Launch News Arianespace Flight VA207 - EchoStar XVII & MSG-3: July 5 to 6, 2012.

[Notebook]

LANCEMENT ARIANESPACE VA207 - EchoStar XVII et MSG-3

La Revue d’Aptitude au Lancement (RAL) s’est déroulée le mardi 3 juillet à Kourou et a autorisée les opérations de chronologie pour le Vol Ariane 5 ECA – EchoStar XVII et MSG-3.
Pour son troisième lancement Ariane 5 de l’année, Arianespace mettra en orbite deux satellites : le satellite dédié à l’Internet EchoStar XVII pour l’opérateur et fournisseur de services américain HUGHES et le satellite de météorologie MSG-3 pour l’organisation européenne EUMETSAT.
Le choix d’Arianespace par de grands opérateurs et constructeurs du secteur des télécommunications spatiales illustre la reconnaissance internationale d’un service de lancement de qualité. Par sa fiabilité et sa disponibilité, Arianespace reste le système de lancement de référence mondiale.
Le lancement sera effectué depuis l'Ensemble de Lancement Ariane n° 3 (ELA 3) à Kourou en Guyane française.
Le décollage du lanceur Ariane 5 ECA est prévu le plus tôt possible dans la fenêtre de lancement suivante :

> Kourou : de 18h36 à 19h05, le 5 juillet 2012

> GMT : de 21h36 à 22h05, le 5 juillet 2012

> Paris : de 23h36 à 00h05, le 5-6 juillet 2012

> Washington : de 17h36 à 18h05, le 5 juillet 2012

Pour suivre l’événement en direct sur Internet et en haut débit, connectez vous sur le site www.arianespace.com(commentaires depuis Kourou en français et en anglais à partir de H-20 mn). Le site Arianespace dispose désormais d'une plate-forme d'hébergement mondiale. Suivez également le lancement en direct sur iPad et iPhone (l’application Arianespace est téléchargeable gratuitement sur iTune).

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ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VA207 - EchoStar XVII and MSG-3​

THE LAUNCH READINESS REVIEW (RAL) took place in Kourou on Tuesday July 3, 2012 and authorized count-down operations for the Echostar XVII & MSG-3 launch.Arianespace will orbit two satellites on its third Ariane 5 launch of the year: the dedicated Internet satellite EchoStar XVII for the American operator and service provider Hughes Network Systems, and the MSG-3 weather satellite for Eumetsat, the European Meteorological Satellite organization.
The choice of Arianespace by leading space communications operators and manufacturers is clear international recognition of the company’s excellence in launch services.
It will be launched from the Ariane launch complex N° 3 (ELA3), in Kourou, French Guiana.

THE ARIANE 5 ECA LAUNCHER LIFT-OFF for this flight is scheduled on July 5 to 6, 2012 as soon as possible within the following launch window:​

> Kourou: Between 06:36 pm and 07:05 pm on July 5, 2012​

> UT: Between 09:36 pm and 10:05 am on July 5, 2012​

> Paris: Between 11:36 am and 00:05 am on July 5-6, 2012​

> Washington: Between 05:36 pm and 06:05 pm on July 5, 2012​

Our website www.arianespace.comhas upgraded to high-speed transmission and a full-screen format to make it easier for you to follow the company’s activities and to enjoy future launch webcasts. You can also watch the video transmission live on your iPad or iPhone, the Arianespace App is available on iTune and it’s free.

ESA live feed:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/MSG/SEMI592VW3H_0.html

​

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Another Ariane launch, another trip to geostationary orbit. But unlike most of these launches, today's passengers are not exactly the "run-of-the-mill" kind of communication satellites that you would expect. Today's passengers are EchoStar's EchoStar XVII, a broadband Internet service satellite operating for Huges Network Systems that will provide satellite Internet access for homes and offices across North Amercia, and MSG-3, a weather satellite for EUMETSAT that will be stationed over Europe and Africa, providing 24 hours weather images and data for meteorologists and the public.

Launch location:

Kourou Launch pad ELA-3 5° 14'06.34"N, 52° 46'06.34"W

Launch dates and times:

[table="head"]{colsp=6}Launch times

Time Zone|

Kourou / UTC-3 ​

|

Paris /CEST ​

|

Universal / UTC ​

|

Washington / EDT ​

|

Los Angeles / PDT ​

Launch time (Primary): ​

|

18:36​

|

22:36​

|

21:36​

|

17:36​

|

14:36​

on: ​

|

Jul. 5, 2012​

|

Jul. 5, 2012​

|

Jul. 5, 2012​

|

Jul. 5, 2012​

|

Jul. 5, 2012​

{colsp=6}

[highlight][eventTimer]2012-07-05 21:36:00?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] SES-4 Launch[/highlight]​

[/table]

Live Coverage Of The Launch:

• Arianespace: http://www.videocorner.tv/videocorner2/live_flv/index.php?langue=en (begins at 20 minutes before lift-off)

PAYLOAD 1

EchoStar XVII (Jupiter 1) broadband communication satellite:

Mission Summary

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) announced in June 2009 that it will launch a next-generation, high throughput satellite called Jupiter 1 in the first quarter 2012 to expand its rapidly growing HughesNet broadband Internet service across North America. Designed to deliver over 100 Gbps throughput, the new Hughes satellite will utilize an enhanced version of the IPoS standard, the world's leading broadband satellite standard approved by ETSI, TIA and ITU.

Employing a multi-spot beam, bent pipe Ka-band architecture, the new geostationary satellite will provide significant additional capacity for HughesNet service in North America . Its capabilities will augment the successful Spaceway 3 satellite system, the world's first with on-board switching and routing, which Hughes put into commercial service in April, 2008. Space Systems/Loral has been selected to manufacture the new Hughes satellite, based on its SSL-1300 platform, which has the proven flexibility for a broad range of applications and is expected to provide service for 15 years or more.

EchoStar acquired Hughes Network Systems for $1.3 billion in February 2011 and the satellite was renamed Echostar 17.

[table="head"]{colsp=2}Summary
Parameter|Value

Working Orbit:​

|GEO

Orbital Location:​

|107.1° West

Coverage:​

|North America

ApA at separation:​

|35944 km

PeA at separation:​

|249.5 km

Inc at separation:​

|6°
[/table]

[table="head"]Characteristics|

SES-4​

Customer:​

|

• Hughes Network Systems / EchoStar
  
  

Prime contractor:​

|

• Space Systems / Loral
  

Platform:​

|

• Space Systems / Loral LS-1300

Mass at Separation:​

|

• 6100 kg

Dry Mass:​

|

• ?

Stabilization:​

|

• 3 axis stabilized

Dimensions (stowed):​

|

• 8.0 x 3.2 x 3.1 m

On-board power:​

|

• 16.1kW at end of life

Navigation Payload:​

|

• 60 Ka-band users beams

Life time:​

|

• 15 years

Ka-band coverage:​

|

• Too much spotbeams to list here, but you can see all 60 of them here: http://www.satbeams.com/satellites?id=2497

|

[/table]

PAYLOAD 2

MSG-3 (Meteosat 10) geostationary meteorological satellite:

Mission Summary

MSG (Meteosat Second Generation) features 12 channels enhanced imaging radiometer (SEVIRI) and the Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) instrument.

The high performance of the new generation is 4 times better than the other ones on the market and 10 times better than Meteosat of the first generation.

They will ensure the continuity of current services and supply highly significant advances. The transmission rate of images is doubled (one image every 15 minutes) and the number of spectral channels rise from 3 to 12 (including 8 infrared channels), three allowing for access to comprehensive information on atmospheric physics. Spatial resolution is also enhanced: MSG is able to discern details down to 1 kilometer in a visible highresolution channel and 3 kilometers for the other channels. The general concept is derived from the first generation, but the platform and payload are completely new.

The satellites are being renamed to Meteosat when they become operational.

[table="head"]{colsp=2}Summary
Parameter|Value

Working Orbit:​

|GEO

Orbital Location:​

|0° West

Coverage:​

|Europe, Africa

ApA at separation:​

|35944 km

PeA at separation:​

|249.5 km

Inc at separation:​

|6°
[/table]

[table="head"]Characteristics|

SES-4​

Customer:​

|

• EUMETSAT
  

Prime contractor:​

|

• Thales Alenia Space
  

Platform:​

|

• MSG FM 3

Mass at Separation:​

|

• 2037 kg

Dry Mass:​

|

• ?

Stabilization:​

|

• Spin stabilized

Dimensions (stowed):​

|

• ø 3.2 x 2.3 m

On-board power:​

|

• 0.7 kW at end of life

Payload:​

|

• Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI)
• Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB)
• Mission Communication Payload (MCP)

Life time:​

|

• 7 years

Payload coverage:​

|

• 

|

[/table]

Launch Vehicle:

[table="head"]{colsp=2}Characteristics

|[table="head"]{colsp=2}

Ariane 5 ECA​

Prime contractor:​

|

• EADS Astrium
  

Height:​

| 50.5 m with upper stage and payload fairing

Diameter:​

| max 11.56 m

Liftoff mass:​

| 780 metric tonnes

Payload mass:​

| ~10 tonnes at GTO (1500 m/s to GEO)

SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER (EAP):​

|

• 2 X P241 motor
• Empty 38 tonnes
• Propellants 240 tonnes (HTPB)
• Thrust in vacuum 700 tonnes of force
• Thrust at sea level 509.9 tonnes of force

CRYOGENIC MAIN CORE STAGE (EPC):​

|

• 1 X Vulcain-2 engine
• Empty 14.7 tonnes
• Propellants 170 tonnes (LOX + LH2)
• Thrust in vacuum 139 tonnes of force
• Thrust at sea level 96 tonnes of force

CRYOGENIC UPPER STAGE (ESC-A):​

|

• 1 X HM7B engine
• Empty 4.54 tonnes
• Propellants 14.9 tonnes (LOX + LH2)
• Thrust in vacuum 6.7 tonnes of force

Payload Fairing:​

|

• Diameter 5.4 m
• Length 17 m
• Mass 2675 kg

[/table]
[/table]

The vehicle's reliability statistics according to http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/log2012.html#rate:

================================================================ 
Vehicle     Successes/Tries Realzd Pred  Consc. Last     Dates    
                             Rate  Rate* Succes Fail    
================================================================
Ariane 5-ECA     33    34    .97  .94     33    12/11/02 2002-

Ariane VA207 Ascent Profile

The launcher’s attitude and trajectory are totally controlled by the two onboard computers, located in the
Ariane 5 vehicle equipment bay (VEB).
7.05 seconds after ignition of the main stage cryogenic engine at T-0, the two solid-propellant boosters are
ignited, enabling liftoff. The launcher fi rst climbs vertically for 6 seconds, then rotates towards the East. It
maintains an attitude that ensures the axis of the launcher remains parallel to its velocity vector, in order to
minimize aerodynamic loads throughout the entire atmospheric phase, until the solid boosters are jettisoned.
Once this fi rst part of the fl ight is completed, the onboard computers optimize the trajectory in real time,
minimizing propellant consumption to bring the launcher fi rst to the intermediate orbit targeted at the end of
the main stage propulsion phase, and then the fi nal orbit at the end of the fl ight of the cryogenic upper stage.
The main stage falls back off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean (in the Gulf of Guinea).
On orbital injection, the launcher will have attained a velocity of approximately 9361 meters/second, and will
be at an altitude of about 648 kilometers.
The fairing protecting the EchoStar XVII and MSG-3 spacecraft is jettisoned shortly after the boosters are
jettisoned at about T+197 seconds.

Ariane VA207 Ascent Timeline

[TABLE="head"]Event|Time rel lift-off|Time UTC|Comment (altitude, velocity)
Start of synchronized sequence|-00:07:00|21:29:00|
Ignition of the cryogenic main stage engine (EPC)|00:00:00|21:36:00|
Liftoff (Ignition of solid boosters)|00:00:07.3|21:36:07.3|0 km 0 m/s
End of vertical climb and beginning of pitch rotation (10 seconds duration)|00:00:12.5|21:36:12.5|0.1 km 36 m/s
Beginning of roll manoeuvre|00:00:17.1|21:36:17.1|0.3 km 75 m/s
Jettisoning of solid boosters|00:02:22|21:38:22|67.5 km 2013 m/s
Payload Fairing Separation|00:03:17|21:39:17|107.4 km 2260 m/s
Shut-down of main cryogenic stage|00:08:59|21:44:59|171.9 km 6884 m/s
Separation of main cryogenic stage|00:09:05|21:45:05|172.1 km 6910 m/s
Ignition of upper cryogenic stage (ESC-A)|00:09:09|21:45:09|172.2 km 6912 m/s
Injection|00:24:59|22:00:59|648.4 km 9361 m/s
Separation of EchoStar XVII satellite|00:27:34|22:03:34|1040 km 9037 m/s
Separation of Sylda 5|00:31:17|22:07:17|1759 km 8498 m/s
Separation of MSG-3 satellite|00:34:11|22:10:11|2410 km 8062 m/s
[/TABLE]

Weather forecast for Kourou, French Guiana on July 5, 2012 (6 p.m.)
Overcast with a chance of a thunderstorm and rain. Fog early. High of 32C. Winds from the SSE at 5 to 15 km/h shifting to the East in the afternoon. Chance of rain 30% with rainfall amounts near 0.5 mm possible.

References
http://www.arianespace.com
http://www.videocorner.tv
http://www.echostar.com
http://www.hughesnet.com
http://www.eumetsat.int
http://www.ssloral.com/html/satexp/hughes_jupiter.html
http://www.arianespace.com/images/launch-kits/launch-kit-pdf-eng/VA207-EchoStar-XVII-MSG-3-GB.pdf
http://english.wunderground.com
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.satbeams.com
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Processing photos

More photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eumetsat/sets/72157629845835726/ and http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/va207/prelaunch/

 

[orb]

The launch window opens in one hour.

NASASpaceflight: Ariane 5 ECA set to launch MSG-3 and EchoStar XVII

Spaceflight Now: Mission Status Center

Arianespace: Arianespace’s Ariane 5 flight with EchoStar XVII and MSG-3 enters its final countdown for liftoff tonight

 

[MattBaker]

Launch coverage started

T-10:00

 

[Codz]

T-5 minutes.

---------- Post added at 09:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 PM ----------

Lift off!

---------- Post added at 09:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:36 PM ----------

Booster and fairing separation.

 

[N_Molson]

T+16 minutes. Upper stage burn in process. Everything seems very good so far.

 

[Codz]

Second stage engine shutoff.

 

[N_Molson]

Separation of EchoStar XVII :thumbup:

---------- Post added at 10:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:04 PM ----------

... and separation of MSG3 :thumbup: :thumbup:

---------- Post added at 10:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:16 PM ----------

Log of the flight (Spaceflight Now) :

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2215 GMT (6:15 p.m. EDT)
The Ariane 5 rocket has achieved its 49th consecutive successful launch since 2003 and the vehicle's 59th overall success in 63 flights since 1996.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2210 GMT (6:10 p.m. EDT)
Plus+34 minutes, 20 seconds. MSG 3 separation confirmed as launch officials erupt in applause inside the Jupiter control room at the Guiana Space Center.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2207 GMT (6:07 p.m. EDT)
Plus+31 minutes, 30 seconds. The Sylda 5 payload adapter has been released.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2205 GMT (6:05 p.m. EDT)
Plus+29 minutes. The barrel-shaped Sylda payload adapter will jettison in about 2 minutes, exposing the MSG 3 satellite, which rode the Ariane 5 launcher in the lower position in its dual-payload configuration.

MSG 3's separation is scheduled for Plus+34 minutes, 11 seconds.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2203 GMT (6:03 p.m. EDT)
Plus+27 minutes, 50 seconds. Arianespace confirms the EchoStar 17 satellite has separated to begin a mission beaming broadband Internet services to North America for Hughes Network Systems.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2201 GMT (6:01 p.m. EDT)
Plus+25 minutes. The second stage engine has cut off on schedule.

Deployment of EchoStar 17, the first of the launch's payloads to be released, will come at Plus+27 minutes, 35 seconds.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2157 GMT (5:57 p.m. EDT)
Plus+21 minutes. The upper stage will shut down at Plus+24 minutes, 58 seconds, after reaching a target orbit with a low point of 155 miles, a high point of 22,334 miles, and an inclination of 6 degrees.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2155 GMT (5:55 p.m. EDT)
Plus+19 minutes. The rocket is now flying 130 miles high at a velocity of more than 18,800 mph. The vehicle is now in range of communications stations in Africa after flying across the Atlantic Ocean.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2153 GMT (5:53 p.m. EDT)
Plus+17 minutes. The cryogenic HM7B engine continues to peform well.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2148 GMT (5:48 p.m. EDT)
Plus+12 minutes. This upper stage engine burn will last nearly 16 minutes.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2145 GMT (5:45 p.m. EDT)
Plus+9 minutes, 15 seconds. The main cryogenic stage's Vulcain engine has cut off and the spent stage has separated. It will fall back into the atmosphere prior to completing an orbit of Earth.

And the upper stage's HM7B engine is now firing to inject the EchoStar 17 and MSG 3 satellites into orbit.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2142 GMT (5:42 p.m. EDT)
All systems are reported to be in good shape, and the Ariane 5 is flying right on course.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2139 GMT (5:39 p.m. EDT)
Plus+3 minutes, 20 seconds. Separation of the rocket's nose cone has been confirmed.

The Ariane 5 core stage will continue burning until about Plus+9 minutes into the mission.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2138 GMT (5:38 p.m. EDT)
Plus+2 minutes, 22 seconds. The solid rocket boosters have been jettisoned from the Ariane 5 rocket's core stage. The liquid-fueled Vulcain 2 main engine continues to fire to propel the vehicle and its satellite payload to space.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2137 GMT (5:37 p.m. EDT)
Plus+60 seconds. The vehicle is on the proper heading as it rides the power of the twin solid rocket boosters and main stage liquid-fueled engine.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2136 GMT (5:36 p.m. EDT)
LIFTOFF of the Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana with payloads to serve Internet to North America and provide European forecasters with satellite imagery.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2135 GMT (5:35 p.m. EDT)
Minus-1 minute. A fast-paced series of events leading to launch will begin at Minus-37 seconds when the automated ignition sequence is started. The water suppression system at the launch pad will start at Minus-30 seconds. At Minus-22 seconds, overall control will be given to the onboard computer. The Vulcain main engine will be readied for ignition with hydrogen chilldown starting at Minus-18 seconds.

The residual hydrogen burn flares will fire beneath the Vulcain engine at Minus-6 seconds to burn away any free hydrogen gas. At Minus-3 seconds, onboard systems take over and the two inertial guidance systems go to flight mode. Vulcain main engine ignition occurs at Minus-0 seconds with checkout between Plus+4 and 7 seconds. If there are no problems found, the solid rocket boosters are ignited at Plus+7.0 seconds for liftoff at Plus+7.3 seconds.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2134 GMT (5:34 p.m. EDT)
Minus-2 minutes. The Vulcain main engine supply valves are being opened. And the ground valves for engine chilldown are being closed.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2133 GMT (5:33 p.m. EDT)
Minus-3 minutes. The scheduled launch time has been loaded into the rocket's main computer system. The main stage tank pressures should now be at flight level.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2132 GMT (5:32 p.m. EDT)
Minus-4 minutes. Pressurization is now underway for the main cryogenic stage's liquid oxygen and hydrogen tanks. Also, final pyrotechnic arming is starting.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2131 GMT (5:31 p.m. EDT)
Minus-5 minutes. All status panel lights remain green, indicating no problems right now that could prevent an on-time blastoff.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2130 GMT (5:30 p.m. EDT)
Minus-6 minutes. Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen supplies of the main cryogenic stage are being verified at flight level. Also, the pyrotechnic line safety barriers are being armed.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2129 GMT (5:29 p.m. EDT)
Minus-7 minutes and counting. The synchronized sequence has started. Computers are now in control of this automated final phase of the launch countdown to prepare the rocket and ground systems for liftoff. There are three computers running the countdown -- one aboard the Ariane 5 and two redundant computers at the launch complex.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2126 GMT (5:26 p.m. EDT)
Minus-10 minutes and counting. Still all green across the status board in launch control as the countdown heads for the synchronous sequence.

A reminder that if you will be away from your computer but would like to receive occasional countdown updates, sign up for our Twitter feed to get text message updates on your cellphone. U.S. readers can also sign up from their phone by texting "follow spaceflightnow" to 40404. (Standard text messaging charges apply.)

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2116 GMT (5:16 p.m. EDT)
Minus-20 minutes. The Synchronized Sequence is being prepped for activation. This computer-run sequence assumes control of the countdown at the Minus-7 minute mark to perform the final tasks to place the rocket and pad systems in launch configuration. At Minus-4 seconds, the rocket's onboard computer will take over control of main engine start, health checks of the powerplant and solid rocket booster ignition commanding for liftoff.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2036 GMT (4:36 p.m. EDT)
Minus-60 minutes. The live video stream from French Guiana will begin 20 minutes before liftoff, which remains set for 2136 GMT (5:36 p.m. EDT; 6:36 p.m. French Guiana time).

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
2005 GMT (4:05 p.m. EDT)
With all systems and weather in good shape for launch, fueling of the Ariane 5 rocket's first and second stages is underway. The rocket's core burns cryogenic propellant, while two solid-fueled strap-on boosters will help power the rocket from the pad.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012
0940 GMT (5:40 a.m. EDT)
An Ariane 5 rocket rolled to its launch pad in French Guiana on Wednesday, moving closer to liftoff Thursday with the EchoStar 17 high-throughput broadband communications satellite for North America and Europe's MSG 3 geostationary weather observatory.

After reaching the launch pad, the rocket was connected to ground utilities, including electrical and fueling systems. Workers at the South America launch site filled the Ariane 5's helium pressurant system later Wednesday.

Liftoff from the Guiana Space Center's ELA 3 launch zone is set for 2136 GMT (5:36 p.m. EDT; 6:36 p.m. French Guiana time) Thursday. The launch window extends for 29 minutes.

The EchoStar 17 and MSG 3 payloads are stacked inside the Ariane 5's aerodynamic nose shroud.

EchoStar 17, built by Space Systems/Loral, will expand high-speed broadband Internet capacity over North America for the HughesNet service operated by Hughes Network Systems.

Manufactured by Thales Alenia Space for Eumetsat, Europe's weather satellite agency, the MSG 3 satellite is the third of four current-generation Meteosat observatories planned to launch through 2014.

MSG 3 will collect highly-detailed imagery of Europe, the North Atlantic, and Africa every 15 minutes for use by weather forecasters.

Final Ariane 5 countdown procedures are scheduled to begin began around 1006 GMT (6:06 a.m. EDT). A check of electrical systems occurred around 1406 GMT (10:06 a.m. EDT).

Workers will also put finishing touches on the launch pad, including the closure of doors, removal of safety barriers and configuring fluid lines for fueling.

The launch team will begin the process to fuel the rocket with super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants at 1636 GMT (12:36 p.m. EDT). First, ground reservoirs will be pressurized, then the fuel lines will be chilled down to condition the plumbing for the flow of super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, which are stored at minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit and minus 298 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively.

It will take approximately two hours to fill the Ariane 5 core stage tanks.

A similar procedure for the Ariane 5's cryogenic upper stage will commence at 1736 GMT (1:36 p.m. EDT).

Chilldown conditioning of the Vulcain 2 first stage engine will occur at 1836 GMT (2:36 p.m. EDT), and a communications check between the rocket and ground telemetry, tracking and command systems is scheduled for 2026 GMT (4:26 p.m. EDT).

The computer-controlled synchronized countdown sequence will begin seven minutes before launch to pressurize propellant tanks, switch to on-board power and take the rocket's guidance system to flight mode.

The Vulcain 2 engine will ignite as the countdown clock reaches zero, followed by a health check and ignition of the Ariane 5's solid rocket boosters seven seconds later to send the 1.7 million-pound launcher skyward.

Five seconds after blastoff, the rocket will begin pitching east from the ELA-3 launch pad, surpassing the speed of sound less than a minute into the mission. The Ariane 5's twin solid rocket boosters will jettison 2 minutes and 22 seconds after liftoff.

Once above the dense atmosphere, the launcher's payload fairing will fall away at an altitude of about 66 miles. The Ariane 5's first stage will shut down at 8 minutes, 59 seconds, followed moments later by stage separation and ignition of the hydrogen-fueled cryogenic HM7B upper stage engine.

The rocket's upper stage will fire for nearly 16 minutes, accelerating to a velocity of 5.8 miles per second to reach an orbit with a planned high point of 22,344 miles and a targeted low point of 155 miles.

The release of EchoStar 17 is scheduled for 27 minutes, 34 seconds. The rocket's barrel-shaped Sylda 5 dual-payload adapter will be jettisoned a few minutes later.

MSG 3 will separate from the lower portion of the payload stack at 34 minutes, 11 seconds.

 

[orb]

Video replay of the launch

ESA: MSG-3 set to ensure quality of Europe’s weather service from geostationary orbit

 

[Notebook]

BBC article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18624377

N.

 

[orb]

Space News: SS/L-built EchoStar 17 Healthy in Orbit Following Ariane 5 Launch

 

[orb]

ESA:

• ESA hands over MSG-3 weather satellite to EUMETSAT:
  

  16 July 2012
  
  PR 22 2012 - Today at 14:00 local time, following the successful launch of the satellite on 5 July aboard an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, and after 11 days of LEOP (Launch and Early Orbit Phase) by ESA’s Centre, ESOC, EUMETSAT took control of the MSG-3 operations.
  
  During the last 11 days, the satellite was moved into geostationary orbit, the various components which make up the satellite’s platform were activated and their functionality checked. This included a number of critical manoeuvres like the firing of the apogee motors, the change of spacecraft orientation and the unlocking of the SEVIRI scan mirror.
  
  After the successful handover, EUMETSAT can now begin commissioning the satellite and its sensors. Commissioning consists of a two-month phase for satellite check-out and assessment, followed by a four-month phase for imaging and product testing, including calibration and validation activities.
  
  The release of the first image generated by the SEVIRI imager on board MSG-3 on 6 August will be an important milestone.
  
  {...}

  
  
• ESA hands over weather satellite for operations

 

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ESA: MSG-3, Europe’s latest weather satellite, delivers first image

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Click on image to enlarge​

MSG-3 first image of Earth, acquired on 7 August 2012 by its Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI).

Credits: Eumetsat​

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ESA:
Peek-a-blue Moon

3 September 2012

Europe’s latest weather satellite got a glimpse of the Moon before our celestial neighbour disappeared from view behind Earth on Friday. Since its launch two months ago, MSG-3 has been working well and is on its way to entering service.

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Click on image to enlarge​

Credits: Eumetsat​

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The image shows the second full Moon of the month – known as a ‘blue’ Moon – just before it disappeared from the MSG-3 satellite’s sight behind the southern hemisphere.

Brazil’s eastern coast along the South Atlantic Ocean is also visible, with clouds forming over the water.

The image was captured by the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) instrument at 11:20 GMT.

The imager scans Earth’s surface and atmosphere every 15 minutes in 12 different wavelengths to track cloud development and measure temperatures.

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