The European Ariane 5G booster launched two communications satellites from Kourou's ELA-3 pad on 15 September. With associated payload accommodations weighing about 700kg (1,535lb), the combined payload weighed 6,000kg.
Flying mission V130, the booster carried the Astrium-built, 3,300kg Astra 2B, operated by Société Européenne des Satellites, and the 1,983kg GE Americom GE7 satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, into a 560km by 35,926km (348 by 22,314 miles) geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), compared with the target orbit of 556km by 35,939km.
The launch was the third commercial flight in the Ariane 5 programme. The first carried the European Space Agency's (ESA) Newton X-ray Multi Mirror telescope into orbit while the second demonstrated the typical dual-communications satellite launch capability earlier this year.
The next Arianespace-operated mission is set for early Octoberand will carry the Japanese N-Sat 110 communications satellite aboard an Ariane 42L booster on flight V133.
Arianespace has a backlog of 37 satellites to launch, together with nine ESA Automatic Transfer Vehicles for the International Space Station.
Source: Flight International
