Artistic rendition of the Astra 2F satellite,
courtesy of Astrium

...scheduled for launch from the European Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, on September 28th. Astrium is prime contractor of Ariane 5, the heavy-lift European launcher designed and built to carry out the widest range of missions and which has proved its reliability by achieving 50 consecutive successful launches already. On this particular launch, the ECA version of the Ariane 5 launcher will deliver two telecommunications satellites with a total weight of 10,179kg, including the adapters and the SYLDA dual launch system.

The Ariane 5 launcher is manufactured and adapted to the specific characteristics of each mission by Astrium, its prime contractor. Positioned at the head of a highly qualified European logistics chain, Astrium builds the equipment and stages and integrates them at Kourou. The launcher’s main components are the cryogenic main stage (EPC) and its Vulcain 2 engine, the solid boosters, the cryogenic upper stage (ESC-A) and its HM7B engine, and the equipment bay. The Astra 2F telecommunications satellite is the 28th Eurostar E3000 satellite built by Astrium and the first in a series of four satellites ordered together from the company in late 2009. The next satellite, Astra 2E, has been integrated and is undergoing its final tests at Astrium’s Toulouse site, while the following two, Astra 5B and Astra 2G, are in the process of being built, as is SES-6, a fifth satellite ordered by SES from Astrium.