half after a general strike in French Guiana halted launch preparations, an Ariane 5 rocket arrived at its launch pad Wednesday on the northeastern coast of South America, a day before hauling two communications satellites into orbit for the Brazilian government and a South Korean company.

The two French-built satellites are mounted one on top of the other inside the Ariane 5's nose fairing, ready for liftoff at 2031 GMT (4:31 p.m. EDT; 5:31 p.m. French Guiana time) Thursday. The launch window extends for 168 minutes.

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The Ariane 5 rocket and its mobile launch platform emerged from the final assembly building at the Guiana Space Center on Wednesday morning, pulled by a diesel truck along dual rail tracks for the 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) trip to the spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone.

Standing 180 feet (55 meters) tall, the Ariane 5 will launch for the second time this year Thursday, and make its 92nd flight overall since debuting in 1996. Thursday's mission will be Arianespace's fourth launch of 2017, a tally that includes missions with Soyuz and Vega launchers.

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Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

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Brazil's SGDC spacecraft will ride in the upper position of the Ariane 5's dual-payload Sylda structure.

The 12,643-pound (5,735-kilogram) satellite is launching on a dual-use mission for the Brazilian military and to help bridge the digital divide for far-flung Brazilian citizens. During its 18-year mission, SGDC's 57 Ka-band and X-band transponders will be capable of delivering more than 57 gigabits per second of throughput across Brazilian territory from a perch in geostationary orbit along the equator at 75 degrees west longitude.

"The satellite, due to the coverage capability in Ka-band, will ensure digital connectivity to all Brazilians, providing broadband service all around the country," said Mario Quintino, mission director for the SGDC program. "Considering the X-band capability, SGDC will maintain and enhance the nation's sovereignty and defense capability."

SGDC stands for Geostationary Satellite for Communications and Defense in Portuguese.


Brazil's SGDC communications satellite during prelaunch processing in French Guiana. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

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The Koreasat 7 payload, mounted in the lower position inside the Ariane 5 fairing, is on the way to an operating post in geostationary orbit 116 degrees east longitude. Owned by KTsat, based in Seoul, Koreasat 7 weighs 8,113 pounds (3,680 kilograms) fully fueled, carrying enough propellant for 21 years of service life, according to Hun Chul Lee, the satellite mission director.

"Koreasat 7 will provide a full range of video and data applications, such as direct-to-home broadcasting, Internet access and VSAT (very small aperture terminal) services with mainly Ku-band transponders and an added Ka-band steerable beam," he said.

The new spacecraft will extend KTsat's reach into new markets, such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Indochina and India.

Both satellites on Thursday's flight were manufactured by Thales Alenia Space, which assembles spacecraft at a plant in Cannes, France.


The Koreasat 7 satellite during prelaunch processing in French Guiana. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – G. Barbaste

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Since the space center reopened, the launch team conducted a second rehearsal to practice countdown procedures and re-inspected the Ariane 5 prior to rollout. Final arming of the launcher was completed Saturday.

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Once the launcher arrived at the pad Wednesday, ground crews connected the Ariane 5 to the facility's propellant and electrical supplies in advance of Thursday's countdown.

The countdown is due to begin at 0908 GMT (5:08 a.m. EDT; 6:08 a.m. French Guiana time), and a check of electrical systems is scheduled around 0958 GMT (5:58 a.m. EDT).

Workers will also put finishing touches on the launch pad, including the closure of doors, removal of safety barriers and configuring fluid lines for fueling. The flight program for today's launch will be loaded into the rocket's computer.
 
The launch team will begin the process to fuel the rocket with super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants around 1608 GMT (12:08 p.m. EDT). First, ground reservoirs will be pressurized, then the fuel lines will be chilled down to condition the plumbing for the flow of super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, which are stored at approximately minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit and minus 298 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively.

It will take approximately two hours to fill the Ariane 5 core stage tanks.

A similar procedure for the Ariane 5's cryogenic upper stage will commence at 1648 GMT (12:48 p.m. EDT).

Chilldown conditioning of the Vulcain 2 first stage engine will occur at 1713 GMT (1:13 p.m. EDT), and a communications check between the rocket and ground telemetry, tracking and command systems is scheduled for 1916 GMT (3:16 p.m. EDT).

A final weather briefing will come at T-minus 10 minues, and then the computer-controlled synchronized countdown sequence will begin seven minutes before launch to pressurize propellant tanks, switch to on-board power and take the rocket's guidance system to flight mode.

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The Vulcain 2 engine will ignite as the countdown clock reaches zero, followed by a health check and ignition of the Ariane 5's solid rocket boosters seven seconds later to send the 1.7 million-pound launcher skyward.

Five seconds after blastoff, the rocket will begin pitching east from the ELA-3 launch pad, surpassing the speed of sound less than a minute into the mission. The Ariane 5's twin solid rocket boosters will jettison 2 minutes, 21 seconds after liftoff.

Once above the dense atmosphere, the launcher's payload fairing will fall away at an altitude of more than 70 miles — about 112 kilometers. The Ariane 5's first stage will shut down 8 minutes, 53 seconds after liftoff, followed moments later by stage separation and ignition of the hydrogen-fueled cryogenic HM7B upper stage engine.

The rocket's upper stage will fire for nearly 16 minutes, accelerating to a velocity of 21,000 mph, or more than 9.3 kilometers per second, to reach an orbit with a planned high point of 35,926 kilometers (22,323 miles), a targeted low point of 250 kilometers (155 miles) and an inclination of 4 degrees.

The release of SGDC is scheduled for 28 minutes, 11 seconds, after liftoff. The rocket's barrel-shaped Sylda 5 dual-payload adapter will be jettisoned a few minutes later.

Koreasat 7 will separate from the lower portion of the payload stack at 36 minutes, 46 seconds.

The satellites will use their on-board thrusters to circularize their orbits at an altitude of around 22,300 miles (nearly 35,800 kilometers) over the equator a few weeks after launch. At that altitude, the spacecraft will move around Earth at the same speed the planet rotates, allowing them to remain over their planned services areas for the duration of their missions.

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More photos of Wednesday's Ariane 5 rollout are posted below.

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Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin

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На всякий случай
 

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/05/03/timeline-for-ariane-5s-launch-of-sgdc-and-koreasat-7/

Timeline for Ariane 5's launch of SGDC and Koreasat 7
 May 3, 2017 Stephen Clark

Two European-made communications satellites destined to serve the Brazilian government and commercial customers across Asia are set to ride an Ariane 5 rocket into orbit Thursday.

Standing nearly 180 feet (55 meters) tall, the Ariane 5 is scheduled to lift off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 2031 GMT (4:31 p.m. EDT; 5:31 p.m. French Guiana time) Thursday. The launch will mark the 92nd Ariane 5 flight since 1996, and the launcher's second mission this year.

The Brazilian-owned SGDC satellite, weighing around 12,643 pounds (5,735 kilograms) at launch, is the heavier of the two spacecraft aboard the Ariane 5 rocket. Koreasat 7 weighs 8,113 pounds (3,680 kilograms) with its propellant tanks full.

The rocket will target an orbit ranging from 155 miles (250 kilometers) to 22,323 miles (35,926 kilometers), with a tilt of 4 degrees to the equator.

Read our full story for details.

Date source: Arianespace

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T-0:00:00: Vulcain 2 ignition


The Ariane 5's first stage Vulcain 2 main engine ignites as the countdown clock hits zero, throttling up to about 300,000 pounds of thrust and undergoing a computer health check before liftoff.

T+0:00:07: Solid rocket booster ignition and liftoff


The Ariane 5's two solid rocket boosters ignite seven seconds later, each generating more than 1.3 million pounds of thrust, to push the vehicle into the sky from the ELA-3 launch pad.

T+0:00:50: Mach 1


The Ariane 5 rocket surpasses the speed of sound, heading east over the Atlantic Ocean.

T+0:02:21: Solid rocket boosters jettisoned


After each consuming 240 metric tons, or about 530,000 pounds, of pre-packed propellant, the solid rocket boosters are jettisoned.

T+0:03:22: Payload fairing jettisoned


The Ariane 5's 17.7-foot-diameter (5.4-meter) payload fairing, made in Switzerland by Ruag Space, releases in a clamshell-like fashion once the rocket flies above the denser, lower layers of Earth's atmosphere.

T+0:08:53: Vulcain 2 shutdown


The Ariane 5's core stage Vulcain 2 main engine shuts down after consuming 175 metric tons (385,000 pounds) of cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants.

T+0:08:59: Stage separation


The Ariane 5's first and second stages separate. The 98-foot-long (30-meter) first stage will fall into the Atlantic Ocean near the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa.

T+0:09:03: HM7B ignition


The Ariane 5's upper stage HM7B engine ignites for a 15-minute, 54-second burn to place the SGDC and Koreasat 7 satellites into geostationary transfer orbit. The HM7B engine burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, and generates more than 14,000 pounds of thrust.

T+0:24:57: HM7B shutdown


The HM7B engine shuts down after placing the SGDC and Koreasat 7 satellites into geostationary transfer orbit with a low point of 155 miles (250 kilometers), a high point of 22,323 miles (35,926 kilometers), and an inclination of 4 degrees to the equator.

T+0:28:11: SGDC separation


The SGDC satellite, riding in the upper position on the Ariane 5's dual-payload stack, deploys to begin an 18-year mission supporting the Brazilian military and providing broadband services for Brazilian citizens.

T+0:29:52: Sylda 5 separation


The Sylda 5 dual-payload adapter structure jettisons from the Ariane 5 upper stage, revealing the Koreasat 7 spacecraft for deployment.

T+0:36:46: Koreasat 7 separation


The Koreasat 7 satellite separates from the Ariane 5's upper stage to begin a 21-year mission for KTsat.

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Видеотрансляция Arianespace начнётся примерно через 10 часов (20:15 UTC).

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DutchSpace‏ @DutchSpace 51 мин. назад

Altitude profile for today's #Ariane5 launch #VA236 with #SGDC and #KOREASAT7

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Дополнительные каналы трансляции

	Alpha Centauri		рус
	Julian Danzer		?

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/05/04/photos-ariane-5-launcher-on-the-eve-of-liftoff/

Photos: Ariane 5 launcher on the eve of liftoff
May 4, 2017 Stephen Clark

A European Ariane 5 rocket sat poised for liftoff on a tropical launch pad Thursday nestled in the edge of the Amazon rainforest of South America.

The 180-foot-tall (55-meter) rocket, powered by twin solid rocket boosters and a hydrogen-fueled Vulcain 2 main engine, was set for launch at 2031 GMT (4:31 p.m. EDT) with the SGDC and Koreasat 7 communications satellites for the Brazilian government and KTsat, a South Korean telecommunications firm.

These photos taken Wednesday evening on the eve of launch show the Ariane 5 at the ELA-3 launch pad at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

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Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 7 мин. назад

Propellant Loading was to start at T-5 hours w/ chilldown before cryogenics flow at T-4:23 on the core stage & T-3:43 on the ESC-A 2nd Stage

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 7 мин. назад

Over the course of a two-hour sequence, #Ariane5 received 184 metric tons of -183°C Liquid Oxygen & -253°C Liquid Hydrogen.

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05/04/2017 22:16
T-minus 75 minutes. The Ariane 5 rocket's first stage, known by the French acronym EPC, is currently being filled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The second stage, or ESC-A, is also receiving the same mix of liquid propellants. The first stage Vulcain 2 engine and the upper stage HM7B engine both consume the super-cold fuel.

The cryogenic propellant will be gradually pumped inside the rocket to maintain proper levels as the fuel evaporates over the rest of the countdown.

The Ariane 5's supply of cryogenic liquid helium, used to pressurize the rocket's propellant tanks, was loaded aboard the launcher Wednesday.

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05/04/2017 22:33
Minus-60 minutes.

Track the major milestones on today's launch with this timeline of major flight events. Deployment of the SGDC and Koreasat 7 satellites will occur within 40 minutes of liftoff.

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 7 мин. назад

Inside L-1 hour, #Ariane5 receives its refined flight software & completes final reconfigurations for the Synchronized Sequence.

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05/04/2017 23:00
Minus-30 minutes. The Ariane 5's first and second stages are now loaded with cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants.

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The 17.7-foot-diameter first stage's Vulcain 2 engine burns 149.5 metric tons, or about 329,000 pounds, of liquid oxygen and 25 metric tons, or about 55,000 pounds, of liquid hydrogen. The cryogenic upper stage's HM7B engine consumes about 14.7 metric tons, or more than 32,000 pounds, of oxygen and hydrogen.

The fluids are stored at super-cold temperatures and naturally boil off in the warm tropical atmosphere in French Guiana. More propellant is slowly pumped into the rocket for most of the countdown to replenish the cryogenic fuel.

The topping sequence ends in the final few minutes of the countdown as the fuel tanks are pressurized and the fueling system is secured.

Built by a consortium of European contractors led by Airbus Safran Launchers in Vernon, France, the Vulcain 2 engine generates up to 300,000 pounds of thrust during its 9-minute firing. It burns about 320 kilograms, or 705 pounds, of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant per second.

The engine's nozzle has an exit diameter of 2.1 meters, or about 6.9 feet. It weighs more than 4,600 pounds and its liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen turbopumps spin at 12,300 rpm and 35,800 rpm, respectively.

The Vulcain 2 replaced the Vulcain engine used on the initial version of the Ariane 5. The newer engine produces 20 percent more thrust.

The Ariane 5's upper stage is powered by an HM7B engine, a modified version of the HM7 engine used on the upper stage of the Ariane 4 rocket. The 364-pound HM7B engine is manufactured by Airbus Safran Launchers in Ottobrunn, Germany.

The HM7B engine produces more than 14,500 pounds of thrust in vacuum.

The Ariane 5 configuration with a Vulcain 2 engine and HM7B-powered cryogenic upper stage is known as the Ariane 5 ECA.

The Ariane 5's twin solid rocket boosters are packed with propellant near the launch site in French Guiana before they are assembled and positioned on each side of the cryogenic core stage.

With the rocket now fully fueled for launch, the vehicle weighs 1.7 million pounds. At liftoff, the rocket produces 2.9 million pounds of thrust.

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05/04/2017 23:01
Weather conditions are improving at the Guiana Space Center after a stormy day, and upper level winds are reported to be favorable for launch. Officials report the countdown is running a bit behind schedule, so there is a possibility the launch could be delayed into today's launch window.

The window opens at 2031 GMT (4:31 p.m. EDT) and extends until 2319 GMT (7:19 p.m. EDT).

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Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

The two Thales-built satellites should be in the process of transitioning to internal power to get ready for the half-hour ride into orbit.

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05/04/2017 23:12
Minus-20 minutes. All parameters continue to look good for launch in 20 minutes, assuming the launch team catches up from the earlier issues in the countdown. A communications check between ground stations and the rocket has concluded.

Some statistics on today's flight:

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• 236th launch of an Ariane rocket since 1979
• 287th Arianespace mission
• 92nd launch of an Ariane 5 rocket since 1996
• 61st launch of an Ariane 5 ECA rocket since 2002
• 67th flight of a Vulcan 2 engine
• 193rd flight of an HM7B engine
• 79th Ariane 5 launch targeting GTO
• 1st Visiona/Telebras satellite launched by Arianespace
• 3rd Koreasat satellite launched by Arianespace
• 147th and 148th Thales Alenia Space satellite launched by Arianespace
• 4th launch from the Guiana Space Center in 2017
• 2nd Ariane 5 launch in 2017
  

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05/04/2017 23:14
The countdown is currently in a "red" condition, according to the launch team.