Eutelsat 25B/Es’hail 1 cleared for August 29 launch

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Eutelsat 25B/Es’hail 1 cleared for August 29 launch
August 27, 2013 19.58 Europe/London By Robert Briel

Arianespace’s fourth Ariane 5 mission of 2013 has been approved for liftoff on Thursday, August 29, with two communications satellites to provide relay coverage over the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, along with the Indian land mass.

The authorisation followed Tuesday’s successful launch readiness review conducted at the Spaceport in French Guiana. This procedure – held prior to all Arianespace missions – validated the “go” status of the launcher, its dual payload of the Eutelsat 25B/Es’hail 1 and GSAT-7 satellites, the Spaceport’s infrastructure and the system of downrange tracking stations.

With today’s review, the Ariane 5 is now cleared for rollout tomorrow from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone – where it will be readied for liftoff on August 29 during a 50-minute launch window opening at 5:30 pm local time in French Guiana.

The Ariane 5 is to deliver an estimated total lift performance of 9,790 kg. – including Eutelsat 25B/Es’hail 1 and GSAT-7, along with hardware for the launcher’s dual-payload deployment system.

The launch this Thursday is designated Flight VA215 in Arianespace’s numbering system, signifying the 215th flight of an Ariane family vehicle.

 

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Arianespace delivers! EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1 and GSAT-7 are orbited by Ariane 5


August 29, 2013 – Ariane Flight VA215

Today marked another mission accomplished for Arianespace’s heavy-lift workhorse as it deployed the EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1 and GSAT-7 spacecraft from the Spaceport in French Guiana – on what is the 57th consecutive success for Ariane 5.

Following an impressive daylight liftoff from the ELA-3 launch zone at 5:30 p.m. local time, both satellites were deployed into geostationary transfer orbit, with EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1 released nearly 28 minutes after liftoff, and GSAT-7 separating approximately six minutes later to complete the flight sequence.

Ariane 5 delivered a total liftoff performance of 9,790 kg., including its two payloads and hardware for the launcher’s dual-payload deployment system. Today’s mission represents the 215th launch of an Ariane-series vehicle, as well as the 71st liftoff for Ariane 5.

“Tonight is a very special evening for Arianespace, we can celebrate both the long standing relationships we enjoy with Eutelsat and ISRO [the Indian Space Research Organisation], and also the beginning of what I hope will be another long one with Es’hailSat,” said Stéphane Israël, Arianespace’s Chairman and CEO. “Es’hailSat, like more than 80 percent of new entrants in the satellite communications industry, has chosen Arianespace to start their journey to space.”

He added: “Bravo to all teams involved in tonight’s success! Once again Arianespace and its partners worldwide have made a difference.”

Arianespace is committed to its customers

Ariane Flight VA215 underscored the continued successful relationship with Arianespace and two long-standing partners, while also marking the start-up with another.

India’s national Indian Space Research Organisation space agency, which developed GSAT-7, has a long history of launching payloads with Arianespace – ****** back to the third mission of an Ariane-series vehicle in 1981. Arianespace now has launched 17 satellites for ISRO, including INSAT-3D, which was a co-passenger on last month’s Ariane Flight VA214.

For European telecommunications operator Eutelsat Communications, this launch continues a more than 30-year relationship with Arianespace, as EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail is the 27th satellite launched for this longtime customer.

“Arianespace has not only a great launcher – Ariane 5 is today the best launcher in the world – but also a great team of people who work day and night to provide extraordinary service to its customers,” said Eutelsat Communications CEO Michel de Rosen.

A historic first for Qatar


In addition, EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1 – a ground-breaking partnership between Eutelsat and the Doha-based Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company – marked a historic moment for the Qatari operator: the first satellite of its planned global fleet.

Operating from a position of 25.5 deg. East, EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1, will provide coverage of the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia for both Eutelsat and Es’hailSat, delivering Ku-band television broadcasting, telecommunications and government services for this area, while its Ka-band capability will open new business opportunities for the two operators.

Built by Space Systems/Loral (SSL), EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail had a liftoff mass of approximately 6,300 kg., located in the upper position of Ariane 5’s payload “stack.” It is based on the SSL 1300 bus with a design life of 15 years or more.

Riding as the lower passenger with a liftoff mass of 2,650 kg., GSAT-7 was deployed 34 minutes after liftoff to complete Ariane 5’s mission.

The spacecraft developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation is based on India’s I-2K spacecraft bus and will provide relay capacity in UHF, S-band, C-band and Ku-band from 74 deg. East longitude for the Indian subcontinent, during its design life of seven years