The completion of initial build-up for the 200th Ariane is shown in these photos. In the two images at left, the Ariane 5’s equipment bay is raised for installation atop the launcher, followed by the EPS upper stage - photos courtesy of Arianespace
During activity in the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building, the Ariane 5 ES version of the Company's heavy-lift workhorse was fitted with its equipment bay, followed by installation of the EPS upper stage. With these steps completed, the Ariane 5 is ready for transfer to the Final Assembly Building, where the ATV - named after German astronomer/mathematician Johannes Kepler - will be installed. The Final Assembly Building currently is occupied by an Ariane 5 ECA launcher version, which is waiting to receive its payload of the HISPASAT 1E and KOREASAT 6 telecommunications satellites for a liftoff scheduled on December 28th from French Guiana.