This review, which is performed prior to every Ariane mission, confirmed the launch readiness of the Ariane 5 ECA, along with its TerreStar-1 payload, the launch infrastructure at Europe's Spaceport, and the network of downrange tracking stations. The go-ahead clears the way for Ariane 5's roll-out tomorrow (June 30) from its Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone, where the vehicle will be fueled and readied for an afternoon liftoff on July 1 during a two-hour launch window that opens at 1:13 p.m. local time in French Guiana. This mission will be Arianespace's third of seven Ariane 5 flights planned in 2009, which continues the workhorse launcher's sustained launch rate for the company's worldwide customer base.
With a liftoff weight of nearly 6,910 kg., TerreStar-1 is riding as a single passenger on the dedicated Ariane 5. This Space Systems/Loral-built spacecraft will operate in the 2 GHz spectrum, enabling the American telecommunications operator TerreStar Networks to provide voice, data and video communications to satellite/terrestrial mobile devices the size of a typical smart phone. TerreStar-1 is equipped with an 18-meter deployable reflector and powerful S-band feed array, and will be capable of managing some 500 beams during an in-orbit design lifetime of more than 15 years. Its relay services are tailored to provide critical services for government, emergency responders, rural communities and commercial users throughout the United States and Canada.