JCSAT-12,Optus D3-Ariane 5ECA(V190)-22.08.09 2:09 МЛВ-Kourou

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Aug. 20    Ariane 5  •   JCSAT 12 & Optus D3
Launch time: 2228 GMT (6:28 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana

Flight 190 will use an Ariane 5 rocket with an ECA upper stage to launch the JCSAT 12 communications satellite for Japan and Optus D3 communications spacecraft for Australia.

[Salo]

http://www.sat24.ru/?r=news&do=show&id=8311&p=1

2009-07-21 09:11:14  Спутник "JCSAT 12"

На этих выходных спутник прибыл во Французскую Гвиану, для подготовки к предстоящему запуску.

Спутник имеет 30 активных Ku и 12 транспондеров С-диапазона для охвата Японии, Азиатско-Тихоокеанского региона и Гавайских островов. Точка стояния 150Е, запуск намечен на 18 августа, ракетоносителем "Ariane 5" с космодрома Куру во французской Гвиане, совместно с Австралийским спутником Optus D3.

http://dvb-news.com/index.php?newsid=4960

Спутник Optus D3 прибыл на космодром во Французской Гвиане   23 июля 2009
   
Второй спутник, запуск которого запланирован на август ракетой-носителем Ariane 5 фирмы Arianespaceе прибыл во Французскую Гвиану. Спутник Optus D3, изготовлен американской фирмой Orbital Sciences Corporation.Optus D3 это третий спутник из серии D, изготовленый компанией Orbital для австралийского телекоммуникационного оператора Optus. Два предыдущих были запущены ракетой-носителем Ariane 5 соответственно в октябре 2006 и октябре 2007гг.

Optus D3, построен на платформе STAR, оснащен 32 транспондерами Ku диапазона. Новый спутник будет предоставлять услуги для клиентов из Австралии и Новой Зеландии. Мощность спутника Optus D3 составит около 5 kW.

Еще одним спутником, запуск которого запланирован на август этого года вместе с Optus D3, будет американский спутник JCSAT-12 для японского оператора SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation.

http://www.satnews.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?number=909602392

Getting JCSAT-12 Set As 4th Ariane 5 Taking Center Stage

Arianespace has received its fourth Ariane 5 for launch in 2009, while the first of two payloads for this upcoming mission is now at the Spaceport for final preparation.



The heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA was delivered last Friday to the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building by EADS Astrium — the launch vehicle's industrial prime contractor, which was responsible for the Ariane 5's build-up in the Launcher Integration Building.  Its transfer to the final assembly facility clears the way for Arianespace's integration of the mission's dual-satellite payload, followed by launch operations leading to a mid-August liftoff. As the launch vehicle activity enters a new phase, the mission's JCSAT-12 spacecraft has entered pre-launch checkout in the Spaceport's payload preparation facility. Built in the U.S. by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, JCSAT-12 arrived in French Guiana over the weekend aboard a chartered cargo jetliner.  

The high-power hybrid JCSAT-12 satellite is based on Lockheed Martin's A2100 spacecraft bus, and carries 30 active Ku-band transponders and 12 active C-band transponders for coverage of Japan, the Asia-Pacific region, and Hawaii.  It will be operated by SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation — one of Asia's largest satellite operators, and Japan's only provider of both multi-channel pay TV broadcasting and satellite communications services. Joining JCSAT-12 on Arianespace's mid-August launch will be Optus D3, an Orbital Sciences Corporation-built spacecraft for Australia's Optus, which will handle direct TV broadcast, Internet, telephony and data transmission services across Australia and New Zealand. Arianespace is on track for a record Ariane 5 mission pace in 2009, with seven flights planned for its workhorse vehicle.  The three Ariane 5 missions already performed this year have orbited a total of seven spacecraft with a combined payload mass of nearly 19,600 kg.

[Salo]

http://www.cnes-csg.fr/web/CNES-CSG-en/7821-jcsat-12-optus-d3.php

JCSAT 12 / OPTUS D3
Description of the Ariane 5 payload scheduled for mid-August 2009

JCSAT-12 is a telecommunications satellite which will cover Japan, the Asia-Pacific region and Hawaii. It was built by Lockeed Martin Commercial Space System for JSAT Corporation.

OPTUS-D3 is a un satellite dedicated to direct TV broadcast, internet, telephony and data transmission services for Australia and New Zealand for Optus D3. It was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation for SingTel Optus.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2009/614.asp

ptus D3 is delivered to French Guiana for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 launch
July 21, 2009

The second of two satellite payloads for Arianespace's mid-August Ariane 5 mission has arrived in French Guiana, moving this heavy-lift launch campaign into full swing.


Optus D3 is unloaded from a chartered jetliner that airlifted the Orbital Sciences Corporation-built payload from its U.S. manufacturing facility to Cayenne's Rochambeau International Airport.

Optus D3 was delivered today to Rochambeau International Airport near the capital city of Cayenne by a chartered cargo jetliner, which carried this Orbital Sciences Corporation-built spacecraft from its manufacturing facility in the United States.

It is the third D-series satellite produced by Orbital for the Australian-based Optus telecommunications provider.  The two previous spacecraft were launched by Ariane 5 missions in October 2006 and October 2007.

Optus D3 is based on Orbital's STAR™ platform and will provide Ku-band fixed communications and direct television broadcasting services to Australia and New Zealand.  As the most powerful spacecraft in the D-series, Optus D3 will generate approximately five kilowatts of payload power to service up to 32 active transponders.

Joining Optus D3 on the upcoming Ariane 5 mission is another U.S.-built satellite, which also will be operated by an Asia-Pacific telecommunications service provider: Lockheed Martin's JCSAT-12 relay platform for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation of Japan.

The mid-August flight with Optus D3 and JCSAT-12 will be the fourth of a record seven Ariane 5 launches planned in 2009 as Arianespace maintains its mission pace to meet the launch services requirements of a growing international customer base.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2009/615.asp

Pre-launch preparations are underway with Optus D3 for Ariane 5's next mission
July 23, 2009

The Optus D3 telecommunications satellite is undergoing its pre-launch checkout at Europe's Spaceport in preparation for an August liftoff on Arianespace's fourth heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission of 2009.

Following its delivery to French Guiana on Tuesday, Optus D3 was transferred to the S5C hall in the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation facility (photo at right).

Optus D3 is the latest geostationary-orbit telecom satellite developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation for Optus Networks in Sydney, Australia.  It will provide Ku-band communications for direct television broadcasting, Internet, telephony, and data transmission to Australia and New Zealand – expanding coverage at the same orbital slot as Orbital's earlier Optus C1 satellite, located at 156 deg. East Longitude.

Based on Orbital's STAR bus, Optus D3 carries a total of 32 transponders and is among the most powerful geostationary orbit telecom satellites ever built by this U.S. satellite manufacturer. Optus D3 is to generate approximately five kilowatts of payload power, with a mission design lifetime of 15 years.  Its mass at liftoff will be approximately 2,500 kg.

Arianespace's upcoming Ariane 5 flight will carry a pair of U.S.-built spacecraft to be operated by two Asia-Pacific operators.  In addition to Orbital's Optus D3 for Australia's Optus, the mission will loft JCSAT-12 – which was produced by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems for Japan's SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation.

JCSAT-12 also is being processed in the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation center, having been delivered to the French Guiana launch site earlier this month.

July 24, 2009  The Spaceport is once again hosting two parallel Ariane 5 mission campaigns in support of Arianespace's goal to perform a record seven flights this year with its workhorse heavy-lift launcher.



A fifth Ariane 5 for 2009 began taking shape this week in the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building, starting with the core cryogenic stage's erection and the mating of its initial solid propellant booster.  The activity is in parallel with ongoing preparations for the year's fourth Ariane 5 mission, which will be performed in August with a vehicle that currently is in the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building.  

   

The first of two solid propellant boosters for the fifth Ariane 5 of 2009 begins the rollout process from its production and assembly zone at the Spaceport.  The booster is built up on a pallet that is transferred via the facility's rail system to the Launcher Integration Building, where it is integrated on the Ariane 5's mobile launch table.



This close-up image shows the Ariane 5's core cryogenic stage being raised into the vertical position after being removed from its shipping container.  The core stage is then hoisted into position over Ariane 5's mobile launch table inside the Launcher Integration Building, allowing the two solid boosters to be mated with it.   
   
The core cryogenic stage has been mated with the first of its two solid propellant boosters as the new Ariane 5 takes shape in the Spaceport's Launcher Assembly Building.  This vehicle is being built up on one of two operational mobile launch tables for Arianespace's heavy-lift vehicle.  The other launch table currently is in the Final Assembly Building at the Spaceport, where the fourth Ariane 5's integration has been completed and the vehicle is being readied for its two passengers: the Optus D3 and JCSAT-12 telecommunications satellites.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2009/620.asp

Payload integration begins for Arianespace's Ariane 5 launch on August 21

August 11, 2009

Build-up of the payload "stack" for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 mission is now underway at the Spaceport in French Guiana as preparations continue for the August 21 liftoff with a pair of U.S.-built telecommunications satellites to be operated by two Asian-Pacific customers.

The spacecraft integration activity began yesterday with JCSAT-12's installation atop the Ariane 5 SYLDA dual-payload dispenser system.  This activity took place inside the Spaceport's launch vehicle Final Assembly Building, where mission team members are preparing JCSAT-12 in a clean room area adjacent to the Ariane 5.

JCSAT-12 will ride as the flight's upper passenger and is to be deployed first in the mission sequence, with its release from atop the SYLDA dispenser occurring at approximately 27 minutes into the mission.  The cylindrical-shaped SYLDA structure will then be jettisoned, exposing Ariane 5's lower passenger – the Optus D3 spacecraft – which will be deployed at just over 34 minutes after liftoff.

The JCSAT-12 payload is a high-power hybrid relay platform produced by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems in Newtown, Pennsylvania, using the company's A2100AX satellite bus.  It will be utilized by Tokyo, Japan-based SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation – which is one of Asia's largest satellite operators.

With a liftoff mass of approximately 4,000 kg., JCSAT-12 carries 30 Ku-band transponders and 12 C-band transponders.  This spacecraft will serve as the successor to JCSAT-R, which currently is in geostationary orbit as a backup relay platform – ensuring the stability of SKY Perfect JSAT's satellite fleet for highly reliable space-based communications services.  

JCSAT-12 has a design lifetime of 15 years, and will offer coverage over Japan, the Oceania and Asia-Pacific regions, as well as Hawaii.  Once operational, it will be referred to as JCSAT-RA.

The other passenger for Arianespace's upcoming Ariane 5 mission, Optus D3, will be operated by the Australia-based Optus communications provider, and has a liftoff mass of 2,500 kg.  This satellite was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Virginia, and is equipped with 32 Ku-band transponders for fixed communications and direct television broadcasting services to Australia and New Zealand.

Liftoff of the August 21 mission is scheduled at the start of a one-hour launch window that opens at 7:09 p.m. local time in French Guiana (07:09 a.m. on August 22, in Tokyo, Japan; 8:09 a.m. on August 22 in Sydney, Australia). (See the launch window information, below).

Arianespace is planning seven Ariane 5 missions in 2009, with the August 21 flight to be its fourth of the year.  The previous launches were conducted on July 1, (withTerreStar-1, the world's largest commercial satellite), on May 14 (with Europe's Herschel and Planck deep space telescopes), and on February 12 (orbiting the HOT BIRD™ 10 and NSS-9 commercial telecommunications satellites, along with a pair of Spirale auxiliary passengers for the French defense procurement agency)

JCSAT-12 is lowered for its installation atop Ariane 5's SYLDA payload dispenser,
which is the black cylindrical-shaped structure visible at floor level.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2009/621.asp

Preparations continue with the JCSAT-12 and Optus D3 payloads for Ariane 5's next launch

August 12, 2009

Both spacecraft for Arianespace's fourth heavy-lift mission of 2009 are well advanced in their integration phase as preparations move forward for the August 21 nighttime launch from French Guiana.

In the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation facility, Optus D3 has been installed atop its adapter unit.  This cone-shaped component will serve as the interface between the satellite and Ariane 5's core stage – where the relay platform will be positioned as the lower passenger in the payload "stack."

A few kilometers away, the payload stack's upper element is complete, with Ariane 5's payload fairing now lowered into place over the JCSAT-12 satellite and the SYLDA dispenser system.  This activity occurred in the launcher Final Assembly Building adjacent to the Ariane 5, which is ready to be fitted with its two passengers.

JCSAT-12 will have a liftoff mass of approximately 4,000 kg., and carries 30 Ku-band transponders plus 12 C-band transponders.  The high-power relay platform was built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems in Newtown, Pennsylvania, using the company's A2100AX satellite bus.  It will join the fleet of Japan-based SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, serving as the successor to JCSAT-R, which currently is in geostationary orbit as a backup relay platform.

Optus D3 was produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Virginia, with the STAR™ spacecraft bus, and is outfitted with 32 Ku-band transponders for fixed communications and direct television broadcasting services to Australia and New Zealand.   With a liftoff mass of 2,500 kg., it will be operated by the Australia-based Optus communications provider.

Optus D3 is positioned for installation on its interface adapter unit inside the S5 payload preparation facility


while the Ariane 5 payload fairing is readied to be lowered over JCSAT-12 and the SYLDA dispenser in the
launcher Final Assembly Building.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2009/622.asp

Optus D3 is integrated on Ariane 5 for Arianespace's dual-passenger mission at the service of Asia-Pacific telecom operators

August 13, 2009

The first of two telecommunications satellite payloads for Arianespace's next heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission has been installed atop its launcher as preparations move into their final phase for the August 21 flight.

Optus D3 was integrated on Ariane 5's core stage during activity performed inside the launcher Final Assembly Building at the Spaceport in French Guiana.  This marks the initial step of final integration for the flight's dual-passenger payload "stack," in which Optus D3 is riding as the lower payload and JCSAT-12 is in the upper position.

Integration of Optus D3 on Ariane 5 clears the way for mating of the payload stack's upper component – which consists of JCSAT-12, along with the SYLDA dual-payload dispenser system and the launch vehicle's ogive-shaped payload fairing.

Once this work has been completed, final checkout of the Ariane 5 will be performed, followed by its rollout to the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch complex on August 20.  The final countdown then will begin for liftoff the following day during a one-hour launch window that opens at 7:09 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

The Ariane 5's total lift performance for the upcoming launch is approximately 7,655 kg. – with Optus D3 and JCSAT-12 weighing in at more than 6,500 kg., while the remaining mass is represented by the payload installation/interface hardware and the SYLDA dispenser.

Both satellites for this fourth Ariane 5 mission of 2009 were built by U.S. manufacturers, and are to be orbited for two of Arianespace's key Asia-Pacific customers.

Optus D3 is a product of Dulles, Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corporation, and will be operated by Australia's Optus telecommunications provider.  Utilizing Orbital's STAR™ spacecraft bus, the 2,500-kg. Optus D3 is outfitted with 32 Ku-band transponders for fixed communications and direct television broadcasting services to Australia and New Zealand.

JCSAT-12 was produced in Newtown, Pennsylvania by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, and uses the company's A2100AX satellite bus.  Weighing in at approximately 4,000 kg. for launch, it will be operated by Japan's SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, serving as the successor to JCSAT-R – which currently is in geostationary orbit as a backup relay platform.  The high-power JCSAT-12 satellite carries 30 Ku-band transponders plus 12 C-band transponders.

Arianespace remains on track for its goal of performing seven Ariane 5 missions in 2009.  Three already have been accomplished so far this year, and the vehicle for Arianespace's fifth flight has been built-up in the Spaceport's Launcher Assembly Building.  It is ready to be moved into the Final Assembly Building to receive this mission's dual-satellite payload – a step that will occur after the Ariane 5 for Arianespace's August 21 flight is rolled out from this facility for launch.

Optus D3 is ready for its installation atop Ariane 5's core stage during integration activity in the upper level of the Spaceport's launcher Final Assembly Building.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2009/623.asp

Ariane 5 is ready for this week's heavy-lift launch with JCSAT-12 and Optus D3

August 17, 2009

Arianespace has completed the payload integration on its fourth Ariane 5 to be launched in 2009, clearing the way for this vehicle's liftoff from the Spaceport in French Guiana on Friday, August 21.

The heavy-lift Ariane 5 has been fitted with its dual payload "stack" of the JCSAT-12 and Optus D3 telecommunications satellites, and is being readied for a rollout to the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone on August 20.  

Payload stack integration was completed with installation of the launch vehicle's upper component containing JCSAT-12, which has been mounted atop the SYLDA dispenser and encapsulated inside Ariane 5's payload fairing.  This combination was positioned over Optus D3, which previously was mated to the top of Ariane 5's core stage.



(In the photo, Ariane 5's payload fairing with JCSAT-12 and the SYLDA dispenser is partly visible as it is lowered into position over Optus D3, which is installed atop the launcher.  The activity is monitored by mission team members, who are located on one of the removable work stands that surround the Ariane 5.  Seen just below this work stand is the Ariane 5's cryogenic upper stage, which will be fed by the two yellow-colored propellant arms that extend from the mobile launch table's umbilical mast).

The Ariane 5 is now undergoing its final checkout inside the launcher Final Integration Building, setting the stage for the launch readiness review on Wednesday, August 19.   With a successful conclusion of this review, Ariane 5 will be transferred to the ELA-3 launch zone on the following day, enabling the final countdown to begin for Friday's liftoff during a one-hour launch window that opens at 7:09 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

For this latest Ariane 5 mission, Arianespace will orbit a pair of U.S.-manufactured spacecraft for two of its key Asia-Pacific customers.

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2009/624.asp

The go-ahead is given for Arianespace's heavy-lift launch on Friday with JCSAT-12 and Optus D3

August 19, 2009

Arianespace's fourth heavy-lift flight of 2009 has been authorized for its August 21 liftoff following today's launch readiness review at the Spaceport in French Guiana.



JCSAT-12 and Optus D3 are depicted on the cover art for this flight's official launch kit.  Also included are scenes that represent the Japanese and Australian customers to be served by the Arianespace mission.

The review is performed prior to each Ariane 5 mission, ensuring that the launch vehicle and its payload are flight-ready, along with the Spaceport's infrastructure and the network of downrange tracking stations.
 
This go-ahead clears the way for Arianespace's remaining preparation milestones, beginning with the rollout of Ariane 5 tomorrow from its Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone.  On launch day Friday, the countdown will start 11 hrs. 30 min. before liftoff, followed by the fueling of Ariane 5's cryogenic main and upper stages, as well as a weather check and initiation of the final synchronized sequence.

The Ariane 5 is to lift off at the start of a one-hour launch window, which opens at 7:09 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

Integrated on the Ariane 5 is a pair of U.S.-built commercial telecommunications satellites for two key Arianespace customers in the Asia-Pacific region.  They will be injected into geostationary transfer orbits during a flight lasting just over 34 minutes.

http://www.arianespace.com/images/launch-kits/launch-kit-pdf-eng/JCSAT-12_0PTUS-D3_en.pdf 1,65Мб

[Aleksandras]

http://www.arianespace.com/images/launch-kits/launch-kit-pdf-eng/JCSAT-12_0PTUS-D3_en.pdf
   Perigee altitude 250 km
Apogee altitude 35 786 km at injection
Inclination 2° degrees
И там-же + 26 mn 52 s Separation of JCSAT-12 satellite ALT (km)-819.5 , V. rel. (m/s)-9214
+ 34 mn 17 s Separation of OPTUS D3 satellite ALT (km)-2283, V. rel. (m/s)-8141
А сколько времени КА необходимо для достижения своей позиции на ГСО :?: при таких условиях выведения

[Salo]

Трансляция пуска (начало через два часа):
http://www.videocorner.tv/videocorner2/live_flv/index.php?langue=en

[Salo]

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2009/626.asp

Final countdown underway for Ariane 5's mission with JCSAT-12 and Optus D3



The heavy-lift Ariane 5 with its JCSAT-12 and Optus D3 payloads is ready for liftoff from the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone in French Guiana.

August 21, 2009

Arianespace has begun the final countdown for its fourth Ariane 5 flight of 2009, with liftoff of this heavy-lift vehicle scheduled at the start of a one-hour launch window that opens tonight at 7:09 p.m. in French Guiana.

Pre-launch activity at the Spaceport includes electrical system checks, fueling of the main cryogenic stage and validation of weather conditions predicted during the launch window.

[KBOB]

Газоводы необычные.

[Salo]

Ariane 5 is poised for liftoff from the ELA-3 launch zone with its dual-satellite payload.

http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2009/628.asp

Ariane 5's fourth launch of 2009 orbits the JCSAT-12 and Optus D3 payloads for two key Arianespace Asian-Pacific customers

August 21, 2009

Arianespace reinforced its position as the world's commercial launch services provider of choice with the fourth Ariane 5 flight of 2009, which orbited two Asia-Pacific telecommunications satellites tonight on the 32nd consecutive mission success of this workhorse vehicle.

Lifting off from the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone in French Guiana, the Ariane 5 injected its JCSAT-12 and Optus D3 payloads into geostationary transfer orbit during a flight that lasted just over 34 minutes.

Tonight's mission marked another on-time departure for Ariane 5, starting its climb-out at the 7:09 p.m. opening of a one-hour launch window.  It quickly passed through a thin layer of clouds, and was followed by tracking cameras that provided a clear view of the launcher's trajectory – including the downrange separation of Ariane 5's two solid propellant boosters at an altitude of nearly 68 kilometers.

The satellite passengers lofted by Ariane 5 were built by U.S. manufacturers and will be operated by two of Arianespace's key Asia-Pacific customers: SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation of Japan and the Optus telecommunications provider in Australia.

Ariane 5's payload lift performance for tonight's heavyweight flight was approximately 7,655 kg. – which included the two satellites' combined 6,500-kg. mass, plus the SYLDA dual-passenger dispenser system and satellite integration hardware for the vehicle's payload "stack."

It marked another highly accurate delivery by Ariane 5, with the following provisional parameters at injection of the launch vehicle's cryogenic upper stage:

- Perigee: 250.1 km. for a target of 249.6 km.
- Apogee: 36,010 km. for a target of 35,961 km.
- Inclination: 2.01 deg. for a target of 2.00 deg.

Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall thanked both SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation and Optus for their trust, and underscored the two customers' long-term relationship with the launch services company.

"Our collaboration with the Asia-Pacific region is in the limelight tonight, and this success illustrates once again how our Service & Solutions commercial offer is recognized around the world," Le Gall said in post-launch comments from the Spaceport's Jupiter control center.

He noted that SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation has entrusted Arianespace with 17 satellites for launch from the successful orbiting of JCSAT-1 in 1989.  "Therefore, tonight we celebrate the 20th anniversary of our cooperation with Japan, and I want to tell our Japanese friends that we are particularly proud of the confidence and fidelity they have shown for so many years," Le Gall added.

JCSAT-12 was built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and had a mass of approximately 4,000 kg. for its Ariane 5 liftoff.  This high-power spacecraft was the 40th Lockheed Martin-produced spacecraft launched by Arianespace, and it carries 30 Ku-band transponders plus 12 C-band transponders.  

Deployed at just under 27 minutes into the Ariane 5's mission tonight, JCSAT-12 will serve as the successor to SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation's JCSAT-R – which currently is in geostationary orbit as a backup relay platform.  

The Ariane 5's Optus D3 passenger was injected into orbit 34 minutes after liftoff, and was the sixth satellite lofted by Arianespace for SingTel Optus – the Australian integrated telecommunications provider whose parent company is Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel).  

Optus D3 was manufactured by Dulles, Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corporation, and is based on the company's STAR™ spacecraft bus.  Designed to provide fixed communications and direct television broadcasting services for Australia and New Zealand, Optus D3 weighed 2,500 kg. at liftoff.  The spacecraft is equipped with 32 Ku-band transponders, and will be located at an orbital position of 156 deg. East.

"Our relationship with SingTel Optus goes back many years, and it is an honor that a customer in one of the world's most dynamic – and demanding – regions has renewed their confidence in us," Le Gall said.

He added that Arianespace's links with Japan, Singapore and Australia will continue as the result of new contracts signed this year for the future launch of JCSAT-13 for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, as well as ST-2 for the ST-2 Satellite Ventures Pte Ltd joint venture of SingTel and Chunghwa Telecom Company Ltd.

Tonight's mission was the 190th performed to date by a launcher of the Ariane family.  Following this latest success, Arianespace is keeping up the sustained launch rate with the goal of performing seven flights during 2009 – making it the busiest mission year with Ariane 5 since the heavy-lift vehicle's commercial service introduction in 1999.

The Ariane 5 for Arianespace's next mission has completed its initial build-up in the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building.  This vehicle is ready for transfer to the Final Assembly Building, where its dual-passenger payload – consisting of the Amazonas 2 satellite for Spanish-based telecom operator Hispasat, and the GMS relay platform for Germany – will be integrated.  As announced tonight, this 191st Ariane flight is targeted for late September.

In parallel activity, the 192nd Ariane vehicle was delivered to the Spaceport this week, with the latest Ariane 5 ECA is ready to start its assembly for Arianespace's sixth launch of 2009.

Tonight's mission with JCSAT-12 and Optus D3 was the 46th launch of an Ariane 5 vehicle.

[Salo]

Видео пуска:
http://www.videocorner.tv/videocorner2/live_wm/index.php?langue=en

[Lesobaza]

Буднично, незаметно прошел пуск. Молодцы французы!! Без надрыва и подвигов, плановым порядком, ведут вперед свой космос.

Salo респект!!