Arianespace's sixth Ariane 5 flight of 2009 has been approved for its October 29th liftoff following the launch readiness review on October 27th performed at the Spaceport in French Guiana. This traditional milestone prior to every Ariane mission validated the heavy-lift launch vehicle's status, along with the NSS-12 and THOR 6 satellite payloads, the infrastructure at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana and the network of downrange tracking stations.

The readiness review clears Ariane 5 for the transfer from the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone, followed by a final countdown leading to the liftoff during a 1 hour, 40 minute launch window that opens on October 29th at 5:00 p.m. local time in French Guiana. Ariane 5's payload lift performance for this latest mission is 9,515 kg., which includes a combined total of about 8,700 kg. for the NSS-12 and THOR 6 spacecraft, plus the launch vehicle's dual-passenger dispenser system and satellite integration hardware. Arianespace's upcoming flight with THOR 6 and NSS-12 will be followed by another mission before year-end. This Ariane 5 currently is in the Launcher Integration Building at the Spaceport, and is being readied for its transfer to the Final Assembly Building.