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Arianespace Postpones Helios IIA Dec. 10 Launch |
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Kourou, French Guiana, Dec. 6/Satnews Daily/
¾ The liftoff of Flight 165
that will carry the Helios IIA military reconnaissance platform as its
primary payload, along with six auxiliary small satellites, has been
postponed to enable the replacement of a part on the mission's Ariane 5
Generic launcher. Arianespace said the decision was taken after an anomaly appeared during ground tests concerning equipment similar to that used for Flight 165. The replacement operation will take several days, and a new launch date will be announced shortly, Arianespace said in a statement. Flight 165 was originally set for Dec. 10. Helios IIA is a second-generation military observation satellite produced in a French-led program that also involves Belgium and Spain. The six small-sats to be carried as auxiliary payloads on the launch are four Essaim spacecraft for the French defense procurement agency (DGA), the Parasol payload from France's CNES space agency for studies of the Earth's climate, and the Spanish Nanosat micro-satellite demonstrator.
Recent Stories: Ariane 5 in Final Preparations for Helios IIA Launch |
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