Arianespace’s Ariane 5 ECA rocket launched two satellites with a combined mass of over 8,000kg (17,600lb) to geostationary transfer orbits on 16 November. The satellites, launched from Arianespace’s French Guiana spaceport’s ELA-3 launch complex, were US company DirectTV’s Boeing-built Spaceway2 spacecraft and Telekomunikasi Indonesia’s Orbital Sciences-built Star2 Telkom 2 spacecraft. Following this second launch, Ariane 5 ECA prime contractor responsibility shifts from its developer, the European Space Agency, to its manufacturer EADS Space Transportation. The ECA’s third launch is planned for February.
Source: Flight International
