Ariane 5 ready for Arianespace’s upcoming heavy-lift mission

Dear reader and followers,

Arianespace has delivered another Ariane 5 to the launch zone at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, positioning this workhorse heavy-lift vehicle for tomorrow’s flight with a pair of telecommunications satellites: THOR 7 and SICRAL 2.

The Ariane 5 rolled out yesterday from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone, where it is scheduled for liftoff during a launch window that opens on April 24th at 4:38 p.m. local time in French Guiana, or 9:38 Paris time.

Credit image: Ariane Space

For this 78th overall flight of an Ariane 5, the payload lift performance is estimated at 9,850 kg. – which includes a combined total of some 9,000 kg for the two satellites, plus the launcher’s dual-passenger dispenser system and integration hardware.

Riding as the upper passenger in Ariane 5’s payload arrangement is THOR 7, which will be released at approximately 28 minutes into the mission. The spacecraft was built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, and will operate from an orbital position of .8 deg. West.

THOR 7 is to serve the maritime sector, delivering high-powered coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. Also incorporated in this relay platform is a Ku-band payload for broadcast and television services in Central and Eastern Europe.

SICRAL 2 is a military telecommunications satellite developed in the framework of a turnkey contract that the Italian Defense Ministry and the French DGA armament agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) have with Thales Alenia Space Italy; while Telespazio is responsible for the launch service. It will be deployed from Ariane 5’s lower passenger position at approximately 34 minutes after liftoff – completing the mission.

After the deployment by Ariane 5, SICRAL 2 – offering a design life of 15 years – will provide strategic and tactical telecommunications links for French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve capacity for other NATO nations.

Tomorrow’s Ariane 5 launch is designated VA222, signifying the 222nd liftoff of an Ariane-series vehicle since 1979. It also will mark Arianespace’s third flight in 2015 with a launcher from its three-member family – following the medium-lift Soyuz mission on March 27 that orbited two European Galileo FOC (Full Operational Capability) navigation satellites, and February 11’s lightweight Vega suborbital flight with Europe’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) spaceplane.

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59th straight success for Ariane 5 from Kourou

Dear followers and readers,

last Saturday, March 22th 2014, the European space rocket, Ariane 5, performed with success a flawless launch from Europe’s spaceport at Kourou, French guiana. The space rocket orbited two telecommunications satellites, ASTRA 5B and Amazonas 4A. The flight was the European launcher’s 59th straight success since 2003. 

Credit image: CNES 

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Kate Upton in weightlessness with the Zero-G aircraft

Dear readers,

the model Kate Upton is very well known, and we don't have to present her. But this week, the model and the science have been united to experiment the zero gravity. The experiment took place on-board a +Boeing+ plane, the B727. In Europe the +CNES (French Space Agency) work with a similar gear, but in a +Airbus Group plane, A300-Zero-G. The A300 Zero-g looks very much like a conventional aircraft, with a few special modifications dedicated for this experiment.

Theweightlessness is attained through a series of aerobatic maneuvers known as parabolas, where the pilot pulls the plane up at 45 degrees to an altitude around 8500 meters, and then pushes the aircraft into a descent to create zero gravity for 20-30 seconds.

Since 2003, the A300 Zero-g is used by +European Space Agency, ESA and the +CNES for their research programs to keep track of main cryogenic propulsion stages falling backing to Earth during Ariane 5 launches. 

But this time, the model Kate Upton defied gravity for the Sports Illustrated’s 2014 Swimsuit Issue. And it was insanely awesome. Enjoy the picture and the video:

Credit image : +Sports Illustrated 

Source

Successful launch and orbiting of 2 satellites by Ariane 5

Dear followers,

yesterday, the European space rocket, Ariane 5, performed its first 2014 launch from Kourou, French Guiana. Ariane 5 orbited 2 telecommunications satellites, Athena-Fidus and ABS-2 at  21:30 UTC (February 6th).

Credit: +CNES 

Athena-Fidus (Access on THeatres for European Nations Allied forces - French Italian Dual Use Satellite) is a telecommunications satellite developped by the large collaboration between France and Italia. Developed for CNES, the Italian space agency ASI, the French Defense agency (DGA) and the Italian Ministry of Defence, it will deliver telecommunications services to French and Italian military and civil protection forces, complementing capacity already provided by the Syracuse and SICRAL satellites.

In an other hand, ABS-2 is a telecommunications satellite that will enable the operator Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) to deliver telecommunications, television, multimedia and data transmission services to Asia, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Enjoy the European Ariane 5 rocket blasted off from Kourou in French Guiana

Credit: +Arianespace 

Success of the fourth Ariane5 launch in 2013

Dear followers,

yesterday night, two satellites were successfully geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 rocket fired from Kourou, French Guiana, +Arianespace announced. It is the 215th Ariane launch and 71st for the Ariane 5 space launcher.This fourth Ariane launch of the year from the Guiana Space Centre began at 17:30 Kourou time (22h30 Paris time) at the beginning of the launch window.

Credits: AFP

This fourth Ariane launch of the year from the Guiana Space Centre began at 17:30 Kourou time (22h30 Paris time) at the beginning of the launch window.

This is the 57th consecutive success for the European launcher, which "confirms the unparalleled level of reliability of our delivery systems," said the CEO of +Arianespace, Stéphane Israel.

The payload placed on a geostationary orbit was two satellites: EUTELSAT 25B/Es of the European operator Eutelsat and Qatari Es'hailSat, and GSAT-7 for Indian space agency (ISRO).

With a total launch mass of about 6.3 tons, EUTELSAT 25B/Es satelliste must serve the growing markets of the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. This satellite will enhance the coverage and power of EUTELSAT 25C which he will take over.

GSAT-7 is the 17th satellite entrusted by the Indian space agency to the European launcher. With a weight of 2.6 tonnes, this satellite will offer to the entire Indian subcontinent telecommunications services multi-band (Ku, C, S and UHF).

Update : video of the take-off

The India GSLV launch has been delayed after a fuel leak

Dear followers,

yesterday India planed to launch GSLV rocket with the payload GSAT-14 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota Island on India's east coast. However, it seems that a fuel leak before the countdown stop the launch process. This launch should be the first one since back-to-back failures in 2010.

Credits: ISRO

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicule (GSLV) is and expendable launch system operated by the India Space Reasearch Organisation (ISRO). This launcher has been developed to enable India to launch its own INSAT-type satellites into GEO orbit and to make India less dependent on foreign rockets such as Ariane5 or the Soyuz program.

Successful take-off of Ariane 5 carrying alphasat from Kourou

Credits: +European Space Agency, ESA 

ATV launch by Ariane 5 live on 5 June 2013

Dear followers,

yesterday, the space rocket, Ariane 5 VA 213, which will carry the Automated Transfer Vehicle, ATV, has been moved from the final assembly building. The +European Space Agency, ESA 's fourth ATV, Albert Einstein, is now ready for launch to the International Space Station. The liftoff is set at 23:52 CEST or 21:52 GMT from the Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Credit: ESA-S. Corvaja

Couples days ago, we told you about some troubles with the docking sensors during the concerning the final approach to ISS . The engineers seems to fix that.

The live steaming of the liftoff will be proposed in the following link:

http://www.cnes.fr/web/CNES-en/10082-follow-ariane-launch-live.php

Enjoy the take-off, and don't  that you could follow us on Google+ and Twitter !

Busy incoming month for ISS

Dear follower,

as we said you, yesterday, that the next launch of ATV is coming. However, this event is one of a series during this next month for the International Space Station.

- May 28th:  Soyuz 35 TMA-09M launch which will carry on 3 astronauts, Karen Nyberg from +NASA, Luca Parmitano from +European Space Agency, ESA and Fyodor Yurchikhin from the Russian space agency.

- June 5th: ATV-4 launch with Ariane 5.

- June 11th: Progess 51 undocking from the International Space Station

- June 15th: ATV-4 docking on the International Space Station

- June 26th: Russian EVA

We will propose dedicated article for each event so stay tune.

And don't forget, you could follow us on Google+ and Twitter !

Docking sensor still to be fixed on ISS before next ATV approach

Dear follower,

on June 5th, the European ATV should take off withe Ariane 5 to the International Space Station. However, the engineers are still working on a potential problem with a Laser Radar Reflector (LRR) which allows the spacecraft’s autonomous approach to the station. On April 26, Progress M-19M cargo docked at the ISS with one of its KURS (docking system) folded, due to a failure in the deployment mechanism.

The +European Space Agency, ESA didn't communicated about the possible issue or the solutions to fix the problem. However, Josh Byerly from +NASA  revealed that the Progress’ stowed antenna that may have caused the damage in the vicinity of the docking area, where are located the ATV’s navigation aids.

Engineers were not able to assess the potential damage on ISS because the area where the reflector is located is not visible from inside the station. Only external cameras of departing spacecraft could take a look to the critical area.  In the worst case scenario, ATV carries a backup docking system using telegoniometers that emit laser light at a different wavelength.

Although it is still to be confirmed, it is likely that the next crewed Soyuz set to launch on May 28 would be used to fly a replacement of the device.

We should get more news soon, so stay tune.

Finally, don't forget that you could follow us on Google+ and Twitter !