Intelsat 37e, BSat-4a - Ariane 5 ECA (VA239) - Kourou ELA-3 - 29.09.2017, 21:56 UTC

[tnt22]

09/05/2017 19:03
A European Ariane 5 rocket is set for liftoff from French Guiana at 2151 GMT (5:51 p.m. EDT) Tuesday with communications satellites for Intelsat and Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. of Japan.

Спойлер

The two-stage rocket, boosted by a pair of strap-on solid rocket motors, rolled out of its hangar Monday at the Guiana Space Center on the northeastern coast of South America for the 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) journey to the ELA-3 launch zone.

The nearly 180-foot-tall (55-meter) Ariane 5 and its mobile launch table were connected to the pad's propellant, electrical and telemetry systems Monday evening in advance of the start of the final countdown this morning.

Two U.S.-built satellites are bolted on top of the Ariane 5 rocket.

The larger of the two, Intelsat 37e, is riding in the upper position in the dual-payload stack. Built on the Boeing 702 satellite bus, the 14,193-pound (6,438-kilogram) spacecraft will provide high-throughout communications services over the Americas, Europe and the Middle East for a 15-year mission.

Intelsat 37e will support television, broadband, wireless communications and government services from a perch in geostationary orbit at 18 degrees west longitude.

The BSAT 4a communications satellite, manufactured by Space Systems/Loral, will provide high-definition and 4K and 8K Ultra HD television broadcast coverage over Japan. The 7,760-pound (3,520-kilogram) satellite will be positioned in geostationary orbit over the equator at 110 degrees east longitude.

The final countdown commenced at 1028 GMT (6:28 a.m. EDT), with clocks at the Guiana Space Center timed for a targeted liftoff at 2151 GMT (5:51 p.m. EDT; 6:51 p.m. French Guiana time). Tuesday's launch window extends until 2224 GMT (6:24 p.m. EDT; 7:24 p.m. French Guiana time).

Electrical systems checks on the Ariane 5 began around 1118 GMT (7:18 a.m. EDT).

Workers were expected to 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 Wednesday'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 1613 GMT (12:13 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 1723 GMT (1:23 p.m. EDT).

Chilldown conditioning of the Vulcain 2 first stage engine will occur at 1733 GMT (1:33 p.m. EDT), and a communications check between the rocket and ground telemetry, tracking and command systems is scheduled for 2036 GMT (4:36 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.

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, 22 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, 56 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 more than 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 35,706 kilometers (22,186 miles), a targeted low point of 250 kilometers (155 miles) and an inclination of 6 degrees.

The release of Intelsat 37e is scheduled for 29 minutes, 50 seconds, after liftoff. The rocket's barrel-shaped Sylda 5 dual-payload adapter will be jettisoned a few minutes later.

BSAT 4a will separate from the lower portion of the payload stack at 47 minutes, 15 seconds.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/09/05/photos-ariane-5-rolls-to-launch-pad/

Photos: Ariane 5 rolls to launch pad
September 5, 2017 Stephen Clark

These photos show Monday's rollout of an Ariane 5 rocket on a 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) journey to its launch pad at the Guiana Space Center in South America.

Towed along dual rail tracks behind a diesel-powered Titan tug, the Ariane 5 and its mobile launch platform were transferred from the spaceport's final assembly building to the ELA-3 launch zone the day before the scheduled liftoff of the Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a communications satellites.
See our Mission Status Center for coverage of the launch.

Спойлер

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/09/05/launch-timeline-for-ariane-5s-flight-with-intelsat-37e-and-bsat-4a/

Launch timeline for Ariane 5's flight with Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a
September 5, 2017 Stephen Clark

An Ariane 5 rocket will fire into the sky from French Guiana just after sunset Tuesday and deliver two payloads to orbit for Intelsat, one of the world's largest commercial satellite operators, and Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. of Japan.

The nearly 180-foot-tall (55-meter) launcher will blast off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 2151 GMT (5:51 p.m. EDT; 6:51 p.m. French Guiana time) on its fifth flight of the year with the Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a communications satellites.

Спойлер

Made in California by Boeing and Space Systems/Loral, respectively, Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a will ride aboard the Ariane 5 in a dual-payload stack. The larger of the two satellites, Intelsat 37e, will deploy first, followed by separation of BSAT 4a around 47 minutes after liftoff.

The rocket will target an orbit ranging from 155 miles (250 kilometers) to 22,186 miles (35,706 kilometers), with a tilt of 6 degrees to the equator.

Date source: Arianespace

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+0:02:19: 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+0:03:23: 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+0:08:56: 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+0:09:02: 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+0:09:06: HM7B ignition


The Ariane 5's upper stage HM7B engine ignites for a 16-minute, 25-second burn to place the Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a satellites into geostationary transfer orbit. The HM7B engine burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, and generates more than 14,000 pounds of thrust.

T+0:25:31: HM7B shutdown


The HM7B engine shuts down after placing the Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a satellites into geostationary transfer orbit with a low point of 155 miles (250 kilometers), a high point of 22,186 miles (35,706 kilometers), and an inclination of 6 degrees to the equator.

T+0:29:50: Intelsat 37e separation


The Intelsat 37e satellite, riding in the upper position on the Ariane 5's dual-payload stack, deploys to begin a 15-year mission serving television, broadband and mobile communications markets.

T+0:31:56: Sylda 5 separation


The Sylda 5 dual-payload adapter structure jettisons from the Ariane 5 upper stage, revealing the BSAT 4a spacecraft for deployment.

T+0:47:15: Intelsat 36 separation


The BSAT 4a satellite is released from the Ariane 5 upper stage for a mission providing HD and Ultra HD television broadcast services over Japan.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

09/05/2017 21:41
T-minus 3 hours, 10 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, should also be 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.

Спойлер

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 Tuesday.

The weather forecast looks favorable for tonight's launch window.

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

DutchSpace‏ @DutchSpace 6 мин. назад

New serial for tonight's #Ariane5 #VA239 is L5100 (others used/reserved for A5 ES)

[tnt22]

DutchSpace‏ @DutchSpace 5 мин. назад

Requested performance for #VA239 is 10838.0 kg with IS-37e at 6438.0 kg and BSAT-4a 3519.8 kg

[tnt22]

DutchSpace‏ @DutchSpace 2 мин. назад

Apogee Altitudes for #Ariane5 #VA239 and payloads

[tnt22]

О ТРАНСЛЯЦИИ

Arianespace‏ @Arianespace 4 мин назад

Later today, #Ariane5 will take to the skies for fifth time in 2017. Live broadcast begins at 21:36 UTC on http://Arianespace.com  #VA239

[tnt22]

Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 7 мин. назад

The 6,438kg Intelsat 37e is the 5th of Intelsat's Epic-NG series to deliver flexible telecomms across the globe. http://bit.ly/2vIkDcS 

Intelsat 37e Satellite

[tnt22]

Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 8 мин. назад

Epic incorporates multiple frequency bands, frequency reuse, power sharing and a combination of beam widths to deliver a variety of services



7 мин. назад

Intelsat 37e covers Europe, Africa, South America and the Eastern U.S. & Canada. It's the first sat to use Epic tech for all three bands.

[tnt22]

Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

BSat-4a has the sole purpose of delivering Direct-To-Home Television to Japan and the Asia-Pacific Region. http://bit.ly/2xMmt9W 



2 мин. назад

The 3,520kg satellite, built by Space Systems Loral, hosts 24 Ku-Band transponders & will provide expansion/replacement coverage for BSat-3a


1 мин. назад

BSat-4a offers TV distribution in standard & high definition as well as 4K and 8K Ultra-HD broadcasting.

BSat-4a Satellite

[tnt22]

Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 2 мин. назад

#Ariane5 countdown operations started at 10:28 UTC today with power-up ops at 11:18 followed by final launch vehicle checks

[tnt22]

Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 1 мин. назад

Propellant loading was to start at T-4 hours and 38 minutes on the EPC first stage and T-3:28 on the ESC-A second stage. #Ariane5


36 сек. назад

It takes two hours for #Ariane5 to be loaded with 184 tonnes of -183°C Liquid Oxygen and -253°C Liquid Hydrogen. Tanks then enter replenish

[tnt22]

Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 11 мин. назад

L-1 Hour 15 Minutes: A second round of Telemetry, Tracking & Command Systems checks occurs at this time in the countdown. #Ariane5

[tnt22]

Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 7 мин. назад

One hour to the opening of today's #Ariane5 launch window. Final preps for the synchronized sequence should be underway.

09/05/2017 23:51
Minus-60 minutes. Everything remains on track for launch at 2151 GMT (5:51 p.m. EDT; 6:51 p.m. French Guiana time).

[tnt22]

Пошла муззаставка
 

[tnt22]

Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 4 мин. назад

In the last countdown hour, teams conduct checks of weather conditions, readiness of tracking stations and continue monitoring LV systems.

[tnt22]

[tnt22]

Spaceflight101 LIVE‏ @S101_Live 45 сек. назад

At this point, the two satellites should be in the process of switching to battery power to get ready for their ride into orbit. #Ariane5

[tnt22]

09/06/2017 00:30
Minus-20 minutes. The Ariane 5's first and second stages are now loaded with cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants.