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20.10.2014
As Arianespace continued building toward the company’s record total of 12 missions in 2014, launcher elements for the initial Ariane 5 flight of 2015 were delivered this week to French Guiana aboard the MN Toucan – one of two sea-going vessels performing transportation rotations between Europe and South America. It marked an initial step for this mission, Flight VA222, to launch two spacecraft: Telenor SATELLITE Broadcasting’s THOR 7 and SICRAL 2, which will be orbited in the framework of a turnkey contract that the Italian Defense Ministry and the French DGA armament agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) have with Thales Alenia Space Italy.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 26.11.2014
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The first Ariane 5 to be launched in 2015 begins its Spaceport build-up
Spaceport assembly activity of the Ariane 5 for Flight VA222 begins with erection of its cryogenic core stage over the mobile launch table, followed by the solid boosters’ rollout to the Launcher Integration Building.
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Ariane Flight VA222
As Arianespace prepares to close out a busy year of mission activity, the initial Ariane 5 for launch in 2015 already is beginning to take shape at the Spaceport.
This vehicle started its build-up in the dedicated Launcher Integration Building, where the cryogenic core stage was raised into place over one of two mobile launch tables available for the heavy-lift Arianespace workhorse.
To accompany the assembly process, Ariane 5’s two solid propellant boosters were rolled out for their mating with the core stage – clearing the way for continued integration.
The activity is being performed by prime contractor Airbus Defence and Space, which will deliver the Ariane 5 to Arianespace for payload integration, final checkout and launch.
Arianespace is targeting a liftoff next March for the launcher, which is to carry Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s THOR 7 commercial relay satellite and the Sicral 2 telecommunications platform for Telespazio, on behalf of the French and Italian military forces.
For the mission, THOR 7 is to ride in Ariane 5’s upper passenger position, with Sicral 2 located below it in the SYLDA dispenser system. Designated Flight VA222, this launch will be the 222nd liftoff of an Ariane family vehicle from the Spaceport.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 24.02.2015
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French Guiana welcomes the THOR 7 spacecraft for launch by Ariane 5
Protected inside its shipping container, THOR 7 is unloaded from the cargo jetliner after arriving at Félix Eboué Airport near French Guiana’s capital city of Cayenne.
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Ariane Flight VA222
The THOR 7 satellite for Arianespace’s first Ariane 5 mission in 2015 has arrived in French Guiana, marking the start of payload preparations for this dual-passenger flight from the Spaceport – which is scheduled for an April liftoff.
THOR 7 – produced by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc) – was delivered this month by a cargo jetliner, which landed at Félix Eboué International Airport near the capital city of Cayenne. Following unloading, the spacecraft was transferred by road for initial processing, including a “fit-check” validation with the adapter that will serve as its interface with Ariane 5, inside the Spaceport’s S5C clean room facility.
Based on the SSL 1300 platform, THOR 7 is equipped with 11 Ku-band transponders in order to provide dedicated capacity for broadcast services in Central and Eastern Europe. It also includes a Ka-band payload, which will be used to meet the growing demand for broadband communications within the offshore sector – offering coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean.
THOR 7 will be the second satellite launched for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting by Arianespace, following the October 2009 orbiting of THOR 6 – which also utilized a heavy-lift Ariane 5.
Joining THOR 7 on Arianespace’s April mission is the Sicral 2 military telecommunications satellite, to be launched in the framework of a turnkey contract that the Italian Defense Ministry and the French DGA armament agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) have with Thales Alenia Space Italy. It will provide strategic and tactical telecommunications links for the French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve telecommunications capacity for other NATO nations. Telespazio, among other things, is responsible for the launch service.
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In preparation activity for Arianespace’s mission, THOR 7 is lowered for its fit-check process inside the Spaceport’s S5C clean room facility.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 6.03.2015
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Ariane5 - VA222
Both payloadsfor Arianespace’s first heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission of 2015 are now in French Guiana, with arrival of the Sicral 2 satellite this week.
Delivered aboard a cargo jetliner, Sicral 2 landed at Félix Eboué International Airport near French Guiana’s capital city of Cayenne and was transferred by road to the Spaceport, where it is scheduled for an April liftoff on a dual-passenger mission.
Sicral-2 is a military telecommunications satellite that will provide strategic and tactical telecommunications links for French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve telecommunications capacity for other NATO nations. The spacecraft will be launched in the framework of a turnkey contract that the Italian Defense Ministry and the French DGA armament agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) have with Thales Alenia Space Italy. Telespazio, among other things, is responsible for the launch service.
On Ariane 5 Flight VA222, Sicral 2 is to be joined by THOR 7 – a communications satellite for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc). Produced by SSL (Space Systems/Loral), THOR 7 is equipped with 11 Ku-band transponders for broadcast services in Central and Eastern Europe, and a Ka-band payload to meet the growing demand for broadband communications within the offshore sector.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 10.04.2015
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Both payloads for Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 flight are mated to the launch vehicle
Ariane Flight VA222
The heavy-lift Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s April 15 mission is now complete following integration of its dual-satellite payload – consisting of THOR 7 and Sicral 2 – at the Spaceport in French Guiana.
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Ariane 5’s upper payload section – composed of THOR 7 and its payload fairing – is raised inside the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building for installation atop the launcher.
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Encapsulated in an ogive-shaped protective payload fairing, THOR 7 was lowered into place yesterday over its Sicral 2 co-passenger – which had been installed atop Ariane 5’s core section during preceding activity.
This integration milestone – achieved at the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5 – clears the way for a new phase that includes the launch readiness review on April 13, which is to be followed by Ariane 5’s rollout to the ELA-3 launch zone the next day.
Designated Flight VA222, liftoff is scheduled during a 1-hr., 54-min. launch window opening on April 15 at 4:43 p.m. local time in French Guiana, with the two spacecraft to be deployed on a mission lasting approximately 34 minutes.
As the upper payload in Ariane 5’s arrangement, THOR 7 – which was built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) for operation by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting – will be released first in the flight sequence.
This relay platform is equipped with Telenor’s initial high-performance Ka-band payload, designed to serve the maritime sector – offering cost-effective solutions and high-powered coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. THOR 7 also has a Ku-band payload for broadcast and television services in Central and Eastern Europe.
Sicral 2 – a military telecommunications satellite designed to provide strategic and tactical telecommunications links for French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve capacity for other NATO nations – is to be deployed from the launcher’s lower passenger position, with its separation to follow that of THOR 7.
The spacecraft will be lofted in the framework of a turnkey contract that the Italian Defense Ministry and the French DGA armament agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) have with Thales Alenia Space Italy. Telespazio, among other things, is responsible for the launch service.
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Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 14.04.2015
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ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VA222 / THOR 7 & SICRAL 2
THE LAUNCH READINESS REVIEW (RAL) took place in Kourou on Monday April 13, 2015 and authorized count-down operations for the THOR 7 & SICRAL 2 launch.
On the third launch of the year from the Guiana Space center in French Guiana, and the first with an Ariane 5, Arianespace will orbit satellites for two European operators:
THOR 7 for the private Norwegian company Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc), and SICRAL 2 for Telespazio, on behalf of the Italian Ministry of Defense and the French defense procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement, part of the Ministry of Defense).
The year’s first mission with the Ariane 5 heavy launcher once again illustrates Arianespace’s assigned task of guaranteeing independent access to space for European operators from both the private and public sectors. Since being founded in 1980, Arianespace has placed 224 satellites into geostationary transfer orbit for customers from Europe.
It will be launched from the Ariane launch complex N° 3 (ELA3), in Kourou, French Guiana.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 13.45 MESZ
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VA222
THOR 7 and SICRAL 2: LAUNCH DELAYED
During the preparations for the roll-out of the launcher for flight VA222, an anomaly occurred on a fluid connector between the cryogenic upper stage and the launch table.
As a result, Arianespace has decided to postpone the launch initially scheduled for April 15, 2015, in order to replace this part and perform the subsequent verifications.
The launch vehicle and its THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 satellite payloads are maintained in fully safe conditions and in stand-by mode.
The new launch date targeted will be announced very soon.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 17.04.2015
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Arianespace Flight VA222 / Ariane 5 ECA – THOR 7 and SICRAL 2:
Launch is scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2015
Arianespace has established the new targeted launch date for Flight VA222, using an Ariane 5 ECA to orbit the THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 satellites. Liftoff of the Ariane 5 launcher is now slated for:
- UT: Between 07:38 p.m. on April 24, 2015
- KOUROU: Between 04:38 p.m. on April 24, 2015
- PARIS: Between 09:38 p.m. on April 24, 2015
- WASHINGTON: Between 03:38 p.m. on April 24, 2015
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 21.04.2015
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Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 22.04.2015
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ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VA222 / THOR 7 & SICRAL 2
THE ADDITIONAL LAUNCH READINESS REVIEW (RAL) took place in Kourou on Wednesday April 22, 2015 and authorized count-down operations for the THOR 7 & SICRAL 2 launch.
On the third launch of the year from the Guiana Space center in French Guiana, and the first with an Ariane 5, Arianespace will orbit satellites for two European operators:
THOR 7 for the private Norwegian company Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc), and SICRAL 2 for Telespazio, on behalf of the Italian Ministry of Defense and the French defense procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement, part of the Ministry of Defense).
The year’s first mission with the Ariane 5 heavy launcher once again illustrates Arianespace’s assigned task of guaranteeing independent access to space for European operators from both the private and public sectors. Since being founded in 1980, Arianespace has placed 224 satellites into geostationary transfer orbit for customers from Europe.
It will be launched from the Ariane launch complex N° 3 (ELA3), in Kourou, French Guiana.
THE ARIANE 5 ECA LAUNCHER LIFT-OFF for this flight is scheduled on April 24, 2015 as soon as possible within the following launch window:
UT: Between 07:38 p.m. and 09:32 p.m. on April 24, 2015
KOUROU: Between 04:38 p.m. and 06:32 p.m. on April 24, 2015
PARIS: Between 09:38 p.m. and 11:32 p.m. on April 24, 2015
WASHINGTON: Between 03:38 p.m. and 05:32 p.m. on April 24, 2015
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 24.04.2015
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Ariane 5 reaches the ELA-3 launch zone for Arianespace’s upcoming heavy-lift mission
The Ariane 5 nears completion of its transfer from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building – where this heavy-lift vehicle received its THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 payloads – to the ELA-3 launch zone.
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Ariane Flight VA222
Arianespace has delivered another Ariane 5 to the launch zone at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, positioning this workhorse heavy-lift vehicle for tomorrow’s flight with a pair of telecommunications satellites: THOR 7 and SICRAL 2.
The Ariane 5 rolled out today from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch zone, where it is scheduled for liftoff during a launch window that opens on April 24 at 4:38 p.m. local time in French Guiana.
For this 78th overall flight of an Ariane 5, the payload lift performance is estimated at 9,850 kg. – which includes a combined total of some 9,000 kg. for the two satellites, plus the launcher’s dual-passenger dispenser system and integration hardware.
Riding as the upper passenger in Ariane 5’s payload arrangement is THOR 7, which will be released at approximately 28 minutes into the mission. The spacecraft was built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, and will operate from an orbital position of .8 deg. West.
THOR 7 is to serve the maritime sector, delivering high-powered coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. Also incorporated in this relay platform is a Ku-band payload for broadcast and television services in Central and Eastern Europe.
SICRAL 2 is a military telecommunications satellite developed in the framework of a turnkey contract that the Italian Defense Ministry and the French DGA armament agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) have with Thales Alenia Space Italy; while Telespazio is responsible for the launch service. It will be deployed from Ariane 5’s lower passenger position at approximately 34 minutes after liftoff – completing the mission.
After the deployment by Ariane 5, SICRAL 2 – offering a design life of 15 years – will provide strategic and tactical telecommunications links for French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve capacity for other NATO nations.
Tomorrow’s Ariane 5 launch is designated VA222, signifying the 222nd liftoff of an Ariane-series vehicle since 1979. It also will mark Arianespace’s third flight in 2015 with a launcher from its three-member family – following the medium-lift Soyuz mission on March 27 that orbited two European Galileo FOC (Full Operational Capability) navigation satellites, and February 11’s lightweight Vega suborbital flight with Europe’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) spaceplane.
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Quelle: arainespace
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...Update: 13.45 MESZ
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ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VA222
THOR 7 and SICRAL 2: LAUNCH DELAYED
During the final count-down operations for flight VA222 slated for today, an anomaly occurred on a conditioning equipment of the launcher. As a result, Arianespace has decided to bring back the launcher to the Final Assembly Building (BAF).
The launch vehicle and its THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 satellite payloads have been placed in stand-by mode and maintained in safe conditions.
The new launch date will be announced later today.
Quelle: arianespace
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Update: 25.04.2015
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Arianespace Flight VA222
Ariane 5 ECA – THOR 7 and SICRAL 2:
Launch is scheduled for Sunday, April 26, 2015
The reconfiguration work and related checkout on the Ariane 5 ECA launcher are now complete.
The new targeted launch date for Flight VA222, to orbit the THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 satellites, is now slated for Sunday, April 26 at 4:37 p.m. local time in Kourou, French Guiana (3:37 p.m. in Washington D.C., 19:37 UTC and 9:37 p.m. in Paris).
Quelle: arianespace
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