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. Photo on right: The main cryogenic stage for Ariane 5’s seventh mission of 2009 arrives at the Spaceport following its trans-Atlantic crossing aboard the MN Toucan transport vessel.
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.
Follow Arianespace's launch activity here.