This Weekend's Ariane 5 Mission is a 'Go' As Another Ariane 5 is Prepared for Launch

(March 8, 2007) -- Mission activity at Europe's Spaceport is in full swing as preparations advance for Arianespace's two upcoming Ariane 5 missions, which will place a total of four commercial payloads into orbit.

In parallel action at the Spaceport, the green light was given today for the liftoff of an Ariane 5 on Saturday (March 10) with the INSAT 4B and Skynet 5A payloads, while several kilometers away, another Ariane 5 began taking shape for Arianespace's subsequent dual-satellite mission.

Approval for the March 10 flight was given this afternoon following a successful completion of the Launch Readiness Review, which is one of the final milestones in preparations for every Ariane mission. The review brought together all players involved in the mission, and validated the readiness of the Ariane 5, its dual-satellite payload, the launch infrastructure at Europe's Spaceport and the network of ground tracking stations.

With the go-ahead, Ariane 5 is now cleared for its rollout tomorrow to the ELA-3 launch zone, where the final countdown will begin for a planned liftoff at 7:25 p.m. local time on March 10.

The mission will mark the 175th launch of an Ariane family vehicle, and it will kick off Arianespace's busy 2007 flight schedule.

As this Ariane 5 was being readied for rollout from the Final Assembly Building, a second Ariane 5 began its build-up process approximately two kilometers away in the Launcher Integration Building. The second launch vehicle arrived in French Guiana on March 6, and the erection of its cryogenic core stage the following day officially initiated the new launch campaign.

The Ariane launch system is designed specifically for such rapid-paced mission activity. It is supported by a sustained production rate for Ariane 5, and is backed up by the multiple-mission preparation flow at Europe's Spaceport (which includes the separate launch vehicle integration and final assembly buildings, two fully operational mobile launch tables, and clean room facilities capable of processing six satellites simultaneously).

Arianespace is targeting six Ariane 5 launches for 2007. Its Ariane 5 mission rate will accelerate to a stabilized capability of eight per year from 2009, providing approximately 16 payload slots annually for the customers of Arianespace.

Source : Arianespace

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