Arianespace Completes Final Assembly of its 2nd Ariane 5 for 2008

(April 15, 2008) -- The heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA for Arianespace's April 18 dual-payload mission is now complete at Europe's Spaceport, following the installation of its upper satellite passenger, Star One C2.

This spacecraft joined VINASAT-1, which was installed previously on the Ariane 5 during integration activity in the Final Assembly Building.

For its second launch of 2008, the Ariane 5 will be carrying a total payload of approximately 7,760 kg. - of which more than 6,730 is the combined mass of Star One C2 and VINASAT-1 at liftoff, with the remaining weight represented by the payload adapters, SYLDA dispenser and other integration hardware.

Star One C2 will be the eighth Brazilian satellite to use the Ariane launcher. It will join the fleet of Brazil's Star One telecommunications operator, and carries a payload of 28 C-band transponders, 16 Ku-band transponders, and 1 X-band transponder. The spacecraft is to provide communications, multimedia and broadband services for South America, and is based on Thales Alenia Space's Spacebus 3000B3 platform, which will operate from an orbital position of 70 deg. West.

VINASAT-1 was built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems in Newton, Pennsylvania for the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corporation, and is the first Vietnamese telecommunications satellite. After its deployment by Ariane 5, it will be positioned at an orbital slot of 132 deg. East. The satellite's payload of 12 Ku-band and 8 C-band transponders will improve the nation's communication networks infrastructure, removing the dependence on ground networks and allowing all of Vietnam's rural communities and hamlets to be equipped with telephones and televisions.

Source : Arianespace

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