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Seventh Ariane 5 For Launch In 2009 Arrives At The Spaceport

File image of the an Ariane 5 cryogenic core stage being processed.
by Staff Writers
Kourou, French Guiana (SPX) Sep 24, 2009
Arianespace's French Guiana Launch vehicles for three upcoming Arianespace missions are now at the Spaceport in French Guiana following this week's delivery of components for Ariane 5's record seventh flight of 2009.

The latest Ariane 5 was delivered by the MN Toucan, which is one of two roll-on/roll-off sea-going vessels that transport launchers and other hardware from Arianespace's European manufacturing network to the launch site in South America.

It was unloaded from the MN Toucan at Pariacabo port near Kourou and transferred by road to the Spaceport, where it is ready to enter the production flow - beginning with its initial build-up in the Launcher Integration Building.

The Launcher Integration Building currently is occupied by the sixth Ariane 5 for launch in 2009, which has completed its basic assembly process and is awaiting the transfer to the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building.

The Final Assembly Building is hosting the no. 5 launcher for 2009, which is now poised to receive its dual satellite payload of the German COMSATBw-1 military communications satellite and HISPASAT's Amazonas 2 commercial relay platform.

The coordinated movement of launchers will begin with the September 29 rollout of the fifth Ariane 5 from the Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone, where it is scheduled for an evening liftoff on September 30.

When the rollout occurs, the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building will be ready to receive Arianespace's no. 6 launch vehicle, which is to be transferred from the Launcher Integration Building - opening this facility for the build-up start of the seventh Ariane 5 to be launched in 2009.

Arianespace is maintaining its sustained Ariane 5 launch pace to meet the company's growing list of payloads booked by international customers. The seven missions targeted for 2009 will mark the busiest calendar year for Arianespace's workhorse launcher since its commercial introduction in 1999.

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Amazonas 2 Satellite Integrated For Launch
Kourou, French Guiana (SPX) Sep 22, 2009
Final payload integration is underway for Arianespace's fifth Ariane 5 mission of 2009, with the Amazonas 2 telecommunications satellite now encapsulated in its payload fairing. This activity took place inside the satellite staging area of Ariane 5's Final Assembly Building at the Spaceport in French Guiana, where the ogive-shaped fairing was lowered into place over Amazonas 2. The fairing ... read more







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