Astra 1N, helped by BILD, ready for launch

[sofien72tu]

Astra 1N, helped by BILD, ready for launch
By Chris Forrester



German popular newspaper BILD, published by Axel Springer, is taking a key position on the surface of the giant Arianespace rocket that will carry Luxembourg’s Astra 1N and Japan’s BSAT-3c into orbit on the night of August 5-6.

BILD has been running reader competitions and the reward, other than a visit to the launch site for winners, was to see the newspaper’s logo fixed to the rocket.

The two satellites passed their pre-flight tests on August 3, and are now ready for launch. GMT/UTC launch timings are 21.53-23.08 on Aug 5th.

For Arianespace, it will be its fourth launch of the year from Kourou in French Guiana. The launch will be carried live on the Internet (

http://www.videocorner.tv/index.htm

).

 

[sansiro]

Astra 1N flies tonight

08.53 Europe/London, August 5, 2011 By Julian Clover

Astra 1N, the latest satellite to be launched into the SES fleet, is scheduled to lift off tonight from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana on board an Ariane 5 ECA rocket.

The satellite has a launch window between 23:53 and 01:08 CET. Astra 1N was built by EADS Astrium in Toulouse using a Eurostar E3000 platform.

On board are 52 Ku-band transponders that will initially provide interim capacity for the UK market at 28 degrees East, before being moved to 19.2 degrees East where it will mainly serve the German, French and Spanish markets.

The BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R spacecraft will be released second in the flight sequence.