The ELA-3 launch zone at Europe’s Spaceport welcomed its 42nd Ariane 5 today as the heavy-lift vehicle with Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD™ 9 and W2M satellites rolled out for a liftoff tomorrow evening on the final Arianespace mission of 2008. This was after the launch readiness review, which was held at the Spaceport in French Guiana, South America. This is one of the final key milestones of any Ariane 5 launch, and it validated the readiness of Arianespace's heavy-lift vehicle, its dual satellite payload for Eutelsat.

Sunny skies greeted the Ariane 5 ECA as it departed the Final Assembly Building at 11:00 a.m. for a 2.8-km. transfer to the ELA-3 launch area.  Riding atop one of two mobile launch tables available for Ariane 5 mission operations, the vehicle arrived on the launch pad 1 hour 15 minutes later, where it was secured in place. Photo on right: The Ariane 5 with Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD™ 9 and W2M satellite passengers is transferred from the Final Assembly Building at Europe’s Spaceport to the ELA-3 launch zone.

Tomorrow’s liftoff in French Guiana is scheduled at the 6:51 p.m. opening of a 59-minute launch window, with the two Eutelsat satellites to be deployed during a flight lasting approximately 32 minutes. The Hot Bird stack will be released approximately 27 minutes into the flight.  It will be followed by the Ariane 5's deployment of W2M about five minutes later.

This spacecraft was produced by EADS Astrium and carries 64 Ku-band transponders for the broadcast of digital and new high-definition TV channels, as well as interactive services.  After its deployment by Ariane 5, it will be located at Eutelsat’s premium video neighborhood orbital slot of 13° East, with a coverage area extending throughout Europe, as well as to North Africa and the Middle East. 

The W2M satellite, which is carried in Ariane 5’s lower passenger slot, was built by a European-Indian joint effort involving EADS Astrium and ANTRIX (the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation).  W2M will be positioned at an orbital slot of 16° East, and is to provide both television and radio broadcasting services for Eutelsat.

Tomorrow’s Ariane 5 mission will mark the 42nd launch of this workhorse commercial launcher, and is the sixth flight performed by Arianespace in 2008.  You can follow the event at this site.



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