Protostar I is Fueled for its Ariane 5 Launch from the Spaceport

(June 17, 2008) -- Satellite preparations have taken center stage at the Spaceport in French Guiana as Arianespace readies its fourth Ariane 5 flight of 2008.

As part of this activity, the mission's ProtoStar I payload has been fueled in the S5A hall of the Spaceport's state-of-the-art S5 satellite preparation facility. This large satellite platform is based on Space Systems/Loral's 1300 spacecraft bus, and will provide K-band/C-band relay capacity over Asia.

ProtoStar I is the first in a fleet of relay platforms that Asian satellite services company ProtoStar plans to launch for advanced satellite television services and powerful two-way broadband communications access. The spacecraft was designed to meet the needs of both emerging and existing direct-to-home (DTH) operators in Asia, as well as other broadband communication requirements in the region.

Arianespace's upcoming mission is scheduled for July 4, using an Ariane 5 ECA heavy-lift launcher version. ProtoStar I will be joined by Saudi Arabia's BADR-6 satellite on another of Ariane 5's trademark dual-passenger flights.

Source : Arianespace

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