The fifth Ariane 5 mission of 2012 delivered a pair of telecommunications spacecraft to geostationary transfer orbit Friday, marking the 65th launch to date for Arianespace's heavy-lift workhorse.

Lifting off in late afternoon sunlight at 6:18 p.m. from the Spaceport in French Guiana, Ariane 5 deployed its ASTRA 2F and GSAT-10 satellite passengers during a flight lasting 30 minutes.

This timing just prior to sunset provided a clear view of Ariane 5's initial trajectory as it cleared a low cloud deck and continued the ascent, enabling tracking cameras to view the solid propellant booster's separation at an altitude of 67.5 km., as well as the payload fairing's jettison at nearly 110 km. above French Guiana.

The launcher's total payload lift performance was more than 10,200 kg. - which included a combined mass of some 9,400 kg. for the two spacecraft, along with Ariane 5's multi-payload dispenser system and associated integration hardware.

Highlighting the continuing on-target accuracy of Ariane 5, the vehicle's estimated orbital parameters at injection of its cryogenic upper stage were: - Perigee: 249.7 km. for a target of 249.7 km. - Apogee: 35,938 km. for a target of 35,933 km. - Inclination: 6.00 deg. for a target of 6.00 deg.

Chairman and CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said that tonight's mission marked the 51st consecutive success for Ariane 5, "demonstrating Arianespace's unrelenting efforts to insure reliability for its customers that is unequaled in the launch services industry."

Le Gall noted tonight's flight represents a highpoint during Arianespace's particularly successful month of September, in which the company announced new launch contracts at the World Satellite Business Week event in Paris, and its Starsem affiliate lofted the European Metop-B weather satellite from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome.

ASTRA 2F was deployed first during the flight sequence, with its separation from Ariane 5 occurring 27 minutes after liftoff. It is the 36th satellite entrusted to Arianespace by the SES group, continuing a successful relationship that originated with the 1988 launch of ASTRA 1A using an Ariane 4 vehicle.

With an estimated liftoff mass of 6,000 kg., ASTRA 2F utilizes Astrium's Eurostar E3000 satellite bus and carries Ku- and Ka-band payloads for the delivery of high performance Direct-to-Home (DTH) and next-generation broadband services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

It will be operated by Luxembourg-based SES from an orbital location of 28.2 deg. East - which is one of the operator's prime positions that serves such premium broadcasters as BSkyB, the BBC, ITV and Channel 5. From this geostationary slot, SES delivers programming to almost 13 million satellite homes and over three million cable homes, as well as 700,000 Internet Protocol television (IPTV) homes in the U.K. and Ireland. Additionally, 28.2 degrees East is used by SES to broadcast numerous channels for the growing DTH platforms in sub-Saharan Africa.

"ASTRA 2F was the 36th satellite launched by our company for SES, and as with all of the others, it enables SES to reinforce its no. 1 position in direct broadcasting by satellite," Le Gall said in a post-mission speech at the Spaceport. "This new success results from a particularly intense relationship with SES over the long term, and is in the framework of a multi-launch agreement that allows even more flexibility and bring a tailored response to the needs of our customer."

GSAT-10 was the second satellite orbited during Arianespace's mission tonight from the Spaceport on its way to an orbital position of 83 deg. East - where it is to be operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). With this latest success, Arianespace has now lofted 15 spacecraft for ISRO, which designed, assembled and integrated GSAT-10 in Bangalore, India.

Based on the I-3K satellite bus, GSAT-10 weighed approximately 3,400 kg. at liftoff and carries 30 transponders as well as the GAGAN (GPS and GEO augmented navigation) system. It will provide Ku- and C-band relay capacity when it joins the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system of geostationary spacecraft.

Le Gall explained that ISRO is a highly loyal customer, as the collaboration with this Indian space agency began more than 30 years ago with its Apple satellite's orbiting on the third flight of an Ariane vehicle - an Ariane 1 version that was launched in June 1981.

Arianespace's previous Ariane 5 missions during 2012 lofted Europe's third Automated Transfer Vehicle for servicing of the International Space Station on March 23; the JCSAT-13 and VINASAT-2 telecommunications spacecraft on May 15; a mixed telecommunications/meteorological satellite payload of EchoStar XVII and MSG-3 on July 5; and the Intelsat 20 and HYLAS 2 relay platforms on August 2.

The next Arianespace flight is now set for October 12, using the Soyuz member of its launcher family on a mission from the Spaceport to loft two European Galileo navigation satellites.

Ariane 5 in the launch zone for fifth heavy-lift flight of 2012
Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) Sep 28 - Arianespace's mission with the ASTRA 2F and GSAT-10 satellites is on track for its liftoff tomorrow evening following the workhorse Ariane 5's rollout to the ELA-3 launch zone at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

Moving atop one of two large mobile launch tables in service for Ariane 5, the heavy-lift vehicle emerged from the Final Assembly Building for its transfer to the launch pad, where it was secured in place. With this step completed, final preparations can now begin for Ariane 5's September 28 liftoff at 6:18 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

This will be Arianespace's fifth Ariane 5 flight of 2012, with a payload lift performance of more than 10,200 kg. - which includes a combined mass of some 9,400 kg. for the ASTRA 2F and GSAT-10 spacecraft, plus the launcher's dual-payload dispenser system and associated integration hardware.

Riding as the upper passenger in Ariane 5's payload "stack" is ASTRA 2F, which will be released approximately 27 min. after liftoff. This satellite is based on EADS Astrium's Eurostar E3000 platform and features Ku- and Ka-band payloads.

Following its deployment by Ariane 5, ASTRA 2F will be operated by Luxembourg-based SES for the delivery of high-performance Direct-to-Home (DTH) and next-generation broadband services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

GSAT-10 - which was built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) using its I-3K satellite bus - has a liftoff mass of some 3,400 kg., and will be deployed from Ariane 5's lower passenger position at approximately 30 min. into the flight.

Equipped with 30 Ku- and C-band transponders and the GAGAN (GPS and GEO augmented navigation) payload, GSAT-10 is to join the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system of geostationary spacecraft.

Tomorrow's mission is designated VA209, signifying the 209th launch of an Ariane family vehicle since 1979.

Go ahead given for Ariane 5 mission with ASTRA 2F and GSAT 10
Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) Sep 27 - Arianespace's fifth Ariane 5 flight of 2012 has been approved for its September 28 liftoff following today's successful launch readiness review, which was performed at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

The review is held prior to each Ariane 5 mission, ensuring that the heavy-lift launch vehicle and its payload are flight-ready, along with the Spaceport's infrastructure and the network of downrange tracking stations.

With today's "green light," Ariane 5 is now cleared for its September 27 rollout from the Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone - where it will be readied for liftoff on Friday at 6:18 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

The payload lift performance for Arianespace's latest Ariane 5 mission is more than 10,200 kg., which includes some 9,400 kg. for its two satellite passengers - ASTRA 2F and GSAT-10 - along with the launcher's dual-payload dispenser system and satellite integration hardware.

To be deployed first during the 30-minute flight sequence, ASTRA 2F is a powerful six metric ton-class relay platform that utilizes Astrium's Eurostar E3000 satellite bus - which will be operated by Luxembourg-based SES for the delivery of high-performance Direct-to-Home (DTH) and next-generation broadband services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Equipped with Ku- and Ka-band payloads, the satellite will weigh some 6,000 kg. at liftoff.

Located below ASTRA 2F in the launcher payload "stack" is the mission's lower passenger, GSAT-10 - which was built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) using its I-3K satellite bus. The spacecraft - which has a liftoff mass of approximately 3,400 kg. - will provide Ku- and C-band relay capacity when it joins the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system of geostationary spacecraft. It carries 30 transponders and the GAGAN (GPS and GEO augmented navigation) system.

Arianespace's September 28 mission continues a busy year of activity for the workhorse Ariane 5. Previous launches conducted in 2012 include the March delivery of Europe's third Automated Transfer Vehicle for servicing of the International Space Station, along with dual-payload missions that orbited JCSAT-13 and VINASAT-2 (May), EchoStar XVII and MSG-3 (July) and Intelsat 20 and HYLAS 2 (August).