For news of the second Ariane launch campaign of 2008 see: Second Ariane Mission of 2008



April 4, 2008

The third Ariane 5 launcher of 2008 arrives in French Guiana

The Spaceport has received another Ariane 5 as Arianespace maintains its sustained mission pace for 2008.


The latest Ariane 5 to arrive at Europe's Spaceport is unloaded
from the MN Colibri roll-on/roll-off ship at Paricabo dock
near Kourou.

Arriving in French Guiana on April 2 aboard the MN Colibri, this launcher's components were unloaded at Paricabo port and transferred to the Spaceport – where they are to be assembled for the third Ariane 5 flight of this year. The Colibri is one of two sea-going ships used to carry vehicle components from Europe to South America, providing a reliable and efficient transportation system in support of Arianespace's mission operations.

This Ariane 5 will carry a dual-satellite payload on a flight that follows Arianespace's upcoming mission, which currently is in final preparation for an April 18 liftoff.

A total of seven Ariane 5 launches are targeted by Arianespace for 2008 – the busiest year since the launcher's commercial introduction in 1999.

Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

April 16, 2008

Initial assembly of the third Ariane 5 for 2008 nears completion at the Spaceport

The basic build-up of another Ariane 5 is nearly complete at Europe’s Spaceport, as this facility in French Guiana demonstrates its capability to support Arianespace’s sustained launch rate during 2008 and beyond.

The new Ariane 5 was topped off with its ESC-A upper stage and vehicle equipment bay during activity inside the Launcher Integration Building.



As part of an overall streamlining of Ariane 5’s build-up process, the ESC-A cryogenic upper stage and equipment bay are now installed as a single unit, having been integrated and checked out in Europe by prime contractor Astrium Space Transportation. Previously, the upper stage and vehicle equipment bay were mounted on the launcher in two steps, which required additional time and validation procedures.

The Ariane 5 that currently is in the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration building will be used for Arianespace’s third Ariane 5 flight of 2008 – which is to carry another of the workhorse launcher’s trademark dual satellite payloads.

This vehicle will soon be transferred to the Spaceport’s Final Integration Building, moving in after the rollout of an Ariane 5 for this Friday’s mission with the Star One C2 and VINASAT-1 satellites.

Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

April 25, 2008

Military and civilian telecom satellites are readied for Arianespace's third Ariane 5 mission in 2008

The two payloads for Ariane 5's third mission of 2008 are undergoing pre-flight checkout at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana as Arianespace maintains the accelerated launch rate for its heavy-lift workhorse vehicle this year.

These satellites – Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A – are being readied for liftoff on May 23, which will be five weeks to the day after last Friday's on-target Ariane 5 launch with the VINASAT-1 and Star One C2 spacecraft.


Turksat 3A is the replacement satellite for Turksat 1C, which was orbited
by an Ariane 4 vehicle in July 1996.

Skynet 5C is the third satellite to be launched by Arianespace for U.K.-based Paradigm – a military satellite telecommunications operator that delivers resilient, survivable and secure communications to military and government users. Ariane 5 missions in 2007 orbited Skynet 5A in March, followed by Skynet 5B in November.

The Skynet 5 series of spacecraft are built by EADS Astrium, and carry hardened Ultra High and Super High Frequency (UHF/SHF) payloads that operate with multiple, steerable spot beams. Their relay capability is used by the U.K.'s armed forces and other government agencies, and also is available to approved international defense, governmental and multinational organizations – including NATO, which recently selected Paradigm as part of a European team to provide its next generation satellite communication services.

Riding with Skynet 5 on the upcoming Ariane 5 mission is Turksat 3A, a Thales Alenia Space-built for Turkey's international satellite and cable operator. Turksat 3A will enable Turksat to offer telecommunication services and direct TV broadcasting over a broader area than its existing satellites, covering Turkey, Europe, Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Equipped with 24 Ku-band switchable transponders, Turksat 3A will serve as a bridge between Europe and Asia – with coverage specially designed to provide very efficient gain for broadband applications such as VSAT services for low-cost, up-link systems.

Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

May 5, 2008

Turksat 3A makes initial contact with hardware for its Ariane 5 launcher

The Turksat 3A satellite has been installed on its Ariane 5 payload interface adapter, marking a new step in preparations for Arianespace's third mission with the workhorse launch vehicle during 2008.

Turksat 3A is one of two telecommunications satellites for the upcoming heavy-lift flight, which is scheduled for May 23. To be operated by Ankara-based Turksat, this Thales Alenia Space-built spacecraft is designed to provide telecommunication services and direct TV broadcasting for Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.


Turksat 3A is moved into position for
integration atop its payload adapter.

During activity inside the S5 payload preparation facility at Europe's Spaceport, Turksat 3A was mounted on a cone-shaped adapter that will serve as the interface between the satellite and its Ariane 5 ECA.

Turksat 3A is based on Thales Alenia Space's Spacebus 4000B2 spacecraft design. It is fitted with 24 Ku-band transponders and will weigh 3,060 kg. at launch. To be positioned at an orbital slot of 42°E, Turksat 3A will replace the Turksat 1C satellite, which was launched by Arianespace in July 1996.

Joining Turksat 3A on the May 23 Ariane 5 flight will be Skynet 5C – a secure relay satellite for the United Kingdom's Paradigm military satellite telecommunications operator.

Arianespace is targeting seven Ariane 5 flights for 2008 - the busiest year of operations since the launcher's commercial introduction at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana in 1999. Its two on-target missions already performed this year were the historic March 9 flight of an Ariane 5 ES version with Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for the International Space Station, and the April 18 dual-payload Ariane 5 ECA success with Star One C2 and VINASAT-1.

In addition, Arianespace's Starsem affiliate orbited the European GIOVE-B navigation satellite with its Soyuz commercial launcher, which lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 27.

Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

May 6, 2008

Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A are fueled for the upcoming Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch

The two payloads for Arianespace's next Ariane 5 heavy-lift mission have been fueled as preparations continue for the May 23 launch from the Spaceport in French Guiana.

Both Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A were "topped off" within hours of each other inside the S5 satellite preparation facility, underscoring the Spaceport's ability to keep pace with the accelerating launch rate for Ariane 5.



Turksat 3A (photo at right) is to be utilized by Ankara-based Turksat, providing telecommunication services and direct TV broadcasting for Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. This 3,060 kg. satellite is based on Thales Alenia Space's Spacebus 4000B2 spacecraft design, and carries 24 Ku-band transponders.

Skynet 5C will be the third satellite launched by Arianespace for U.K.-based Paradigm – a military satellite telecommunications operator that delivers resilient, survivable and secure communications to military and government users. The Skynet 5-series spacecraft are built by EADS Astrium, and carry hardened Ultra High and Super High Frequency (UHF/SHF) payloads that operate with multiple, steerable spot beams.

Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

May 7, 2008

Arianespace takes delivery of its third Ariane 5 in 2008

The launch vehicle for Ariane 5's third flight of 2008 is now under Arianespace responsibility after its delivery by prime contractor Astrium at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

Handover of the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA occurred with its transfer yesterday from the Launcher Integration Building - where Astrium performed the vehicle's build-up, to the Final Assembly Building – where Arianespace will carry out payload integration and final checkout.


Skynet 5C (shown here during fueling
in the Spaceport's S5 satellite
preparation building) is one of two
payloads for the upcoming Ariane 5
mission.
This mission remains on schedule for May 23, with Ariane 5 carrying two passengers: Turksat 3A and Skynet 5C.

The upcoming flight underscores Arianespace's ability to match up diverse satellites for Ariane 5's trademark dual-payload missions: Skynet 5C is to deliver secure military relay links for military and government users, while Turksat 3A will provide telecommunication services and direct TV broadcasting for Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Arianespace is planning the busiest year of Ariane 5 operations since the launcher's commercial introduction in 1999, with a total of seven missions scheduled during 2008.

Two highly accurate flights already have been performed this year: the milestone March 9 flight of an Ariane 5 ES version with Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for the International Space Station; and the April 18 dual-payload Ariane 5 ECA success with Star One C2 and VINASAT-1.

Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

May 14, 2008

The Ariane 5 launch with Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A is set for May 30

Final payload integration has begun for Arianespace's third flight of 2008, while the mission has been shifted one week to allow for complementary checks on the heavy-lift Ariane 5.

This launch will carry the Skynet 5C military relay satellite for U.K.-based Paradigm, along with Turkey's Turksat 3A civilian telecommunications spacecraft for Ankara-based Turksat.

Liftoff of the Ariane 5 ECA is planned during the following launch window:



Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

May 28, 2008

Arianespace's next Ariane 5 mission is cleared for launch

This Friday's heavy-lift Ariane 5 flight with two satellite payloads satellites has been cleared for liftoff following the launch readiness review conducted today at Europe's Spaceport.

The review – which is performed before every Ariane mission - validated the readiness of Ariane 5, its Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A payloads, the launch infrastructure at Europe's Spaceport and the downrange tracking stations.


Ariane 5's dual-payload
configuration is shown for the
upcoming mission.

It clears the way for tomorrow's transfer of Ariane 5 from its Final Assembly Building to the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone. Liftoff is scheduled during an evening launch window on May 30 that opens at 6:52 p.m. and continues to 7:35 p.m.

Skynet 5C is installed in the upper position of Ariane 5's payload "stack," and will be released first during the 32-minute flight. This secure military telecommunications satellite will deliver resilient, survivable and secure communications to military and government users. It was built by EADS Astrium, and will be utilized by the U.K.-based operator, Paradigm. Skynet 5C carries hardened Ultra High and Super High Frequency (UHF/SHF) relay payloads that use multiple, steerable spot beams.

The Ariane 5's lower passenger is Turksat 3A. Built by Thales Alenia Space, it will be operated by Ankara-based Turksat for telecommunication services and direct TV broadcasting over Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. This 3,110 kg. satellite is based on Thales Alenia Space's Spacebus 4000B2 spacecraft design, and carries 24 Ku-band transponders.

Arianespace's upcoming mission is the third of seven Ariane 5 flights planned for 2008, making it the busiest year since the launcher's commercial introduction in 1999.

As final preparations are completed for this flight, another Ariane 5 is being readied in the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building for a mission targeted in late June. It will be a continuation of Ariane 5's trademark dual-payload launches, carrying the ProtoStar I and BADR-6 satellites.



Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

May 30, 2008

Ariane 5 is ready for tonight's liftoff with Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A

Arianespace's third Ariane 5 of 2008 is ready for tonight's liftoff with its dual-passenger payload of the U.K.'s Skynet 5C military communications satellite and the Turksat 3A relay spacecraft for Turkey.

The Ariane 5 was transferred yesterday afternoon from its Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone at Europe's Spaceport, where final preparations are now underway for tonight's liftoff in a launch window that opens at 6:52 p.m. and continues to 7:35 p.m.



This 183rd launch of a vehicle from the Ariane family is part of Arianespace's sustained mission rate in 2008, during which seven Ariane 5 flights are planned.

Tonight's mission underscores Arianespace's capability to efficiently handle a full range of payloads for international customers. It pairs up Skynet 5C - a secure military telecommunications satellite designed to deliver resilient, survivable and secure communications for military and government users, with the Turksat 3A Ku-band platform for civilian telecommunication services and direct TV broadcasting over Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.



Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

May 30, 2008

Arianespace postpones the Ariane 5 launch with Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A

Tonight's heavy-lift mission with Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A has been postponed after a software test with the Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle showed a non-nominal result.



The decision was taken by Arianespace to ensure a thorough validation before it approves the launch.

Both the Ariane 5 and its Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A payloads are in a safe condition.

Arianespace will announce the new mission date as soon as possible.

Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

June 3, 2008

An independent group of experts investigates the software glitch that delayed Ariane 5's launch

A software programming glitch discovered during final checks of last Friday's planned Ariane 5 ECA mission is under review by an independent group of experts, and will be fully solved before the dual-payload flight is rescheduled.

The Ariane 5's flight software is regularly updated to incorporate data from recent launches, and a routine pre-liftoff validation before the planned May 30 mission pinpointed an erroneous software element that would be used only in the event of an in-flight failure.


The Ariane 5 ECA with Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A is rolled back
to the Final Integration Building following last week's initial count-
down.
Photo: ©Arianespace / S. Corvaja 2008.

"Our policy is to fully understand the reason for such a situation. The utilization of this group of experts allows for a thorough, independent review that not only will determine what happened, but also will ensure that such conditions do not occur again," explained Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. "We rapidly informed our customers of the situation, and will keep them fully advised – which is in line with our policy of transparency."

Le Gall said the Ariane 5 ECA's flight software program had been modified after the successful March 9 launch of an Ariane 5 ES version, which orbited Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) re-supply spacecraft for the International Space Station. This mission was followed by another on-target flight on April 18 with an Ariane 5 ECA, which carried a dual-satellite telecommunications payload. The programming glitch is thought to have occurred during software updates made after the ATV flight.

Le Gall chaired the first meeting of the group of experts on June 2, which is expected to complete its work late this week. A new date for the upcoming Ariane 5 ECA flight will then be established - with June 12 as the earliest current target. This flight is the third of seven Ariane 5 missions planned for 2008, and will loft the Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A satellites.

At Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, the Ariane 5 ECA has returned from the launch pad to the Final Assembly Building, where the launcher and its payloads remain in a safe standby mode.

Arianespace continues to maintain its seven-mission goal for 2008, supported by the Spaceport's flexibility – which enables two Ariane 5s to be prepared in parallel.

Source: Arianespace Mission Updates

Arianespace Press Releases

Evry, France, June 9, 2008

Arianespace launch with Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A: Liftoff is set for Thursday, June 12

Following the additional checks on the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, Arianespace has decided to restart the final countdown for its mission with the Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A satellites.

Liftoff of the Ariane 5 is now set for the night of Thursday, June 12 at the opening of the following launch window:

From 6:54 p.m. to 7:39 p.m., local time in Kourou, French Guiana
From 5:54 p.m. to 6:39 p.m. in Washington, D.C.
From 9:54 p.m. to 10:39 p.m. UTC
From 11:54 p.m. to 00:39 a.m. in Paris, on June 12 to 13
From 00:54 a.m. to 01:39 a.m. in Ankara, on June 13.

Source: Arianespace Press Release

June 9, 2008

Ariane 5's launch with Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A is scheduled for June 12

Arianespace has set its next Ariane 5 mission for the evening of June 12 following the completion of additional launch vehicle verifications, which were ordered by Arianespace after a software programming glitch was discovered during last week's original final countdown.

The upcoming flight will orbit a dual satellite payload of EADS Astrium's Skynet 5C spacecraft for U.K.-based operator Paradigm and the Thales Alenia Space-built Turksat 3A relay platform for Turksat of Turkey.

This 183rd launch of a vehicle from the Ariane family is part of Arianespace's sustained mission rate in 2008, during which seven Ariane 5 flights are planned.



Source: Arianespace Mission Updates