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KOUROU, French Guiana, Jan. 12, 2007/Satnews
Daily/ ― The initial payload for Arianespace's first launch of 2007
arrived in French Guiana this week with the touchdown of the United
Kingdom's Skynet 5A satellite at Rochambeau International Airport near
Cayenne.
Arianespace said a Ukrainian-built An-124 cargo
jetliner flew the military communications platform from Europe, where
Skynet 5A was built by EADS Astrium. After its landing at Rochambeau
airport, the spacecraft was unloaded for its transfer by road to the
Arianespace’s Spaceport.
Skynet 5A is the first in a series of next-generation military relay
satellites that will provide secure communications services for the
British armed forces, NATO and a number of other countries. It will be
operated for the U.K. Ministry of Defence by Paradigm Secure
Communications, a commercial organization.
EADS Astrium has contracted to orbit the Skynet 5A, 5B and 5C spacecraft
on Ariane 5.
As Skynet 5A begins its checkout process at the Spaceport, the Ariane 5
for Arianespace's initial flight of 2007 is now taking shape at the
launch site, Arianespace said. This upcoming mission will be another
dual-satellite flight, with Skynet 5A being joined on the heavy-lift
vehicle by India's INSAT 4B telecommunications satellite.
Last week, Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said the company foresees
launching six Ariane 5s in 2007, along with three Soyuz vehicles
operated by its Starsem affiliate from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome.
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