Jacques van Oene
January 27th 05, 10:29 PM
Flight 164 - January 26, 2005
The XTAR-EUR payload is fueled in the S5 satellite preparation facility
Preparations for the upcoming flight of Arianespace's heavy-lift Ariane 5
ECA entered a new phase today as the mission's primary spacecraft - the
XTAR-EUR telecommunications satellite - was fueled at the Spaceport in
French Guiana.
Fueling was carried out in the S5B high-bay area of the Spaceport's large S5
satellite preparation facility. Following completion of final pre-launch
checkout, XTAR-EUR will be transferred to the launcher Final Assembly
Building, where it will be installed on Flight 164's Ariane 5.
XTAR-EUR will weigh approximately 3,600 kg. at launch and is fitted with 12
wideband and high-power X-band transponders. The satellite will be operated
by XTAR - a joint venture of Loral Space & Communications and HISDESAT,
S.A. - and its telecommunications relay services will be offered to
government users in the United States, Spain and other friendly and allied
nations.
Operating from an orbital slot at 29 deg. East Longitude, XTAR-EUR will
feature on-board switching and multiple steerable theater beams that allow
its X-band capacity to follow users as they move anywhere within the
satellite coverage footprint.
In addition to XTAR-EUR, Arianespace Flight 164 will carry an
experimental/test payload consisting of the Sloshsat mini satellite (which
is to be separated during the mission), and the Maqsat B2 telemetry/video
imaging package (which will remain mated to Ariane 5 throughout the flight).
Liftoff of the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA is scheduled for February 11.
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
The XTAR-EUR payload is fueled in the S5 satellite preparation facility
Preparations for the upcoming flight of Arianespace's heavy-lift Ariane 5
ECA entered a new phase today as the mission's primary spacecraft - the
XTAR-EUR telecommunications satellite - was fueled at the Spaceport in
French Guiana.
Fueling was carried out in the S5B high-bay area of the Spaceport's large S5
satellite preparation facility. Following completion of final pre-launch
checkout, XTAR-EUR will be transferred to the launcher Final Assembly
Building, where it will be installed on Flight 164's Ariane 5.
XTAR-EUR will weigh approximately 3,600 kg. at launch and is fitted with 12
wideband and high-power X-band transponders. The satellite will be operated
by XTAR - a joint venture of Loral Space & Communications and HISDESAT,
S.A. - and its telecommunications relay services will be offered to
government users in the United States, Spain and other friendly and allied
nations.
Operating from an orbital slot at 29 deg. East Longitude, XTAR-EUR will
feature on-board switching and multiple steerable theater beams that allow
its X-band capacity to follow users as they move anywhere within the
satellite coverage footprint.
In addition to XTAR-EUR, Arianespace Flight 164 will carry an
experimental/test payload consisting of the Sloshsat mini satellite (which
is to be separated during the mission), and the Maqsat B2 telemetry/video
imaging package (which will remain mated to Ariane 5 throughout the flight).
Liftoff of the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA is scheduled for February 11.
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info