Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Space Travel News .




LAUNCH PAD
Checkout is underway with O3b Networks' four satellites to be orbited on the next Arianespace Soyuz launch
by Staff Writers
Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) May 02, 2013


File image.

The first four satellites to serve O3b Networks in providing emerging market connectivity worldwide have entered their checkout phase at the Spaceport, readying them for a June flight on Arianespace's fifth mission from French Guiana with its medium-lift Soyuz launcher.

These satellites are now inside the Spaceport's S1A clean room facility, and have been removed from the shipping containers that protected them during a trans-Atlantic cargo jetliner flight from Europe to the equatorial launch site.

The spacecraft have a trapezoidal-shaped main body to facilitate their integration on the payload dispenser system to be utilized on the upcoming Soyuz mission. Operating in Ka-band, the Thales Alenia Space-built satellites will be positioned at a medium-orbit altitude of 8,063 km. - offering high-speed, low-cost, low-latency Internet and telecommunications services for O3b customers in emerging markets.

In addition to the first batch of O3b spacecraft to be lofted by the Soyuz mission in June, another Arianespace flight is scheduled to orbit four more later this year for the company, followed by an additional four in 2014.

As checkout of the O3b satellites gains momentum, activity also is underway in the Spaceport's northwestern sector to ready their Soyuz vehicle and its ELS launch site for the upcoming mission - which is designated Flight VS05 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system.

This includes preparations with the Fregat upper stage in Soyuz' MiK launcher assembly building, as well as routine launch pad maintenance that is performed between missions.

Arianespace has conducted four Soyuz launches to date from French Guiana, beginning with the workhorse medium-lift vehicle's historic inaugural Flight VS01 at the Spaceport in October 2011 - which orbited two Galileo IOV (In-Orbit Validation) navigation satellites for Europe.

It was followed by Flight VS02 in December 2011, carrying a mixed payload of France's Pleiades 1A dual-use imaging platform, the Chilean SSOT observation satellite and four French ELISA micro-satellite demonstrators.

Flight VS03 was performed in October 2012 with two more Galileo IOV spacecraft, and Flight VS04 occurred in December 2012 to deploy the Pleiades 1B payload.

Soyuz is part of Arianespace's three-member launcher family, which also includes the heavy-lift Ariane 5 and lightweight Vega - which are operated side-by-side at the Spaceport.

With this inventory, Arianespace is the world's only launch services provider today that is capable of launching all types of payloads to all orbits - from the smallest institutional and scientific spacecraft to the largest geostationary telecommunications platforms, along with satellite clusters for constellations and resupply vessels to support the International Space Station.

.


Related Links
Arianespace
Launch Pad at Space-Travel.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








LAUNCH PAD
O3b Networks' first four satellites arrive for the next Arianespace Soyuz launch
Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) Apr 30, 2013
The initial four O3b spacecraft to be launched by Arianespace on Soyuz have arrived in French Guiana, taking the global satellite operator one step closer to its goal of deploying a next-generation network that provides emerging market customers with access to fast, flexible and affordable connectivity. These satellites are now in the Spaceport's S1 payload processing facility near the cit ... read more


LAUNCH PAD
Checkout is underway with O3b Networks' four satellites to be orbited on the next Arianespace Soyuz launch

The Well-Built Italian

O3b Networks' first four satellites arrive for the next Arianespace Soyuz launch

On the record with... Stephane Israel, Arianespace Chairman and CEO

LAUNCH PAD
NASA Invites Public to Send Names And Messages to Mars

Studying meteorites may reveal Mars' secrets of life

NASA says Mars rover Opportunity back on the job after standby time

Opportunity in Standby as Commanding Moratorium Ends

LAUNCH PAD
Scientists Use Laser to Find Soviet Moon Rover

Characterizing The Lunar Radiation Environment

Russia rekindles Moon exploration program, intends setting up first human outposts there

Pre-existing mineralogy may survive lunar impacts

LAUNCH PAD
'Vulcan' wins Pluto moon name vote

Public to vote on names for Pluto moons

The PI's Perspective: The Seven-Year Itch

New Horizons Gets a New Year's Workout

LAUNCH PAD
Two New Exoplanets Detected with Kepler, SOPHIE and HARPS-N

Astronomer studies far-off worlds through 'characterization by proxy'

Mysterious Hot Spots Observed In A Cool Red Supergiant

Orbital Selected By NASA for TESS Astrophysics Satellite

LAUNCH PAD
Air Force's experimental scramjet aircraft hits Mach 5.1 -- 3,880 mph

SNC's Hybrid Rocket Engines Power SpaceShipTwo on its First Powered Flight Test

Hot-fire Tests Steering the Future of NASA's Space Launch System Engines

Apollo-Era Test Stand Being Prepared for SLS Core Stage Testing

LAUNCH PAD
On Course for Shenzhou 10

Yuanwang III, VI depart for space-tracking missions

Shenzhou's Shadow Crew

Shenzhou 10 sent to launch site

LAUNCH PAD
Nine-Year-Old Names Target of UA-led NASA Mission

Asteroid Could Fly 8,600 Km From Earth in 2026

Astronomer: Asteroid could make close flyby in 2026

UCLA space scientists find way to monitor elusive collisions in space




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement