Launch News ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VA210 - EUTELSAT 21B & STAR ONE C3 : November 10, 2012

[Notebook]

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LANCEMENT ARIANESPACE VA210 - EUTELSAT 1B et STAR ONE C3​

La Revue d’Aptitude au Lancement (RAL) s’est déroulée le mercredi 7 novembre à Kourou et a autorisé les opérations de chronologie pour le Vol Ariane 5 ECA – EUTELSAT 21B et STAR ONE C3.
Pour son sixième lancement Ariane 5 de l’année, Arianespace mettra en orbite deux satellites de télécommunications : Eutelsat 21B pour l’opérateur européen Eutelsat et Star One C3 pour le constructeur américain Orbital Sciences Corporation et l’opérateur brésilien Star One.
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 18h05 à 19h51, le 9 novembre 2012
> GMT/TU : de 21h05 à 22h51, le 9 novembre 2012
> Paris : de 22h05 à 23h51, le 9 novembre 2012
> Washington : de 16h05 à 17h51, le 9 novembre 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-15 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).

Suivez Arianespace sur Twitter pour les dernières news en temps réel

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ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VA210 - EUTELSAT 21B & STAR ONE C3​

THE LAUNCH READINESS REVIEW (RAL) took place in Kourou on Wednesday November 7, 2012 and authorized count-down operations for the EUTELSAT 21B & STAR ONE C3 launch. Arianespace will orbit two telecommunications satellites on its sixth Ariane 5 launch of the year: Eutelsat 21B for the European operator Eutelsat, and Star One C3 for the American manufacturer Orbital Sciences Corporation and the Brazilian operator Star One.
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 November 9 to 10, 2012 as soon as possible within the following launch window:
> Kourou: Between 06:05pm and 07:51pm

> GMT/TU: Between 09:05pm and 10:51pm

> Paris: Between 10:05pm and 11:51pm

> Washington: Between 04:05pm and 05:51pm

Our website www.arianespace.com has 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.​

Follow Arianespace on Twitter for the latest company news… as it happens

​

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Umm, with this launch being yet another "run of the mill" twin communication satellites launch, I'm running out of words to make an introduction. :rofl:

So without further ado, let's introduce the two passengers on the way today that will provide communication links across the southern hemisphere.....

Launch location:

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

Launch dates and times:

[table="head"]{colsp=7}Launch times

Time Zone|

Kourou / UTC-3 ​

|

Rio de Janeiro / UTC-2 ​

|

Paris /CEST ​

|

Universal / UTC ​

|

Washington / EST ​

|

Los Angeles / PST ​

Launch time (Primary): ​

|

18:05​

|

19:05​

|

22:05​

|

21:05​

|

16:05​

|

13:05​

on: ​

|

Nov. 10, 2012​

|

Nov. 10, 2012​

|

Nov. 10, 2012​

|

Nov. 10, 2012​

|

Nov. 10, 2012​

|

Nov. 10, 2012​

{colsp=7}

[highlight][eventTimer]2012-11-10 21:05:00?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] Ariane flight VA-210 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

Eutelsat 21B communication satellite:

Mission Summary

Eutelsat Communications announced in June 2010 that it has selected Thales Alenia Space to build the 40-transponder Ku-band satellite Eutelsat W6A enabling a 50% increase in capacity operated at its 21.5° East location in geostationary orbit. Scheduled for launch in third quarter 2012, the satellite will replace Eutelsat‘s W6 craft at a core neighbourhood anchored for data, professional video and government services across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

Weighing in at five tons, the new satellite will be based on the Thales Alenia Space Spacebus C3 platform, with a scheduled in-orbit lifetime exceeding 15 years. It will be equipped with one broad footprint sweeping across Europe into North Africa and Central Asia, and two dedicated high-power beams to add increased flexibility for regional coverage of North Africa and the Middle East.

In December 2011 Eutelsat announced, that their satellite assets will be renamed under a unified brand name effective from March 2012. This satellite will become Eutelsat 21B.

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

Working Orbit:​

|GEO

Orbital Location:​

|21.5° East

Coverage:​

|Europe, Africa, Middle East

ApA at separation:​

|35925 km

PeA at separation:​

|249.4 km

Inc at separation:​

|2°
[/table]

[table="head"]Characteristics|

Eutelsat 21B​

Customer:​

|

• Eutelsat
  

Prime contractor:​

|

• Thales Alenia Space
  

Platform:​

|

• Spacebus-4000C3

Mass at Separation:​

|

• 5012 kg

Dry Mass:​

|

• 2060 kg

Stabilization:​

|

• 3 axis stabilized

Dimensions (stowed):​

|

• 5.1 x 2.0 x 2.2 m

Dimensions (deployed span):​

|

• 37 m

On-board power:​

|

• 12kW at end of life

Communication Payload:​

|

• 40 Ku-band transponders

Life time:​

|

• 15 years

Transponders coverage:​

|

|

• 
  
  

|

• 
  
  

|

• 
  
  

|

[/table]

PAYLOAD 2

Star One C3 communication satellite:

Mission Summary

The Star One C3 satellite was ordered from Star One S.A. in March 2010 and will carry a hybrid payload and will be located at an orbital slot between 75 and 84 degrees West Longitude. Based on Orbital’s Enhanced Star-2.4 Bus, the spacecraft will carry 28 active C-band transponders for coverage of South America, and 16 Ku-band transponders with six switchable channels between Brazil and the Andean coverage region. Star One C3 will generate approximately five kilowatts of payload power and will feature two 2.3 meter deployable reflectors and one 1.4 meter earth deck-mounted antenna.

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

Working Orbit:​

|GEO

Orbital Location:​

|75° West

Coverage:​

|South America

ApA at separation:​

|35925 km

PeA at separation:​

|249.4 km

Inc at separation:​

|2°
[/table]

[table="head"]Characteristics|

Star One C3​

Customer:​

|

• EMBRATEL
  

Prime contractor:​

|

• Orbital Sciences Corporation
  

Platform:​

|

• Star-2.4 Bus

Mass at Separation:​

|

• 3225 kg

Dry Mass:​

|

• ?

Stabilization:​

|

• 3-axis stabilized

Dimensions (stowed):​

|

• 5.43 x 2.35 x 3.03 m

On-board power:​

|

• 5 kW at end of life

Payloads:​

|

• 28 C-band transponders
• 16 Ku-band transponders

Life time:​

|

• 16 years

Transponder 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     36    37    .97  .95     36    12/11/02 2002-

Ariane VA210 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 first 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 first part of the flight is completed, the onboard computers optimize the trajectory in real time, minimizing propellant consumption to bring the launcher first to the intermediate orbit targeted at the end of
the main stage propulsion phase, and then the final orbit at the end of the flight 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 9352 meters/second, and will be at an altitude of about 654 kilometers.
The fairing protecting the Eutelsat 21B and Star One C3 spacecraft is jettisoned shortly after the boosters are jettisoned at about T+208 seconds.

Ariane VA210 Ascent Timeline

[TABLE="head"]Event|Time rel lift-off|Time UTC|Comment (altitude, velocity)
Start of synchronized sequence|-00:07:00|20:58:00|
Ignition of the cryogenic main stage engine (EPC)|00:00:00|21:05:00|
Liftoff (Ignition of solid boosters)|00:00:07.3|21:05:07.3|0 km 0 m/s
End of vertical climb and beginning of pitch rotation (10 seconds duration)|00:00:12.6|21:05:12.6|0.09 km 36.9 m/s
Beginning of roll manoeuvre|00:00:17|21:05:17|0.339 km 74.3 m/s
Jettisoning of solid boosters|00:02:22|21:07:22|67.9 km 2018 m/s
Payload Fairing Separation|00:03:28|21:08:28|115.2 km 2349 m/s
Shut-down of main cryogenic stage|00:08:51|21:13:51|180.4 km 6917 m/s
Separation of main cryogenic stage|00:08:57|21:13:57|178.7 km 6944 m/s
Ignition of upper cryogenic stage (ESC-A)|00:09:01|21:14:01|178.6 km 6946 m/s
Injection|00:24:58|21:29:58|654.6 km 9352 m/s
Separation of Eutelsat 21B satellite|00:28:03|21:33:03|1132.2 km 8960 m/s
Separation of Sylda 5|00:29:36|21:34:36|1426.8 km 8735 m/s
Separation of Star One C3 satellite|00:33:17|21:38:17|2217.6 km 8183 m/s
[/TABLE]

Weather forecast for Kourou, French Guiana on November 10, 2012 (6 p.m.)
Partly cloudy. Fog early. High of 33C. Breezy. Winds from the East at 10 to 20 km/h.

References
http://www.arianespace.com
http://www.videocorner.tv
http://www.eutelsat.com
http://www.orbital.com/SatellitesSpace/Communications/StarOne/
http://www.arianespace.com/images/launch-kits/launch-kit-pdf-eng/VA210-Eutelsat21B-StarOneC3-EN.pdf
http://english.wunderground.com
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com
http://www.satbeams.com
http://www.satlaunch.net
http://www.spacelaunchreport.com
http://space.skyrocket.de

 

[orb]

EADS Astrium: Flight V210 Ariane 5, EUTELSAT 21B – STAR ONE C3 Launch Kit (PDF)

 

[orb]

The launch has been postponed by 24 hours because of unfavorable weather conditions.


Arianespace: Arianespace Flight VA210: Ariane 5 ECA – EUTELSAT 21B – STAR ONE C3; Launch postponed by 24 hours

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Damn! Now I have to climb out of bed again tomorrow @ 4:45 am............

In the meantime, here's a full load of launch processing photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkpro/sets/72157631799506712/ :thumbup:

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: Ariane 5 ECA set for dual satellite launch from Kourou

The webcast will be live in 36 minutes.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

And now inside the last 7 minutes! :thumbup:

 

[SolarLiner]

Awesome launch ! These two sattelites are in a good way !

---------- Post added at 09:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:16 PM ----------

Signal tracked now by the Ascension Island (I mean: Wideawake International :lol: )
Even more in a good way !

 

[orb]

Both satellites separated successfully. :thumbup:

ESA: Ariane 5’s sixth launch of 2012

 

[orb]