One of the two satellites for Arianespace's fifth Ariane 5 flight of 2012 is undergoing checkout in French Guiana, as preparations move forward for a dual-passenger heavy-lift mission, scheduled for September from the Spaceport.

India's GSAT-10 is now in the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation facility, having been removed from the shipping container that protected this spacecraft during its voyage to French Guiana aboard a chartered An-124 cargo jetliner.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) built GSAT-10 using its I-3K satellite bus.

It is outfitted with Ku-, C-band and extended C-band transponders for relay services, as well as the GAGAN (GPS and GEO augmented navigation) payload for aircraft navigation assistance over Indian airspace and adjoining areas.

GSAT-10 will be lofted along with the Astra 2F payload during Arianespace's heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission - which will mark the 209th Ariane-series vehicle flight since 1979.

The upcoming launch with GSAT-10 and Astra 2F will follow Arianespace's August 2 mission, which is to orbit a dual payload of Intelsat 20 and HYLAS 2 from the Spaceport.