Category: Satellites

Computer illustration of the Foton-M2 satellite. Image credit: ESA. Click to enlarge.
The re-entry module of the Foton-M2 spacecraft, which has been in low-Earth orbit for the last 16 days made a successful landing today in an uninhabited area 140 km south-east of the town of Kostanay in Kazakhstan, close to the Russian border at 09:37 Central European Time, 13:37 local time.

The unmanned Foton-M spacecraft, which was launched on 31 May from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carried a European payload of 385 kg covering 39 experiments in fluid physics, biology, crystal growth, meteoritics, radiation dosimetry and exobiology.

All de-orbit to landing procedures went according to plan beginning with the jettison of the Foton-M2 battery module three hours prior to landing. At an altitude of about 300 kilometres, travelling at 7.8 km/s and 30 minutes prior to landing, the retro-rocket situated on the Foton service module was fired for 45 seconds slowing the spacecraft down to reduce its altitude. The Foton-M2 service module was hereafter separated from the re-entry module and, as planned, burnt up in Earth?s atmosphere.

Twenty minutes prior to landing the spherical re-entry module entered the stratosphere, experiencing temperatures up to 2000?C and an acceleration of up to 9g. At 8.5 minutes before landing, the drogue parachute was deployed, which in turn opened the brake parachute, reducing the descent speed from supersonic to subsonic. The main parachute was deployed thirty seconds later, at an altitude of 2.5 km, reducing the speed of the re-entry module to 10 m/s. Brake rockets finally reduced the speed of the re-entry module to 3 m/s, 0.35 seconds before landing impact.

ESA representatives were on hand at the landing site to undertake initial procedures related to European experiments. This included immediate retrieval of the Biopan, Stone and Autonomous Experiments. The same team removed the FluidPac experiment facility?s digital tape recorder and configured FluidPac for safe transport to the TsSKB-Progress factory in Samara. The Foton capsule is currently being transported to Samara where the FluidPac facility and the Telescience Support Unit will be removed from the capsule and shipped to ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

?I am extremely pleased that the majority of experiments have performed well.? said ESA?s Project Manager for Foton missions, Antonio Verga. ?My thanks to the ESA Operations Team who has closely followed the mission from the Payload Operations Centre at Esrange in Kiruna, Sweden and our Russian counterparts at Roskosmos, TsSKB-Progress and the Barmin Design Bureau for General Engineering. The hard work and dedication of everyone involved has been crucial in making this mission a success and optimising the scientific returns from the mission?.

The Foton-M2 staff at Esrange, consisted of a team of 30 scientists, engineers and operators who worked in close coordination with the Mission Operation Centre at TsSKB, Samara, and with the Flight Control Centre in Moscow, which continuously reported and informed about the orbital phases of Foton-M2, via a powerful and effective data network operated and maintained by ESA?s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany.

Fluid physics experiments were conducted in the FluidPac and SCCO experiment facilities. The data return from these was nearly complete and most of the scientific objectives were achieved. The BAMBI experiment produced some excellent images, a substantial role in which was played by the on-line processing capability of TeleSupport Unit.

The Agat furnace performed flawlessly as well. The processed samples should provide the material science community with good specimens to analyse. Unfortunately, the Russian Polizon furnace suffered a failure due to as yet unknown reasons, which prevented the processing of the semiconductor alloys stored in its drum at the required high temperatures.

The very successful technology experiment MiniTherm was performed during the mission, which deals with the performance of a new design of heat pipes. This experiment was controlled from Esrange, during its 5 days-long execution.

Also numerous experiments attached to the outside of the Foton satellite were performed, which deal with space exposure and technology aspects.

The European Space Agency has been participating in this type of scientific mission for 18 years and with a total of 385 kg of European experiments and equipment, this mission constituted the largest European payload that has been put into orbit.

“The Foton-M2 mission has been a resounding success and I look forward to seeing the positive impact the results of the experiments will have in the future,? said Daniel Sacotte, ESA?s Director of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration Programmes. ?I also look forward to building on this success with the Foton-M3 mission, which is planned to be launched in 2007.?

For more information on the Foton-M2 mission and the status of the ESA experiments: http://www.spaceflight.esa.int/foton

Original Source: ESA News Release

Russian Soyuz rocket launches carrying Foton-M. Image credit: ESA. Click to enlarge.
An unmanned Foton-M spacecraft carrying a mainly European payload was put into orbit by a Russian Soyuz-U launcher today at 14:00 Central European Time (18:00 local time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Following the launch and nine minutes of propelled flight, the Foton-M2 spacecraft is now in low-earth orbit where it will remain for 16 days before its reentry module lands close to the Russian/Kazakh border.

During the mission European experiments and equipment will be monitored by ESA’s Operations Team at the Payload Operations Centre based at Esrange near Kiruna, Sweden. They will be responsible for receiving, evaluating and disseminating scientific data generated by European payloads on Foton such as the Fluidpac and Agat experiment facilities. During 6 of the 16 daily orbits, the Foton spacecraft will be in a suitable orbital position for Kiruna to receive signals from it. Should any experiment parameters need adjustment, the commands will be sent direct from Kiruna to the specific experiment facility.

The European payload carried by Foton-M2 covers a scientific programme consisting of 39 experiments in fluid physics, biology, material science, meteoritics, radiation dosimetry and exobiology. The European Space Agency has been cooperating with the Russian Space Agency on this type of scientific mission for 18 years. With 385 kg of European experiments and equipment out of the overall payload of 600 kg, this mission constitutes the largest European contribution that has been put into orbit on such missions. The Foton-M2 mission provides reflight opportunities for almost the entire Foton-M1 experiment programme lost due to launcher failure on 15 October 2002.

Applied research plays a prominent role with heat transfer experiments in the European FluidPac facility, chemical diffusion experiments in the SCCO (Soret Coefficients in Crude Oil), and material science investigations in the Agat and Polizon furnaces. These experiments are expected to contribute, respectively, to new heat-exchanger designs, to more efficient oil exploration processes, and to better semiconductor alloys.

As on previous missions, biological research receives a great deal of attention, this time with the emphasis on fundamental questions about the origin and spread of life forms in the universe. Biopan, which is hosting most of these experiments, is making its fifth scientific flight on a Foton mission. Education is also playing a part in the mission with a germination experiment, which has come from ESA’s student programme.

“Foton is one of the very important platforms that ESA uses for experimentation in weightlessness,” said Daniel Sacotte, ESA’s Director of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration Programmes, “and with more than half the total available payload being taken up by European experiments and hardware, this shows the efforts that Europe is making to expand the boundaries of research in space to help improve life on Earth.”

The mission is being carried out under an agreement signed between ESA and the Russian Space Agency Roskosmos on 21 October 2003 covering two Foton flights (Foton-M2 and Foton-M3, scheduled for 2007), which will have a combined total of 660 kg of ESA-supplied scientific payloads on board. The agreement also ties in two Russian partner companies: TsSKB-Progress in Samara and the Barmin Design Bureau for General Engineering (????) in Moscow.

“This was the first Foton launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan as all previous launches have been from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia” explains Antonio Verga, ESA’s Project Manager for Foton missions. “The Foton-M2 reentry module is expected to reenter earth’s atmosphere on 16 June and land in an uninhabitated area near the town of Orenburg, Russia, close to the Russian/Kazakh border. The capsule and the experiments will be recovered within a few hours of the landing. Time-sensitive ESA experiments will be flown back immediately to Rotterdam via Samara and turned over to researchers for analysis at ESA/ESTEC in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.”

Original Source: ESA News Release

Proton rocket launching with DIRECTV 8 satellite. Image credit: ILS. Click to enlarge.
A Russian Proton Breeze M launcher placed the DIRECTV 8 satellite into orbit today, marking the fourth successful mission of the year for International Launch Services (ILS).

The Proton vehicle lifted off at 11:59 p.m. local time (1:59 p.m. EDT, 17:59 GMT). It continued its climb through space for nine hours and 15 minutes, after which time the satellite separated from the rocket into an elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit. Satellite controllers confirm that DIRECTV 8 is functioning properly. Over the next ten days the satellite will be maneuvered into a circular geosynchronous orbit, 22,300 miles (36,000 km) above the equator.

“We’re pleased that DIRECTV chose ILS and Proton to launch this important satellite, which will provide support for the expansion of new digital and high-definition services,” said ILS President Mark Albrecht.

The DIRECTV 8 satellite, built by Space Systems/Loral, carries both Ku-band and Ka-band payloads. Its final operating position is 101 degrees West longitude.

“We congratulate the ILS launch team on their flawless execution in placing DIRECTV 8 into orbit today,” said Jim Butterworth, senior vice president, Communication Systems, DIRECTV, Inc. “DIRECTV 8 will play an important role in strengthening our satellite fleet and the rollout of new services for our more than 14.4 million customers.”

ILS markets launches and manages the missions on both the Russian Proton and the American Atlas rockets. The Proton vehicle is built by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, and the Atlas is manufactured by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT). This is the second spacecraft ILS has launched for DIRECTV on Proton; the previous launch was DIRECTV 5 in 2002. The Atlas vehicle also has launched two satellites for DIRECTV: DBS 2 and DIRECTV 6, in 1994 and 1997, respectively.

ILS is the global leader in launch services. With a remarkable launch rate of 74 missions since 2000, the Atlas and Proton launch vehicles have consistently demonstrated the reliability and flexibility that have made them preferred choice among satellite operators worldwide. Since the beginning of 2003, ILS has signed more new commercial contracts than all of its competitors combined. ILS was formed in 1995, and is based in McLean, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C.

Original Source: ILS News Release

Artist interpretation of the NOAA-18 satellite in orbit. Image credit: NOAA. Click to enlarge.
NASA successfully launched a new environmental satellite today for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It will improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events around the world.

The NOAA-18 (N) spacecraft lifted off at 6:22 a.m. EDT from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a Boeing Delta II 7320-10 expendable launch vehicle. Approximately 65 minutes later, the spacecraft separated from the Delta II second stage.

“The satellite is in orbit and all indications are that we have a healthy spacecraft,” said Karen Halterman, the NASA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites (POES) Project Manager, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Md. “NASA is proud of our partnership with NOAA in continuing this vital environmental mission,” she added.

Flight controllers tracked the launch vehicle’s progress using real-time telemetry data relayed through NASA’s Tracking and Date Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) starting about five minutes after launch. Approximately 26 minutes after launch, controllers acquired the spacecraft through the McMurdo Sound ground station, Antarctica, while the spacecraft was still attached to the Delta II. Spacecraft separation was monitored by the TDRSS.

The solar array boom and antennas were successfully deployed, and the spacecraft was placed in a near-perfect orbit. The satellite was acquired by the NOAA Fairbanks Station, Alaska, 86 minutes after launch and deployments, and a nominal spacecraft power system was confirmed. NOAA-N was renamed NOAA-18 after achieving orbit.

NOAA-18 will collect data about the Earth’s surface and atmosphere. The data are input to NOAA’s long-range climate and seasonal outlooks, including forecasts for El Nino and La Nina. NOAA-18 is the fourth in a series of five Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites with instruments that provide improved imaging and sounding capabilities.

NOAA-18 has instruments used in the international Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System, called COSPAS-SARSAT, which was established in 1982. NOAA polar-orbiting satellites detect emergency beacon distress signals and relay their location to ground stations, so rescue can be dispatched. SARSAT is credited with saving approximately 5,000 lives in the U.S. and more than 18,000 worldwide.

Twenty-one days after spacecraft launch, NASA will transfer operational control of NOAA-18 to NOAA. NASA’s comprehensive on-orbit verification period is expected to last approximately 45 days.

NOAA manages the POES program and establishes requirements, provides all funding and distributes environmental satellite data for the United States. GSFC procures and manages the development and launch of the satellites for NOAA on a cost-reimbursable basis.

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., was responsible for the countdown management and launch of the Delta II, which was provided by Boeing Expendable Launch Systems, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Original Source: NASA News Release

Sea Launch Company today successfully delivered DIRECTV?s Spaceway F1 satellite to orbit, completing the launch of the heaviest commercial satellite to date. Early data indicate the spacecraft is in excellent condition.

The Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off at 12:31:30 am PDT (07:31:30 GMT), precisely on schedule, from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude. All systems performed nominally throughout the flight. The Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 6,080 kg (13,376 lb) Spaceway satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position of 102.8 degrees West Longitude. A ground station in South Africa acquired the spacecraft?s first signal less than an hour after liftoff, as planned.

The Boeing 702 model spacecraft, with a design life of 12 years, was manufactured at Boeing?s Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, Calif. It includes a flexible payload with a fully steerable downlink antenna that can be reconfigured on orbit to seamlessly address market conditions.

Following acquisition of the spacecraft?s signal, Jim Maser, president and general manager of Sea Launch, congratulated Boeing and DIRECTV. ?Successfully launching the heaviest commercial satellite to date is a tremendous achievement for everyone involved,? Maser said. It was extremely satisfying for us to provide another great launch for DIRECTV and for Boeing and we look forward to many more in the future. And, once again, our accomplished Sea Launch team has raised the bar ? not only for Sea Launch ? but also for the entire launch industry. We are all especially proud of this latest success. We are the commercial heavy weight champions of the world!?

Sea Launch Company, LLC, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., and marketed through Boeing Launch Services (www.boeing.com/launch), is the world?s most reliable heavy-lift commercial launch service. This international partnership offers the most direct and cost-effective route to geostationary orbit. With the advantage of a launch site on the Equator, the reliable Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier spacecraft mass or provide longer life on orbit, offering best value plus schedule assurance. For additional information and images of this successfully completed mission, visit the Sea Launch website at: www.sea-launch.com

Original Source: Sea Launch News Release

Image credit: NASA
Climate change is widely attributed to the build-up of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, in the Earth’s atmosphere. However, scientists from the School of Engineering Sciences at the University of Southampton have shown that the impact of carbon dioxide is being felt in space too.

Dr Hugh Lewis from the School will present a paper to the Fourth European Conference on Space Debris at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Germany this week indicating that increasing levels of CO2 are causing the amount of space debris orbiting the Earth to increase faster than previously thought.

Whilst CO2 is causing a global rise in temperature at the Earth’s surface, it has the opposite effect in the upper part of the atmosphere known as the thermosphere. Here, in a region of space that contains the International Space Station and many other satellites, the temperature and the atmospheric density are falling rapidly.

Evidence from the Naval Research Laboratory in the USA suggests that the atmospheric density at these heights could be halved in the next 100 years. At first glance, this is good news for satellite operators: it will take longer for their satellites to re-enter the atmosphere. However, the research conducted at the University of Southampton in collaboration with QinetiQ shows that in the later half of this century satellites would be at greater risk from collisions with orbiting debris.

Collisions between objects orbiting the Earth can release as much energy as ten sticks of dynamite because of the enormous speeds involved, around ten kilometres per second. These events can subsequently produce hundreds of thousands of objects larger than 1cm – each one a collision risk to satellites and used rocket stages.

According to the research team’s initial predictions a process known as ‘collision cascading’ – where the number of collisions in orbit increases exponentially – could occur much more quickly in the region of space between 200 km and 2,000 km above the Earth in response to rising CO2 levels. Simulations of a ‘business as usual’ scenario, where satellites are launched and destroyed at the rate they are now, show a 17 per cent increase in the number of collisions and a 30 per cent increase in the number of objects larger than 1cm by the end of the 21st century.

Dr Lewis stresses that steps are already being taken to diminish the threat posed by orbiting debris. The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), an international governmental forum that coordinates activities related to the issues of debris in space, has produced a set of guidelines that identify mitigation options. Whilst Dr Lewis’ research has implications for these guidelines, he believes that they will remain effective measures: ‘We are only now beginning to understand the impact that polluting the atmosphere is having on space, but our knowledge of the problems posed by space debris is reliable,’ he commented.

The research was undertaken by Dr Lewis, with Dr Graham Swinerd and Charlotte Ellis of the School of Engineering Sciences, and Dr Clare Martin of QinetiQ.

Original Source: University of Southampton News Release

Image credit: ILS
The new Russian Express-AM2 communications satellite was successfully launched into orbit by Proton-K launch-vehicle with the DM accelerating propulsion system at 1.31 a.m. Moscow time (29/03/2005 22.31 GMT). The new Express-AM2 satellite will be placed into geostationary orbit at 80 E. In the beginning of July, upon completing in-orbit tests and the system performing check Express-AM2 will be put into operation as a part of RSCC in-orbit satellite constellation.

Express-AM2 is the fourth out of five new-generation Express-AM satellites to be produced and launched by the end of 2005 in the context of Russian Federal Space Program. The first three Express-AM satellites, i.e. Express-AM22 (53 E), Express-AM11 (96.5 E), and Express-AM1 (40 E) are being successfully operated on geostationary orbit. The fifth Express-AM satellite, Express-AM3 (140 E), is planned to be launched in June, 2005.

The Express-AM2 satellite (80E) was developed by Russian NPO PM in cooperation with Alcatel Space French company. Sberbank of the Russian Federation takes an active part in financing the Program for Renovation of Russian satellite constellation. The launch and operation of new Express-AM satellites, including Express-AM2, are insured by Ingosstrakh insurance company (Russia).

The spacecraft carries 16 C-band transponders (40 and 72 MHz bandwidth), 12 Ku-band transponders (54 MHz bandwidth) and 1 L-band transponder (0.5 MHz bandwidth) with improved performance characteristics. Its in-orbit operational life time is 12 years, station keeping accuracy is +0.05? north-south/west-east that allows to use cheap antenna sets without automatic tracking devices. Express-AM2 provides coverage across Russia, the western and eastern parts of China, Korea, Northern India, Bangladesh, Butan, Nepal, northern part of Indochina.

The new satellite is designed to carry out state missions (mobile presidential and governmental communications, federal broadcasting, deployment of special satellite communications networks) and to provide a multi service communications package (digital broadcasting/ distribution, telephony, videoconferencing, data, broadband Internet access). In addition, the new satellite will be used for VSAT networks, departmental and corporate networks, and to provide multimedia services (distance learning, telemedicine etc.).

“The new Express-AM2 satellite will be put into strategically important orbital point 80 East over West Siberian plain. It will enable RSCC to implement its strategy aimed at providing the users in Russia and CIS with modern and cost-effective communications and broadcasting services. Besides, such location of the spacecraft will consolidate the Russian position on satellite communication markets of Central and South-East Asia”- emphasized Acting Director General of RSCC Yuri Izmailov.

Original Source: RSCC News Release

An Atlas V launch vehicle carried its largest payload to date into orbit tonight, the Inmarsat 4-F1 satellite that weighs nearly 6 metric tons (5,959 kgs/13,138 pounds). This also marked the third launch of the year for International Launch Services (ILS).

The Lockheed Martin-built (NYSE: LMT) Atlas V vehicle, designated AV-004, lifted off at 4:42 p.m. EST (21:42 GMT). It placed the Inmarsat spacecraft in a supersynchronous transfer orbit 32 minutes later. Satellite controllers have confirmed that the spacecraft is functioning properly.

Tonight’s vehicle used the Atlas V “431” configuration, meaning it had a 4-meter-diameter fairing, three solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Atlas V vehicles have now flown five times, three of them with SRBs.

“The Atlas series now has achieved an unprecedented string of 76 successful launches, and we’re proud to count this mission and two others for Inmarsat among them,” said ILS President Mark Albrecht.

“This is a milestone launch for us, also, in terms of the size of the payload,” Albrecht said. “Inmarsat 4-F1 is one of largest commercial communications satellites in the world, as well as the most massive satellite launched by Atlas. Yet it falls into the middle of the Atlas V capability range, demonstrating the flexibility of our design.”

The spacecraft is a Eurostar E3000 model built by EADS Astrium. It is the first in a generation of satellites that will support Inmarsat’s new Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), delivering internet and intranet content and solutions, video-on-demand, videoconferencing, fax, e-mail, phone and LAN access at speeds up to 432kbit/s almost anywhere in the world. BGAN will also be compatible with third-generation cellular systems. The operating location for Inmarsat 4-F1 is 65 degrees East longitude.

“We thank ILS for the safe delivery of our first I-4 satellite into space,” said Andrew Sukawaty, chairman and CEO of Inmarsat. “The first two I-4 satellites will bring broadband communications to 86 percent of the world. History has been made and the world has become closer through advanced data communications.”

Antoine Bouvier, CEO of EADS Astrium, said: “This successful launch is a major event for EADS Astrium, as Inmarsat-4 is certainly one of the most sophisticated communications satellites ever built. We thank for this achievement International Launch Services, and Inmarsat for the confidence they had in EADS Astrium on this innovative and ambitious program.”

ILS is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md., and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center of Moscow. ILS is the global leader in launch services, offering the industry’s two best launch systems: Atlas and Proton. With a remarkable launch rate of 73 missions since 2000, the Atlas and Proton launch vehicles have consistently demonstrated the reliability and flexibility that have made them preferred choice among satellite operators worldwide. Since the beginning of 2003, ILS has signed more new commercial contracts than all of its competitors combined.

Original Source: ILS News Release

Sea Launch Company today successfully delivered XM Satellite Radio’s XM-3 satellite to orbit from its ocean-based platform on the Equator, in its first mission of the 2005 manifest. Early data indicate the spacecraft is in excellent condition.

The Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off at 7:51 pm PST ( 03:51 GMT , Mar. 1), precisely on schedule, from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude. All systems performed nominally throughout the flight. The Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 4,703 kg (10,346 lb) XM-3 satellite into an optimized geosynchronous transfer orbit of 2468 km x 35786 km, on its way to an orbital location for routine testing prior to placement in its final orbital position at 85 degrees West Longitude. A ground station in South Africa acquired the spacecraft’s first signal an hour after liftoff, as planned.

Built by Boeing Satellite Systems, International, Inc., the XM-3 satellite is a 702 model spacecraft, one of the most powerful satellites built today, designed to provide 18 kilowatts of total power at beginning of life. Like its sister spacecraft, XM-1 and XM-2 ? also launched by Sea Launch – XM-3 will transmit more than 150 channels of digital-quality music, news, sports, talk, comedy and children’s programming to subscribers across the continental United States.

Immediately following the mission, Jim Maser, president and general manager of Sea Launch, said, “I want to congratulate Boeing Satellite Systems and XM Satellite Radio on today’s successful mission. We are extremely proud to be able to provide another launch for both XM and Boeing and we look forward to continuing our long and mutually beneficial relationships. I also want to congratulate the entire Sea Launch team and thank each individual for their enormous contribution to today’s mission.?

Sea Launch Company, LLC, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., and marketed through Boeing Launch Services (www.boeing.com/launch), is the world’s most reliable heavy-lift commercial launch service. This international partnership offers the most direct and cost-effective route to geostationary orbit. With the advantage of a launch site on the Equator, the reliable Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier spacecraft mass or provide longer life on orbit, offering best value plus schedule assurance. For additional information and images of this successfully completed mission, visit the Sea Launch website at: www.sea-launch.com

Original Source: Sea Launch News Release

The latest version of Ariane 5, designed to loft payloads of up to 10 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit, successfully completed its initial qualification flight on 12 February. After a perfect liftoff from Europe?s Spaceport in French Guiana, at 18:03 local time (22:03 CET), the launcher on Ariane Flight 164 injected its payload into the predicted transfer orbit.

This success paves the way for the commercial introduction of this ‘Ariane 5 ECA’ version, which is due to replace the current Ariane 5G ‘Generic’ configuration and is designed to maintain the competitiveness of European launch systems on the world launch services market. Starting from the second flight scheduled for mid-year, Ariane 5 ECA will become the new European workhorse for lifting heavy payloads to geostationary orbit and beyond.

Ariane 5 ECA features upgraded twin solid boosters, each loaded with an extra 2.43 tonnes of propellant, increasing their combined thrust on liftoff by a total of 60 tonnes compared to the Generic configuration. The cryogenic main stage has also been upgraded to carry 15 tonnes of additional propellant. It is powered by the new Vulcain 2 engine, derived from Vulcain 1, which provides 20% more thrust. The Ariane 5 ECA introduces the new high-performance “ESC-A” cryogenic upper stage, powered by the same HM-7B engine as on the Ariane 4 third stage.

Ariane 5 ECA has enough lift capacity to take most combinations of commercial satellites to geostationary transfer orbit and will enable Arianespace to reinstate the systematic dual-launch policy that spelled the success of previous generations of Ariane launchers.

On this flight, the Ariane 5 ECA launcher carried three payloads. The first released 26 minutes into flight, was XTAR-EUR, a 3600-kg commercial X-band communication satellite flown on behalf of XTAR LLC. This will subsequently use its onboard propulsion system to achieve circular orbit. After an initial period of in-orbit testing, it will be deployed to provide secure communications to government customers.

The other two satellites onboard, the Sloshsat FLEVO minisatellite and the Maqsat B2 instrumented model, stored inside the Sylda dual launch adapter, were flown on behalf of ESA.

Next released, 31 minutes after liftoff, the Sloshsat Facility for Liquid Experimentation and Verification in Orbit is a 129-kg satellite developed for ESA by the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (NRL). It will investigate fluid physics in microgravity to understand how propellant-tank sloshing affects spacecraft control. Its mission is planned to last 10 days.

In order to limit the proliferation of space debris, the third passenger, Maqsat B2, will remain attached to the launcher’s upper stage. This 3500-kg instrumented model was designed to simulate the dynamic behaviour of a commercial satellite inside the Ariane 5 payload fairing. An autonomous telemetry system transmitted data on the payload environment during all the flight phases, from liftoff to in-orbit injection. Fitted with a set of cameras, Maqsat B2 also provided dramatic onboard views of several key flight phases, including separation of the solid boosters and jettisoning of the Sylda upper-half payload.

?Less than one month after the descent of Huygens on Titan, this launch marks another great achievement for Europe in space and a further demonstration of European skills in this highly demanding technological field? said Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA, after the flight. ?Today?s success is also just reward for all the people, in industry and at agencies all over Europe, who have been working so hard to bring this launcher back into operational use.

“Guaranteed access to space is a pre-requisite for our success in all space activities and so it is our duty to maintain this capacity to the full.?

Original Source: ESA News Release