AMC-21 Arrives for Ariane 5's Upcoming Heavy-Lift Mission

(July 17, 2008) -- The AMC-21 spacecraft is removed from its protective shipping container inside the S5 satellite preparation facility at Europe's Spaceport.

The second of two satellites for Ariane 5's next flight has arrived at Europe's Spaceport as Arianespace continues its sustained mission pace in 2008.

After touching down in French Guiana earlier this week aboard a cargo jetliner, the AMC-21 satellite was moved to the Spaceport's S5 spacecraft preparation facility. It joins Superbird 7, which also is undergoing final checkout for a planned Ariane 5 ECA liftoff during the first half of August.

This will be the fifth Ariane 5 mission of 2008, and it follows the previous launches in March, April, June and July - which orbited a total of six telecommunications satellites, along with the Automated Transfer Vehicle for servicing of the International Space Station.

AMC-21 will be operated by U.S.-based satellite services provider SES AMERICOM, and is to handle television and enterprise distribution services. The spacecraft was supplied by prime contractor Thales Alenia Space, and utilizes a STAR-2 spacecraft manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation.

Source : Arianespace

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