Conference 7.286::space

    I caught the CNN prediction and searched all the likely C-band
    transponders but couldn't find it.  I did get to see replays of
    the Shuttle landings on F2-13, including one from a chase plane.
        John Sauter

    It was on S1 tr 3. So far they are always on S1, but I don't recall
    if they change transponders. They give pretty slick coverage although
    they don't have as good camera coverage as NASA. They superimpose
    vehicle status over the film and use animations to show the various
    events (staging, spin up etc).
    
    gary

Actually, CNN Headline caught a bit of the climbout.  It would not surprise me
at all if CNN (mainline) had the launch, since when I switched there a minute
later, they had just started a replay of the shuttle landing.  It would have
been a natural segue.

Burns

From: clarinews@clarinet.com
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.tw.aerospace,clari.news.aviation
Subject: Ariane 4 rocket launched
Date: 21 Nov 90 00:17:13 GMT
  
	KOUROU, French Guiana (UPI) -- An Ariane 4 rocket successfully
boosted a pair of American communications satellites into orbit
Tuesday in the 40th flight of the French-built rocket system. 

	Equipped with two strap-on solid-fuel boosters for extra
power, the 192-foot three-stage rocket flashed to life on time at 6:11
p.m. EST and smoothly climbed away from its firing stand at the
European Space Agency's jungle launch complex on the northern coast of
South America. 

	Perched atop Europe's premier rocket were two communications
satellites: Satcom C1, owned by GE American Communications of
Princeton, N.J., and GSTAR 4, owned by GTE Spacenet of McLean, Va.
Both satellites were built by GE Astro Space Division. 

	About 19 minutes after liftoff, Satcom C1 was ejected into its
planned preliminary orbit with GSTAR 4 following suit about four
minutes later. 

	``It was a success,'' said Michelle Lyle, a spokeswoman for
the European consortium that markets Ariane boosters. ``We went on time.'' 

	Small on-board rockets were scheduled to fire later to propel
the satellites toward their final altitude of 22,300 miles over the
equator. At that altitude, objects take 24 hours to complete one orbit
and thus appear stationary in the sky, eliminating the need for
steerable ground antennas. 

	Ariane missions are conducted by the European Space Agency and
Arianespace, the 11-nation European consortium that markets Ariane
rockets and controls more than 50 percent of the world's commercial
launch market. 

	It was the fourth mission for Arianespace since an Ariane 4
launched Feb. 22 veered out of control and exploded 101 seconds after
liftoff.  Lost along with the rocket were two Japanese communications
satellites insured for $189.4 million. 

	The Ariane record now stands at five failures in 40 launches
dating back to 1979. 

	The Ariane 4 is the most powerful rocket in the Ariane family
of rockets, capable of boosting 10,000-pound satellites into
geosynchronous orbit and comparable to the American Titan-class
rockets used to launch heavy military spy satellites. 

	GSTAR 4 is a 2,000-pound solar-powered satellite equipped with
16 K- band radio transponders that ultimately will be stationed over
the Pacific Ocean to provide telecommunications service to the
continental United States. 

	Satcom C1 is a 1,800-pound solar powered relay station
equipped with 24 C-band radio transponders. Both satellites will be
used for commercial telecommunications. 

    During the launch coverage, they made a big deal of the third stage
    spin up/spin down manouvers. AvLeak had an interesting followup to
    this.
    
    Apparently, technicians prepping Satcom C1 for launch discovered that
    it had been incorrectly outfitted for a Delta/PAM launch which deploys
    the satellite rotating at 10rpm rather than the Arianes nominal 5rpm.
    It had the wrong nutation damper (sort of sounds like reversing the
    polarity of the neutron flow, doesn't it :-) )
    
    A last minute change was required to the Ariane guidance profile to
    deploy C1 at 10rpm and Gstar 4 at 5rpm. The Ariane 4 is an impressively
    capable ELV.
    
    gary

    re: .2
    
    Thanks.  I'll check S1 more closely next time.
        John Sauter

    Re. .5:
    
    In case the term "nutation" is not understood by anyone, it is a sort
    of "wobble" associated with a rotating, precessing object.
    
    If you place a spinning top on a flat table, and spin it, it will
    perhaps lean over to one side as it spins. This causes its axis to
    precess (ie. move around so that the end on the table remains in place,
    while the opposite end describes a circle).
    
    If the top is struck sharply from one side, an oscillation will develop
    where the precessing end of the axis will wobble as it describes the
    circle. This wobbling is called nutation.
    
    Satellites which are spun have to have nutation dampers to suppress
    this wobble, because it makes control of the spacecraft more difficult.
    
    
    Dave Hazel

From: clarinews@clarinet.com
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.tw.aerospace,clari.news.aviation
Subject: Ariane 4 rocket launched
Date: 3 Mar 91 00:19:02 GMT 
 
	KOUROU, French Guiana (UPI) - Running a day late, an Ariane 4
rocket successfully hurled a European weather satellite and a television 
relay station into orbit Saturday in the 42nd flight of the French-built 
booster. 

	The 192-foot three-stage rocket took off on time at 6:36 p.m.
EST and swiftly climbed away from its launching pad at the European
Space Agency's jungle space complex on the northern coast of South
America. Liftoff came 24 hours late because of trouble Friday with
ground equipment and a third-stage helium system. 

	Mounted inside a protective nose cone were two European
satellites: Astra 1B, a communications satellite built by General
Electric Astro Space Division of Princeton, N.J., and MOP-2, a weather
satellite built by Aerospatiale of Cannes, France. 

	Both satellites were ejected into preliminary elliptical orbits
within 25 minutes of liftoff.

	Small on-board rockets were scheduled to fire later to propel
the satellites toward their final altitude of 22,300 miles over the
equator.  At that altitude, objects take 24 hours to complete one orbit
and thus appear stationary in the sky, eliminating the need for
steerable ground antennas. 

	Ariane missions are conducted by the European Space Agency and
Arianespace, the 11-nation European consortium that markets Ariane
rockets and controls more than 50 percent of the world's commercial
launch market. 

	The Ariane 4 is the most powerful rocket in the Ariane family
of rockets, capable of boosting 10,000-pound satellites into
geosynchronous orbit and comparable to the American Titan-class
rockets used to launch heavy military spy satellites. 

	Astra 1B is a 3,500-pound solar-powered satellite equipped
with 22 60-watt radio transponders. 

	Working with an identical satellite already in orbit, Astra 1B
will be stationed over Central Africa to provide up to 32 television
channels and other telecommunications service to customers across
Europe equipped with 2-foot-wide antennas. 

	MOP-2 is a spinning, drum-shaped satellite that will be used
to collect and transmit weather data to stations across Europe. The
700-pound solar-powered satellite is equipped with a single ``imaging
radiometer'' capable of taking photographs in visible and infrared light. 

From: clarinews@clarinet.com
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.tw.aerospace,clari.news.aviation
Subject: Ariane 4 rocket launched
Date: 5 Apr 91 00:05:24 GMT
  
	KOUROU, French Guiana (UPI) -- An Ariane rocket successfully
boosted the first in a new series of advanced Canadian communications
satellites into orbit Thursday in the 43rd flight of the French-built
launcher. 

	The 192-foot three-stage rocket, equipped with four strap-on
solid- fuel boosters, took off at 6:33 p.m. EST and quickly thundered
away from the European Space Agency's jungle space complex on the
northern coast of South America. 

	Twenty minutes later, the rocket's only payload, a 4,000-pound
solar- powered satellite called Anik E2, was safely ejected into its
planned preliminary orbit. 

	Small on-board rockets were scheduled to fire later to propel
the satellite toward its final altitude of 22,300 miles over the
equator. At that altitude, objects take 24 hours to complete one orbit
and thus appear stationary in the sky, eliminating the need for
steerable ground antennas. 

	The Ariane launch came on the eve of the U.S. shuttle
Atlantis's planned takeoff from the Kennedy Space Center early Friday.
Ariane rockets once competed head-to-head with NASA's shuttle for
commercial launch business, but in the wake of the Challenger
disaster, such payloads were banned from the manned orbiter. 

	Anik E2 was built by Spar Aerospace to provide
telecommunications service to Canada and parts of the United States.
It is the first in a new generation of relay stations equipped with 24
C-band radio transponders and 16 high-data-rate KU-band transponders
providing 32 television channels. 

	With a planned lifetime of 13 1/2 years, Anik E2 will be
stationed above the equator at 107.3 degrees west longitude. 

	It was the 43rd flight of an Ariane rocket and the second so
far this year. The vehicle's launch record now stands at 38 successes
and five failures. 

	Ariane missions are conducted by the European Space Agency and
Arianespace, the 11-nation European consortium that markets Ariane
rockets and controls more than 50 percent of the world's commercial
launch market. 

	The Ariane 4, the most powerful rocket in the European
inventory, is marketed in a variety of versions based on how many
satellites are on board and their weight. 

	The most powerful version is capable of boosting 10,000-pound
satellites into geosynchronous orbit and comparable to the American
Titan-class rockets used to launch heavy military spy satellites. 

Article        34367
From: dadams@msb.com (Dean Adams)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Ariane V45 Mission
Date: 12 Aug 91 07:57:39 GMT
Organization: Meetpoint Station BBS
 
The next ESA/Arianespace flight will be Mission V45, currently
scheduled for launch on August 14, 1991.  The launch window for this
flight is between 7:15 pm to 7:47 pm, and 9:29 pm to 10:04 pm (EST). 
 
The fourty-fifth Ariane launch is scheduled to place the INTELSAT VI
F5 satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane
44L launch vehicle equipped with 4 liquid strap-on boosters (PAL).  It
will be launched from the Ariane launch complex number 2 (ELA 2), in
Kourou, French Guiana. 
 
LAUNCH VEHICLE:

 Ariane 44L.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with four liquid
 fueled strap-on boosters.  Total mass at liftoff is 480,363 kg.  The first
 stage is powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines and is built by SEP and
 Aerospatiale.  The second stage is powered by a single Viking IV engine made
 by SEP and MBB Erno.  Both the first and second stages use a biliquid UH25/
 N2O4 fuel.  The third stage uses a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built
 by SEP.  The four strap-on boosters are fueled by a UH25/N2O4 biliquid, and
 are built by MBB Erno.
 
PAYLOAD:

 The INTELSAT VI F5 is built by GM/Hughes and is intended for a geostationary
 location over the Atlantic at 14.5 degrees west.  The total liftoff mass of
 the payload is 4296 kg.  After jettison of the apogee kick motor, satellite
 mass is 2525 kg.  The spacecraft will be released from the Ariane 3rd stage
 vehicle at 22 minutes 33 seconds into the flight.  The first of five apogee
 kick motor burns takes place about 5 hours later.  This satellite has 38
 C-band, and 10 Ku-band transponders, with a projected lifespan of 13 years.
 
LAUNCH COVERAGE:

 All Ariane missions are broadcast live to the U.S. via satellite.  The
 coverage starts at launch minus 30 minutes, and continues until all payloads
 have been deployed.  Lately, each mission has been carried on a different
 satellite.  Look for them first on Westar-5.  SpaceNet-1, Westar-4 and 
 Satcom F2 have also been used in the past.
 
-{ Dean Adams }-

Article          779
From: clarinews@clarinet.com
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.tw.aerospace,clari.news.aviation
Subject: Ariane 4 rocket launched
Date: 15 Aug 91 01:17:10 GMT
 
	KOUROU, French Guiana (UPI) -- An Ariane rocket boosted a
powerful $150 million international communciations satellite into
orbit Wednesday in the 45th flight of the French-built launcher. 

	The 192-foot three-stage rocket, equipped with four
liquid-fueled strap-on boosters for extra power, took off on time at
7:14 p.m. EDT and quickly streaked away from the European Space
Agency's jungle launch complex on the northern coast of South America.

	Twenty-three minutes later, the rocket's major payload, a
state-of- the-art 2.5-ton Intelsat 6 communications satellite, was
released into its planned preliminary orbit, according to officials
with satellite- builder Hughes Aircraft Co. 

	A series of on-board rocket firings was planned later to
circularize the spacecraft's orbit at a final altitude of about 22,300
miles above the equator where its orbital velocity will be synchronized 
with Earth's rotation, making it appear stationary in the sky. 

	If all goes well, the latest Intelsat 6 will be checked out
and on station over the Atlantic Ocean equator later this fall,
relaying television and telephone signals between Europe, Africa, the
United States, Central and South America. 

	It was the fourth launch of an Intelsat 6 satellite, owned by
the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization --
Intelsat -- a non-profit consortium of 121 member nations. 

	Intelsat paid $700 million for five Intelsat 6 spacecraft. Two
of the four Intelsat 6s now in space were launched by French-built
Ariane rockets while the other two were carried aloft by Titan 3
boosters built by Martin Marietta Astronautics Group of Denver. 

	But the first Intelsat 6 launched by a Titan ended up stranded
in a useless orbit in March 1990 when a wiring problem with the rocket
prevented the satellite's separation from the booster's upper stage. 

	A space shuttle crew is scheduled to repair the satellite in a
1992 mission. The fifth Intelsat 6 is scheduled for launch in October
aboard an Ariane rocket. 

	With an expected lifetime of more than 13 years, the Intelsat 6 
satellites are the most powerful such communications stations ever built 
for non-government service. 

	Each spacecraft is equipped with 48 radio transponders,
allowing them to carry a minimum of 24,000 simultaneous two-way
telephone conversations and three simultaneous color television
channels -- a far cry from Intelsat's first ``Early Bird'' satellite,
which carried just 240 telephone circuits or one TV channel in 1965.

	By using digital circuit multiplication equipment on the ground,
capacity can be increased to 120,000 simultaneous circuits.

	Wednesday's launch marked the 45th flight of an Ariane rocket
and the fourth so far this year. The vehicle's launch record now
stands at 40 successes and five failures. 

	Ariane missions are conducted by the European Space Agency and
Arianespace, the 11-nation European consortium that markets Ariane
rockets and controls more than 50 percent of the world's commercial
launch market. 

Article        35875
From: dadams@msb.com (Dean Adams)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Ariane Mission V46
Date: 21 Sep 91 08:53:37 GMT
Organization: Meetpoint Station BBS
 
The next ESA/Arianespace flight will be Mission V46, currently scheduled
for launch on September 26, 1991.  The launch window for this flight is 
from 7:43 pm to 9:52 pm (EST).
 
The fourty-sixth Ariane launch is scheduled to place the ANIK-E1 satellite
into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane 44P launch vehicle
equipped with 4 solid strap-on boosters (PAP).  It will be launched from the
Ariane launch complex number 2 (ELA 2), in Kourou, French Guiana.
 
LAUNCH VEHICLE:

 Ariane 44P.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with four solid
 fueled strap-on boosters.  Total mass at liftoff is 354,809 kg.  The first
 stage is built by Aerospatiale, and is powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V
 engines.  The second stage is built by MBB Erno, and is powered by a single
 Viking IV engine.  Both the Viking IV and V engines are manufactured by SEP.
 The first and second stages use a biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The third stage
 uses a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP.  The four strap-on
 boosters use a solid "Flexadrine" propellant, and are made by BPD.
 
 The launch vehicle lifting performance requirement for this flight is 
 2977 kg, of which 2933 kg represents the satellite mass.  The required
 orbit characteristics are a perigee altitude of 268 km, apogee of 35952 km
 at injection, and an inclination of 4 degrees.
 
PAYLOAD:

 The ANIK-E1 spacecraft is built by SPAR Aerospace, using the basic GE-5000
 satellite platform.  Anik-E1 is the second spacecraft of the 5th generation
 of telecommunications satellites for Telesat Canada.  Anik-E2 was launched
 by Ariane mission V43, and is currently on orbit in full operational service.
 Anik-E1 is intended for a geostationary orbit at 111.1 degrees west.  The
 total liftoff mass of the satellite is 2932 kg, with a GEO mass of 1781 kg.
 Dry spacecraft mass is 1335 kg.  On-board power is 3888 W (at end of life),
 provided by a 21.5 m span of solar arrays.  Transmission capacity consists
 of 24 C-band transponders (12 watt), and 16 Ku-band transponders (50 watt).
 The spacecraft will be released from the Ariane 3rd stage vehicle at 19 min.
 and 47 seconds into the flight.  The first of five apogee kick motor burns
 take place about 15 hours later.  This satellite has a projected lifespan
 of 13.5 years.
 
LAUNCH COVERAGE:

 All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite, and Arianespace
 usually puts on a pretty good program, including footage of the various
 payload and launcher preparations.  The coverage starts at launch minus
 30 minutes, and continues until all payloads have been  deployed.
  
 In the U.S. the coverage has been carried lately on Westar-V, but in the
 past they have used other satellites such as SpaceNet-1, Westar-IV, and
 Satcom F2 for the feed. 
 
-{ Dean Adams }-

Article: 864
From: clarinews@clarinet.com
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.tw.aerospace,clari.news.aviation
Subject: Ariane 4 rocket launched
Date: 29 Oct 91 23:58:40 GMT
 
	KOUROU, French Guiana (UPI) -- A powerful Ariane rocket
boosted a $150 million Intelsat 6 communications satellite into orbit
Tuesday, the fifth and final member of a globe-spanning network of
high-powered TV and radio relay stations. 

	The 192-foot three-stage rocket, equipped with four
liquid-fuel strap-on boosters, took off on time at 6:07 p.m. EST and
quickly streaked away from the European Space Agency's jungle launch
complex on the northern coast of South America. 

	Twenty three minutes later, the rocket's payload, a
5,564-pound solar-powered satellite owned by the International
Telecommunications Satellite Organization -- Intelsat -- was released
into its planned preliminary orbit. 

	``It went well. The spacecraft just separated,'' said a
spokesman for Arianespace, the consortium that markets Ariane rockets.

	Five on-board rocket firings were planned starting late
Tuesday and winding up four days, 13 hours after liftoff to put the
spacecraft into a circular orbit about 22,300 miles above the equator
over the Atlantic Ocean. 

	At that altitude, the satellite's orbital velocity will be
synchronized with Earth's rotation making it appear stationary in the
sky, allowing the use of relatively inexpensive fixed ground antennas.

	Built by Hughes Aircraft Co., Intelsat 6 satellites are the
most powerful civilian communications relay stations ever built. Each
spacecraft is equipped with 48 radio transponders, allowing them to
carry a minimum of 24,000 simultaneous two-way telephone conversations
and three simultaneous color television channels. 

	By using digital circuit multiplication equipment on the
ground, each satellite's capability can be boosted to 120,000
simultaneous circuits. 

	Intelsat, a non-profit consortium of 118 member nations, paid
$700 million to Hughes for five Intelsat 6 spacecraft. 

	The satellite launched Tuesday, the fifth in the series, cost
$131 million. Intelsat will pay an additional $26.5 million in performance 
incentives depending on how the spacecraft behaves in orbit. 

	Adding to the cost of the satellite, the Intelsat consortium
paid Arianespace about $88.5 million for the Ariane 4 and launch services. 

	Three of the five Intelsat 6 satellites were launched by
Ariane rockets while two were boosted into space by Titan-3 rockets
marketed by Commercial Titan Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. aerospace
giant Martin Marietta. 

	All three of the Ariane launches were successful, but the
second Titan launch left an Intelsat 6 stranded in a useless orbit
March 14, 1990, because of a wiring problem that prevented a normal
separation from the spent Titan 3 second stage. 

	Intelsat is paying NASA more than $100 million to mount a
shuttle rescue mission next year during the maiden flight of the new
shuttle Endeavour. If the rescue effort succeeds, the satellite will
be boosted into its proper orbit, completing the Intelsat 6 network. 

	Tuesday's launch marked the 47th flight of an Ariane rocket
and the sixth so far this year.  The vehicle's launch record now stands
at 42 successes and five failures. 

	Ariane missions are conducted by the European Space Agency and
Arianespace, the 11-nation European consortium that markets Ariane
rockets and controls more than 50 percent of the world's commercial
launch market. 

	Counting Intelsat 6, Arianespace holds contracts valued at
$2.4 billion to launch 32 satellites. 

Multiplication?  That's the noun form of the verb "to multiplex", right?

Don't you love the media?

Burns

Article: 37067
From: root@roman.north.de (Roman Symank)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: ariane launch
Date: 1 Nov 91 15:09:55 GMT
Organization: Private-,Information-,PostBox Delmenhorst
 
                    ARIANESPACE VOL - 47
 
Ce 8eme lancement de la plus puissante version de la famille
Ariane 4, Ariane 44L avec 4 propulseurs d'appoint a liquides
a pour mission de mettre en orbite geostationnaire le satel-
lite INTELSAT VI F1. Ce satellite est le troisieme satellite
de la serie INTELSAT VI confies a arianespace par l'organ-
isation internationale de telecommunications INTELSAT 
 
1 ->> La mission d'Arianespace vol-47
 
Ce 47eme lancement d'Ariane doit permettre de placer sur une 
orbite de transfert geostationnaire le satellite INTELSAT VI
F1 en utilisant un lanceur Ariane 44L equipe de 4 propulseurs
d'appoint a liquides (PAL).
Le lancement sera effectue depuis l'ensemble de lancement Ari-
ane nr.2 (ela-2) a Kourou-Guyane Francaise.
La performance demandee au lanceur Ariane 44L est de 4330 kg
dont 4260 kg representent la masse du satellite
  
-> Orbite de transfert visee
 
Altitude du perigee    :   200 km
Altitude de l'apogee   : 35934 km a l'injection
Inclinaison            :     7 degres
 
Le decollage du lanceur Ariane 44L pour le vol 47 est prevu 
dans la nuit du Mardi 29 au Mercredi 30 octobre le plus tot 
possible a l'interieur des 2 fenetres de lancement suivantes:
 
Heure Kourou  :  Heure Paris   :  Heure Washington : Temps universel
20h07 a 20h41    00h07 a 00h41    18h07 a 18h41      23h07 a 23h41
22h36 a 22h59    02h26 a 02h59    20h26 a 20h59      01h26 a 01h59
le 29.10.91      le 30.10.91      le 29.10.91        le 29/30.10.91
 
INTELSAT VI F1 a ete construit par Hughes Aircraft Company pour 
le compte d'Intelsat et assurera des telecommunications interna-
tionales depuis sa position orbitale au dessus de l'Atlantique
827,5 degree ouest).
L'Organisation internationale de satellites de telecommunications
(Intelsat) est une cooperative financiere sans but lucratif de 121
pays qui possede et exploite le systeme global de communications
par satellite qui est utilise pour leurs communications interna-
tionales et par une quarantaine domestiques.
  
2 ->> La campagne de preparation au lancement: Ariane44L/Intelsat VI F1
 
La duree de la campagne de preparation du satellite au lancement est
de 13 semaines a partir de son arrivee a Kourou.
La duree de la campagne de lancement d'une Ariane 44L est de 31 jours
ouvres. le transfert du lanceur sur le pas de tir de l'ELA2 a eu lieu
le vendredi 11 octobre 1991
 
-> Calendrier des campagnes lanceur et satellite
 
Mer. 15 mai   : Arrivee de Intelsate a kourou
Jeu. 23 mai   : Debute de la preparation de Intelsat au batiment S1B
Mer. 24 juil. : Attente au S1B
lun. 16 sept. : Debut de la campagne lanceur
Mar. 17 sept. : Erection 1ere etage
Mer. 18 sept. : Ercetion 2eme etage
20 au 24 sept.: Erection propulseurs appoint liquide
Lun. 23 sept. : Erection 3eme etage
---------------
Jeu. 17 oct.  : Encapsulation du satellite
Ven. 18 oct.  : Repetition de la chronologie lanceur (RCL) et en-
                capsulation du satellite (suite)
Lun. 21 oct.  : Transfert du composite satellite vers la zone de lancement
Mar. 22 oct.  : Pose du composite satellite sur la lanceur et controles
                lanceur et satellite
Mer. 23 oct.  : Preparation finale;satellite, lanceur, ELA2 et CSG
Jeu. 24 oct.  : repetition generale
Ven. 25 oct.  : Armement lanceur
Sam. 26 oct.  : Revue d'aptitude au lancement (RAL)
Lun. 28 oct.  : Remplissage 1ere etage, PALs, et 2eme etage en UH25/N204
Mar. 29 oct.  : Chronologie de lancement y compris le remplissage 3eme
                etage en oxygene et hydrogene liquides
  
->> Etapes de la chronologie et du vol 47
 
La chronologie finale debute a H0 - 16h40 (heure de kourou) ; elle regroupe 
toutes les operations de preparation finale du lanceur, des satellites et
de la base de lancement dont le bon deroulement autorise l'allumage des 
moteurs du 1ere etage et des propulseurs d'appoint a liquide (PAL) a l'
heure de lancement choisie, le plus tot possible dans la fenetre de lan-
cement autorisee par la satellite.
La chronologie se termine par une sequence synchronisee, geree par deux
calculateur du centre de lancement a partir de H0 - 6 min.
Si la duree d'un arret de chronologie determine H0 au-dela de la fenetre 
de lancement, le lancement est reporte a: J + 1, J+ 2 selon l'origine
de l'arret.
 
-16h 40min       : Debut de la chronologie finale
-05h 55min.      : Preparation du lanceur et de la tour pour le retrait tour
-05h 30min.      : Retrait tour
-03h 35min.      : Debut du remplissage du 3eme etage en oxygene et hydro-
                   gene liquides
-01h 05min.      :Mise en oeuvre telemesure, radar, telecommande du lanceur
  "Compte-rendu vert pour tous les systemes" autorisant le:
-    06min. 00s  : Debut de la sequence synchronisee
-    03min. 30s  : Satellite sur son alimentation de bord
-    01min. 00s  : Lanceur suralimentation de bord
-           09s  : Deverrouillage de la centrale inertielle
-           05s  : Commande de deverrouillage des bras cryogeniques
 
+    00min. 4,4s : Decollage
+    00min. 18s  : Fin d'ascension verticale et debut de basculement
                   en tangage
+    02min. 29s  : Largage des deux premiers propulseurs d'appoint a
                   liquide (PAL)
+    02min. 30s  : 2eme largage des deux propulseurs d'appoint a li-
                   quide (PAL)
+    03min. 33s  : Separation 1ere etage
+    03min. 36s  : Allumage 2eme etage
+    04min. 19s  : Largage de la coiffe
+    05min. 45s  : Separation 2eme etage
+    05min. 50s  : Allumage 3eme etage
+    06min  20s  : Acquisition par la station de Natal
+    12min. 00s  : Acquisition par la station de l'Ile d'Ascension
+    16min. 50s  : Acquisition par station de Libreville
+    17min. 52s  : Extinction 3eme etage
+    17min. 53s  : Injection sur l'orbite visee (GTO)
+    22min. 37s  : Separation du satellite INTELSAT VI F1
+    22min. 42s  : Debut de la manoeuvre d'evitement du 3eme etage
+    24min. 44s  : Fin de la mission ARIANE VOL-47 
 
-> Operations satellite
 
Premiere acquisition par Jatiluhur (Indonesie), environ 35 minutes apres
la lancement
Allumage du moteur d'apogee (au total 5), 1ere allumage environ 5h30min
apres le lancement au 1ere apogee. 5eme allumage environ 109h apres le 
lanvement
Deploiement des panneaux solaires et des antennes, environ 26h apres le
dernier allumage du moteur d'apogee
 
-> Evolution de la masse du lanceur
 
INTELSAT VI F1                           4260
..Adapteur                                  70
..Case a equipement
 +Ergole residueks et reserves de per-
                              formance    723
..Masse seche du 3eme etage               1279
..Ergole 3eme etage                      10586
..Masse seche du 2eme etage + inter-
                           etage 1/2     3696
..Masse de la coiffe                       815
..Masse ergole 2eme etage                35479
..Masse seche du 1ere etage + inter-
                            etage 1/2   18254
..Ergole 1ere etage                     387244
..Propulseurs d'appoint a liquides       17991
                                       ---------
Masse totale au decollage              480397 Kg
 
->> Trajectoire d'Ariane
 
Apres une montee verticale jusqu'a H0 + 18s, le lanceur effectue pendant
10 secondes un basculement automatique en tangage dans le plan de la tra-
jectoire precalculee et chargee dans l'ordinateur de bord.
L'attidute du lanceur est ensuite commandee par une loi predterminee. La 
mise en fonction de la loi de guidage intervient 10 secondes apres l'al-
lumage du 2eme etage, la loi d'attitude est optmisee de facon a reduire
le temps de propulsion du 3eme etage necessaire pour atteindre l'orbite
de transfert geostationnaire avec une reserve d'environ 200 kg, ceci pour 
assurer l'orbite nominale avec une probabillite de plus de 99%
La loi de roulis du lanceur est definie de la facon a maximiser le bilan
des liaisons radioelectriques lanceur/station sol.
  
->> Le satellite INTELSAT VI F1
 
Client       : Intelsate, siege social a washington d.c., usa
Mission      : Telecommunications et television
Constructeur : Hughes aircraft company (contractant principal)
 
- > Masse
-Poids tatal au lancement     : 4330 kg
-Masse en orbite geostation-
 naire (en debut de vie)      : 2560 Kg
-Masse  a sec du satellite    : 1908 kg
 
-> Dimensions
-Hauteur hors tout en orbite  : 11,8 m
-Hauteur au lencement         :  5,4 m
-Diametre (corps principal)   :  3,6 m
 
-> Stabilisation
-Spinee
 
-> Duree de vie
-(nominale)                   :  13 ans
 
-> Puissance electrique
-(en fin de vie)              : 2240 W
 
-> Charge utile
-Capacite de transmission
 - Band C   : 38 repeteurs 4/6 GHz
 - Band K   : 10 repeteurs 11/14 GHz
 - Circuits : - 24000 circuits telephoniques a 2 caneaux simultanes (120 000
                en utilisant un systeme de multiplication de circuits nu-
                meriques - DCME)
              - 3 chaines de television couleur
-Largeur de bande totale : 3300 MHz
-Position orbitale       : 27,5 degres ouest
                         : Soit au dessus de l'ocean atlantque
  
->> Conditions d'environnement pour le lancement
 
Les conditions meteorologiques pour le retrait tour dependent de la valeur
de pressurisation des etages. la vitesse du vent doit etre inferieure a 17
metre par sec.
Les valeurs limites du vent admissibles au decollage se situent entre 9 m/s
et 14 m/s en fonction de sa direction, la direction la plus penalisante
etant un vent du nord.
Au decollage, la visibilite horizontale doit etre superieure a 600 metre et
le plafond nuageux au-dessus de 250 metre
  
->> Sequence synchronisee
 
La sequence synchronisee demarre a H0 - 6 min. Ell a pour but essentiel 
d'effectuer les mises en oeuvre ultimes du lanceur et les controles rendus
necessaires par le passage en configuration de vol. Elle est entierement
automatique et conduite en parallele jusqu'a H0 - 5 sec. par deux calcu-
lateurs situes dans le centre de lancement de L'ELA. Tous les moyens par-
ticipant au lancement sont alors synchronises par le meme decompte de temps.
Un calculateur effectue les mises en configuration de vol des ergols et 
des fluides, et les controles associes. L'autre calculateur effectue les
dernieres mises en oeuvre electriques (demarrage du programme de vol, des
servomoteurs, commutation alimentations sol/batteries de vol. etc ...)
et les verifications associees.
A partie de H0 - 5 sec., un sequenceur delivre les principaux creneaux de
temps autorisant sur compte-rendu d'ouverture des bras cryogeniques:
-L'allumage des moteurs du 1ere etage et des propulseurs d'appoint a 
 liquide (PAL) (H0)
-Le controle des parametres moteurs (effectue en parallele par trois
 calculateurs a partir de H0 + 3,1 sec.)
-Ouverture des crochets de la table de lancement (liberant le lanceur
 entre H0 + 4,1 sec. et H0 + 4,6 sec.) des que les parametres moteurs sont
 declares corrects par l'un des calculateurs.
 
Tout arret de sequence synchronisee avant H0 -5 sec. ramene automatique-
ment le lanceur dans la configuration H0 -6 min. 
 
->> Le lanceur
 
Activites principales sur le lanceur en zon de preparation:
-Erection et assemblage des etages;
-Erection et assemblage de la case a equipement
-Erection des propulseurs d'appoint a liquides
-Controles d'etancheite;
-Controles moteurs;
-Controles electriques;
-Operations de controle global lanceur.
  
->> La table de lancement
 
Structure metallique roulante en forme de caissons de dimensions
13*13*4 metre et d'une masse d'environ 500 tonnes supporte le systeme
de largage du lanceur.
Le deplacement controle de la table de lancement entre les deux zones 
est assure par un tracteur de 350 cv en moins d'une heure.
 
La zone de preparation des lanceurs est reliee a la zone de lancement
par un chemin de roulement constitue d'une double voie ferree de 950 m.
 
Une plateforme tournante (sur coussins d'air) et une voie de degagement
permettent le croisement des tables de lancement
 
Conditionnement d'environnement pour transfert:
Meteo  :pas de risques d'orages ou de foudre dans un rayon de
        8 km centre sur la zone de lancement.
Vent   :vitesse du vent inferieure a 10 metre/sec.
 
Activites principales sur le lanceur en zone de lancement
-Phase finale de controle du lanceur;
-Hissage, pose et controle du composite (satellite dans la coiffe)
-Raccordement des moyens sol, alimentation en ergols et fluides et
 controle/commandes electriques;
-Preparation au lancement et chronologie
  
->> Carnet de commandes 
 
Compte tenu des 73 satellites deja lances par arianespace et des 94 contrats
de services de lancement enregistres depuis 1981, le carnet de commandes
s'eleve a ce jour a 32 satellites, pour un montant evalue a 2,4 milliards
de dollars.
  
merci pour votre patience
Votre chef de grouppe roman
 
# Roman Symank                      #      E-Mail : symank@roman.north.de    #
# Moorweg 40                        #      E-Mail : roman_symank@hb.maus.de  #
# D-2870 Delmenhorst (FDR),         #        Maus : roman symank @ HB        #
# Voice ++49 4221 88667             #   FAX-Voice : ++49 4221 88667          #

I'll try one paragraph:

The 8th launch of the latest version of the Ariane 4 family, Ariane 44L with
4 liquid (strapon?) engines, has a mission to put the satellite INTELSAT VI F1
into a geostationary orbit.  This satellite is the third satellite of the
INTELSAT VI series (handled by??) Arianespace for the international telecommuni-
cations organization INTELSAT.

1:  The Arianspace V47 mission

The 47th launch of the Ariane ...(pretty much the same info)

The launch was done from pad number 2 (ELA-2) at Kourou, French Guiana.

The performance required of the Ariane 44L launcher is 4340 kg (of which??)
4260 kg is the mass of the satellite.

Etc.  (Gasp, strain.  Please correct me if I am wrong, those of you more know-
ledgeable in French.  I made a fair number of assumptions here about some words.
and I may have messed up the tense.)

Burns

Arianspace flight 47

This 8th launch of the most powerful version of the Ariance 4 family,
Ariane 44L with 4 liquid propulsion units, has as its mission to put into
geostationary orbit the INTELSAT VI F1 satellite.  This satellite is the third
satellite in the INTELSAT VI series conferred to Arianspace by the international
telecammunications organization INTELSAT.

1 --> The Mission of Arianspace flight 47

This 47th launch of the Ariane permits placing in a geostationary
transfer orbit the INTELSAT VI F1 satellite by using an Ariane 44L launcher
equipped with 4 liquid propulsion engines (PAS).
The launch will take place from Ariane launching assembly number 2 (ela-2) in
Kourou, French Guyana.
The performance demanded of the Ariane 44L launcher is 4330 kg of which 4260
kg represents the mass of the satellite.

-> Transfer Orbit specifications

Altitude at perigee: 200 km
Altitude at apogee: 35934 km for the injection
Inclination: 7 degrees

The launching of the Ariane 44L launcher for flight 44 is expected during the
night of Tuesday the 29th through Wednesday the 30th of October, the earliest
possible within the following two launch windows:

Kourou time:	Paris time:	Washington time:	UTC time:
2007 to 2041	0007 to 0041	1807 to 1841		2307 to 2341
2236 to 2259	0226 to 0259	2026 to 2059		0126 to 0159
29 Oct. 91	30 Oct. 91	29 Oct. 91		29-30 Oct. 91

INTELSAT VI F1 was contructed by the Hughes Aircraft Company for Intelsat and
will assure international telecommunications from its orbital position over
the Atlantic (827.5 degrees west <-- I assume this is a typo)
The International Organization of Telecommunications Satellites (Intelsat) is
a non-profit cooerative in 121 countries which possesses and exploits the
global satelitte communications system which is used for thier international and
domestic communications.

2 ->> Plan for preparation for launch: Ariane44L/Intelsat VI F1

The duration of the satelitte launch preparations is 13 weeks beginning with
its arrival in Kourou.
The duration of the Ariane 44L launch preparations is 31 days.  Transfer of the
launcher to launch pad ELA2 will take place Wednesday 11 October 1991.

-> Calendar of launch preparations of the launcher and satellite

Wed 15 May: The Intelsat arrives in Kourou
Thu 23 May: Beginning of the Intelsat's preparation in building S1B
Wed 24 Jul: Finished (?) in S1B
Mon 16 Sep: Beginning of launcher preparations
Tue 17 Sep: Erection of the first stage
Wed 18 Sep: Erection of the second stage
20-24 Sep:  Erection of the liquid propulsion units
Mon 23 Sep: Erection of the third stage
-----------
Thu 17 Oct: Encapsulation of the satellite
Fri 18 Oct: Practice countdown (RCL) and encapsulation of the satellite
Mon 21 Oct: Transfer of the composite sateliite to the launching zone
Tue 22 Oct: Placement of the composite satellite on the launcher and launcher
            and satellite controls
Wed 23 Oct: Final preparation of the satellite, launcher, ELA2 and CSG
Thu 24 Oct: General practice countdown
Fri 25 Oct: Arming of the launcher
Sat 26 Oct: Review of launcher readiness (RAL)
Mon 28 Oct: FIlling of the first stage, PALs, and second stage with UH25/N204
Tue 29 Oct: Countdown for launch and complete the filling of the third stage
            with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen

->> Steps of the countdown and of flight 47

The final countdown will begin at H0 - 1640 (Kourou time); this comprises all
of the final launcher preparation operations, satellite preparation operations,
and launch base operations for the authorisation to light the motors of the
first stage and liquid propulsion units (PALs) at the chosen launch hour, the
earliest possible within the authorized launch window for the satellite.
The countdown ends with a synchronized sequence by two computers in the
launch center beginning at H0 - 6 minutes. If the duration of a halt in the
countdown puts time H0 outside the launch window, the launch is reported to
J+1 or J+2 depending on the origin of the of the halt (not sure what this
means).

-16h40min: Beginning of the final countdown
-05h55min: Preparation of the launcher and tower for tower retraction
-05h30min: Tower retraction
-03h35min: Beginning of filling the third stage with liquid oxygen and
           liquid hydrogen
-01h05min: Put in operation the telemetry, radar, and telecommunications of the
           launcher
"Green checkout for all systems" authorizes:
-06min002: Beginning of the synchronized sequence
-03min30s: Satellite on internal power
-01min00s: Launcher on internal power
-09s:      Inertial guidance (I think)
-05s:      Command to (soemthing) the cryogenic arms
+00min4.4s: Liftoff
+00min18s: End of vertical ascent and start of (something)
+02min29s: Ignition of the first two PALs
+02min30s: Ignition of the second two PALs
+03min33s: First stage separation
+03min36s: Second stage ignition
+04min19s: Opening (?) of the cowling (?)
+05min45s: Second stage separation
+05min50s: Third stage ignition
+06min20s: Acquisition by the station in Natal
+12min00s: Acquisition by the station on Ascension Island
+16min50s: Acquisition by the station in Libreville
+17min52s: Third stage extinguish
+22min37s: Separation of the INTELSAT VI F1 satellite
+22min42s: Beginning of the third stage jetison maneuver
+24min44s: End of the mission of Ariane flight 47

-> Satellite operations

First acqusition by Jatiluhur (Indonesia), approximately 35 minutes after the
launch.
Ignition of the apogee motor (out of 5 total), first ignition around 5h30min
after the launch at the first apogee.  Fifth ignition around 109h after the
launch.
Deploying the solar panels and the antennas, around 26h after the last
ignition of the apogee motor.

-> Breakdown of the mass of the launcher

INTELSAT VI F1                               4260 kg
..Adaptor                                      70
..Equipmement cover
 +residual fuel and performance reserves      723
..dry mass of the third stage                1279
..third stage fuel                          10586
..dry mass of the second stage
 +interstage 1/2                             3696
..mass of the cowling(?)                      815
..mass of the second stage fuel             35479
..dry mass of the first stage
 +interstage 1/2                            18254
..first stage fuel                         387244
..liquid propulsion units                   17991
total mass of the assembly                 480397 kg

->> Trajectory of the Ariane

After a vertical ascension until time H0 + 18 seconds, the launcher will
perform for ten seconds an automatic (something) within the precalculated
trajectory plan controlled by the on-board computer.  The attitude of the
launcher is controled by a predetermined rule.  The guidance law is put into
effect 10 seconds after second stage ignition, the attitude rule is optimized
in a fashion to reduce the propulsion time of the third stage necessary to
attain geostationary transfer orbit with a reserve of around 200 kg, in order
to assure a nomial orbit with a probability of more than 99%.  The rule for
roll of the launcher is defined so as to maximize radioelectronic connections
between the launcher and the sun station.

->> The INTELSAT VI F1 satellite

client: Intelsat, controled from Washington, DC, USA
mission: telecommunications and television
builder: Hughes Aircraft Company (principal contractor)

- > mass
- total weight at launch:         4330 kg
- mass at geostationary orbit:    2560 kg
  (at beginning of life)
- dry mass of the satellite:      1908 kg

-> Dimension
- total outside height while in orbit: 11.8 m
- height at launch:                     5.4 m
- diameter (main body):                 3.6 m

-> Stabilization
-Spun (may mean gyroscope?)

-> Lifetime
-(nomial)                     : 13 years

-> electric power
-(at end of life): 2240 W

-> Useful load
- Transmission capacity
  - Band C: 38 repeaters 4/6 GHz
  - Band K: 10 repeaters 11/14 GHz
  - Circuits: - 24000 simultaneous two-way telephone circuits
                (120,000 using numerical circuit multiplexing  - DCME)
              - 3 color television channels
- total bandwidth: 3300 MHz
- orbital position: 27.5 degrees west  (this makes more sense!)
                  : to be over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean

->> Environmental conditions for the launch

Meteorological conditions for tower retraction depend on the values of the
stage pressurizations.  The wind speed must be less than 17 meters per second.
The limiting values for wind for liftoff are between 9 meters per second and 14
meters per second depending on the direction, the worst direction being a wind
from the north.
At liftoff, the horizontal visibility must be in excess of 600 meters and
the clouds above 250 meters.

->> synchronized sequence

The synchronized sequence takes over at time H0 - 6 minutes.  The essential goal
of it is to put into ultimate operation the launcher and the controls needed
for flight configuration.  It is entirely automatic and is conducted in parallel
starting at time H0 - 5 seconds by two computers in the launch center of ELA.
All of the controls participating in the launch are already synchronized  to the
same clock.  One computer controls the flight configuration of fuels and fluids,
and the associated controls.  The other computer controls the final electrical
operations (loading of the flight program, the servomotors, switching from
solar power to batteries, etc.) and the associated verifications.
Beginning at time H0 - 5 seconds, a sequencer delivers the principal time
signals authorizing the completion of opening of the cryogenic arms:
- Ignition of the motors of the first stage and the PALs (H0)
- Control of the motor parameters (handled in parallel by three computers
  beginning at time H0 + 3.1seconds)
- Opening of the (something) of the launch platform (freeing the launcher
  between time H0 + 4.1 seconds and H0 + 4.6 seconds) when the motor parameters
  are declared correct by one of the computers

All halts of the synchonized sequence after time H0 - 5 seconds automatically
place the launcher in the configuration for time H0 - 6 minutes.

--> the launcher

Pricipal activities on the launcher in the preparation area:
- Erection and assembly of the stages
- Erection and assembly of the equipment housing
- Erection of the liquid propulsion units (PALs)
- (something) controls
- Motor controls
- Electric controls
- Global launcher control

--> The launch platform

A rolling metallic structure in the form of caissons of dimensions 13 x 13 x 4
meters and with a mass of approximately 500 tons supports the launcher.
Controlled placement of the launching platform between the two zones is assured
by a 350 cv (?) tractor in less than one hour.

The launcher preparation area is connected to the launching area by a
rolling road made up of a double lane of 950 meters.

A rotating platform (on air cushions) and a (something) permits crossing the
launching platforms.

Environmental conditions for transfer:
Weather: No risk of storms or fog (?) in an 8 km area centered on the
         launching zone
wind:    Wind speed less than 10 meters per second.

Principal activities on the launcher in the launching zone:
- final control phase of the launcher
- placement and control of the composite (satellite in the cowling)
- recording of the solar power (?), loading fuels and fluids and electric
  control and commands
- preparation for launch and countdown

->> (not sure of this term)

Counting the 73 satellites already launched by Arianespace and the 94 contracts
for launching services signed since 1981, the (same term) has launched as of
today 32 satellits, for a total value of $2.4 million dollars.

thank you for your patience
your group chief, Roman

Article: 1778
From: clarinews@clarinet.com
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.news.urgent
Subject: LEAD: 	Ariane 4 rocket launched
Date: 17 Dec 91 03:43:38 GMT
 
	_A_r_i_a_n_e_ _4_
_r_o_c_k_e_t_ _l_a_u_n_c_h_e_d 

	KOUROU, French Guiana (UPI) -- A French-built Ariane rocket
boosted a pair of international communications satellites into orbit
Monday to close out a successful year highlighted by eight successful
flights for the European space program. 

	The 192-foot three-stage rocket, equipped with four liquid-fuel
strap-on boosters for extra power, took off at 6:17 p.m. EST and quickly
streaked away from the European Space Agency's jungle launch complex on
the northern coast of South America.

	Twenty minutes later, Telecom 2A, a communications satellite
operated by France Telecom and the French Ministry of Defense, was
safely ejected into its planned preliminary orbit. 

	Five minutes later, Inmarsat 2-F3, owned by the International
Maritime Satellite Organization was released into a similar orbit.

	On-board rocket firings were planned over the next few days to
put both spacecraft into circular orbits about 22,300 miles above the
equator. 

	At that altitude, the satellites' orbital velocity will be
synchronized with Earth's rotation making them appear stationary in the
sky, allowing the use of relatively inexpensive fixed ground antennas.

	Telecom 2A was built by Matra Marconi Space and Alcatelespace of
France. Once stationed over the equator at 3 degrees east longitude, the
3,000-pound solar-powered satellite will be used to provide business
communications services and to relay radio and television signals across
France.

	Inmarsat 2-F3, built by British Aerospace, will be stationed
over the Pacific Ocean equator at 179 degrees east longitude to relay
mobile and maritime satellite communications between ships and ground
stations. 

	Monday's launch marked the 48th flight of an Ariane rocket and
the eighth and final launch this year. The Ariane launch record now
stands at 43 successes and five failures. 

	``This was our best year yet,'' said a spokeswoman for Arianespace.

	Ariane missions are conducted by the European Space Agency and
Arianespace, the 11-nation European consortium that markets Ariane
rockets and controls more than 50 percent of the world's commercial
launch market. 

	Counting Monday's launch, Arianespace holds contracts valued
at $2.5 billion to launch 32 satellites. 

	The Ariane 4, the most powerful rocket in the European
inventory, is marketed in a variety of versions based on how many
satellites are on board and their weight. 

	The most powerful version is capable of boosting 10,000-pound
satellites into geosynchronous orbit and comparable to the Titan-class
rockets used to launch heavy military spy satellites. 

	Ariane rockets once competed head-to-head with NASA's shuttle
for commercial launch business, but in the wake of the Challenger
disaster, such payloads were banned from the manned orbiter. 

Article: 38740
From: dnadams@isis.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: ARIANE
Date: 19 Dec 91 11:00:20 GMT
Sender: usenet@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu (netnews admin account)
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
 
 >Does someone have information about the satellite(s) launched 
 >recently by ARIANE ?
 
Yes, this is mission V48, launching the French Telecom-2A and INMARSAT
2-F3 satellites.  Here is a little info... 
 
TELECOM 2A:
  Built by: Matra Macroni Space and Alcatel Espace.
  Total mass at liftoff: 2,275 kg, at GEO: 1,380 kg, dry mass: 1,124 kg.
  Operational lifetime: 10.25 years.
  On-board power:  3,450 W (end of life)
  Orbital location: 3 degrees East (over Africa)
  C-band:  10 transponders, 11 W
  Ku-band: 11 transponders, 55 W
  X-band:  5 transponders, 20 and 40 W
 
INMARSAT 2-F3:
  Built by: British Aerospace
  Total mass at liftoff: 1,310 kg, at GEO: 824 kg, dry mass: 624 kg.
  Operational lifetime: 10 years.
  On-board power:  1 KW (end of life)
  Orbital location: 179 degrees East (over Pacific Ocean)
  C-band/L-band transponders for 250 voice circuits.
 
 >What kind of propulsion system is used on these satellites for 
 >station keeping ?
 
I would expect them both to have the standard hydrazine thrusters.
 
 >I don't see any article on ARIANE or others europeen projects.
 
I usually try and post info on upcoming Ariane flights, but I forgot this 
time and even managed to miss watching the launch...  Oh, well...
 
What I have been trying to find is launch dates for the U.S. -commercial-
Atlas and Delta flights.  The companies normally provide live satellite
coverage of these launch activities, but I have never found a reliable
source for the TIME and DATE so I can go and find the feed...
 
-{ DA }-

Article: 38742
From: mcdowell@xanth.msfc.nasa.gov (Jonathan McDowell)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: ARIANE
Date: 19 Dec 91 16:44:48 GMT
Sender: root@freedom.msfc.nasa.gov (Super-User)
Organization: NASA/MSFC
 
grassin@longs.LANCE.ColoState.EDU (Thierry Grassin) writes:

>Does someone have information about the satellite(s) launched recently
>by ARIANE ?
>What kind of propulsion system is used on these satellites for station
>keeping ?
>More generally, where do you get information about what is going on in
>Europe ? I don't
>see any article on ARIANE or others Europeen projects.
 
You try reading Jonathan's Space Report. :-)
 
Seriously, try the weekly magazines "Air et Cosmos" (Paris, in
French); and "Flight International" (London), as well as the British
Interplanetary Society's monthly "Spaceflight". 
 
The two satellites launched recently were TELECOM 2A and INMARSAT II
F-3.  Both are communications satellites, and both are built by the
Matra/British Aerospace Satcom International consortium.  Inmarsat,
owned by the International Maritime Satellite Organization and used
for L-band ship communications, uses the Eurostar 1000 bus and has a
MBB-built S400 liquid bipropellant engine for an apogee motor and
large orbit corrections; the unified propulsion system uses the same
fuel tanks for a set of small S10 thrusters for minor stationkeeping
adjustments. Telecom, operated by the French government for domestic
and military communications, is the first use of the heavier Eurostar
2000 bus. I assume it has the same engine system but I'm not sure. 
 
 .-----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
 |  Jonathan McDowell                 |  phone : (617) 495-7176                |
 |  Harvard-Smithsonian Center for    |                                        |
 |   Astrophysics                     |                                        |
 |  60 Garden St, MS4                 |                                        |
 |  Cambridge MA 02138                |  inter : mcdowell@cfa.harvard.edu      |
 |  USA                               |                                        |
 '-----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
 
        "If people did not sometimes do silly things, nothing intelligent 
    would ever get done." - Wittgenstein

Article: 39220
From: etssp@levels.unisa.edu.au
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Ariane Launch Record (V1 to V48)
Date: 14 Jan 92 01:34:38 GMT
Organization: University of South Australia
 
                  ARIANE LAUNCH RECORD (V1 to V48)
 
 V      Date    Vehicle  Payload
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1  24 Dec 79     1-01  CAT (monitoring)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2* 23 May 80     1-02  CAT, Firewheel, Amsat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3  19 Jun 81     1-03  CAT, Apple, Meteosat
  4  20 Dec 81     1-04  Marecs A (Marecs 1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  5* 10 Sep 82     1-05  Marecs B
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  6  16 Jun 83     1-06  ECS-1, Oscar 10
  7  19 Oct 83     1-07  Intelsat V-F7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  8   5 Mar 84     1-08  Intelsat V-F8
  9  22 May 84     1-09  Spacenet 1
 10   4 Aug 84     3-01  ECS-2, Telecom 1A
 11  10 Nov 84     3-02  Spacenet 2, Marecs C (Marecs 2)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12   8 Feb 85     3-03  Arabsat 1A, Brasilsat S1
 13   8 May 85     3-04  GStar 1, Telecom 1B
 14   2 Jul 85     1-10  Giotto
 15* 12 Sep 85     3-05  Spacenet 3, ECS-3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 16  22 Feb 86     1-11  Spot 1, Viking
 17  28 Mar 86     3-06  GStar 2, Brasilsat S2
 18* 31 May 86     2-01  Intelsat V-F14
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 19  16 Sep 87     3-07  Aussat K3, ECS-4
 20  21 Nov 87     2-02  TV-Sat 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 21  11 Mar 88     3-08  Spacenet 3R/Geostar R01, Telecom 1C
 23  17 May 88     2-03  Intelsat V-F13
 22  15 Jun 88  44LP-01  Meteosat P2, PanAmSat 1, Amsat 3C
 24  21 Jul 88     3-09  ECS-5, Insat 1C
 25   8 Sep 88     3-10  GStar 3/Geostar R02, SBS-5
 26  28 Oct 88     2-04  TDF-1
 27  11 Dec 88  44LP-02  Skynet 4B, Astra 1A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 28  27 Jan 89     2-05  Intelsat V-F15
 29   6 Mar 89  44LP-03  JC Sat-1, MOP-1 (Meteosat 4)
 30   2 Apr 89     2-06  Tele-X
 31   5 Jun 89   44L-01  Superbird 1, DFS-1
 32  12 Jul 89     3-11  Olympus
 33   8 Aug 89  44LP-04  TV-Sat 2, Hipparcos
 34  27 Oct 89   44L-02  Intelsat VI-F2 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 35  10 Jan 90    40-01  Spot 2, Uosat 2/3, Pacsat, Dove, Webersat, Lusat
 36* 22 Feb 90   44L-03  Superbird B, BS-2X
 37  24 Jul 90   44L-04  TDF-2, DFS-2
 38  30 Aug 90  44LP-05  Eutelsat II-F1, Skynet 4C
 39  12 Oct 90   44L-05  SBS-6, Galaxy 6
 40  20 Nov 90   44P-01  Satcom C1, GStar 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 41  15 Jan 91   44L-06  Eutelsat II-F2, Italsat 1
 42   2 Mar 91  44LP-06  Astra 1B, MOP-2
 43   4 Apr 91   44P-02  Anik E2
 44  17 Jul 91    40-02  ERS-1, Datasat X, Tubsat, Uosat F, SARA
 45  14 Aug 91   44L-07  Intelsat VI-F5
 46  26 Sep 91   44P-07  Anik E1
 47  29 Oct 91   44L-08  Intelsat VI-F1
 48  16 Dec 91   44L-09  Telecom 2A, Inmarsat II-F3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*	Launch failure
-- 
Steven Pietrobon, Australian Space Centre for Signal Processing
School of Electronic Engineering, University of South Australia
The Levels, SA 5095, Australia.  steven@sal.levels.unisa.edu.au

Article: 39221
From: etssp@levels.unisa.edu.au
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Ariane Launch Manifest for 1992
Date: 14 Jan 92 01:37:50 GMT
Organization: University of South Australia
 
                  ARIANE LAUNCH MANIFEST (30 Sep 1991)
 
 V      Date    Vehicle  Payload
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 49     Jan 92   44L-10  Superbird C, Inmarsat II-F4 or Arabsat 1C
 50     Feb 92   44L-11  Eutelsat II-F4, Insat 2A
 51     Mar 92   44L-12  Telecom 2B, Arabsat 1C or Inmarsat II-F4
 52     Jun 92   42P-01  Topex-Poseidon, Kitsat-A, S80/T
 53     Jul 92   44L-13  Hispasat 1A, Arsene, Satcom C4
 54     Aug 92   42P-02  Galaxy 7
 55     Oct 92   44L-14  Eutelsat II-F5, Insat 2B
 56     Nov 92   44L-15  Hispasat 1B or Superbird D, payload oppty
 57     Dec 92   42P-03  Galaxy 8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- 
Steven Pietrobon, Australian Space Centre for Signal Processing
School of Electronic Engineering, University of South Australia
The Levels, SA 5095, Australia.  steven@sal.levels.unisa.edu.au

Article: 40656
From: dnadams@isis.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Ariane Mission V49
Date: 21 Feb 92 09:54:47 GMT
Sender: usenet@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu (netnews admin account)
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
 
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 49 
 
The 49th Ariane launch is to place SUPERBIRD-B1 and ARABSAT-1C satellites
into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane 44L launch vehicle 
equipped with 4 liquid strap-on boosters (PAL) and the Ariane Dual Launch
System (SPELDA).  It will be launched from the Ariane launch complex nr.2
(ELA 2), in Kourou - French Guiana.
 
The launch vehicle performance requirement is 4,378 kg (9,652 lb) of which 
3,870 kg (8,532 lb) are the combined satellite masses.  The total vehicle 
mass at liftoff is 479,845 kg.
 
Required Orbit Characteristics:

  Perigee Altitude:    200 km
  Apogee Altitude:  35,959 km at injection
  Inclination:           7 degrees
 
The Ariane 44L launcher lift-off for Flight 49 is scheduled for the night of
February 26, 1992, as soon as possible within the following launch window:
 
  Kourou Time       GMT               Paris             Washington, DC
  Feb. 26           Feb. 26           Feb. 27           Feb. 26
  20:15 - 21:05     23:15 - 00:05     00:15 - 01:05     18:15 - 09:05
 
Payloads:
 
SUPERBIRD-B1 is the third spacecraft built for Space Communications
Corporation (Japan) by Space Systems / Loral (USA).  Operational on
orbit position will be 162 degrees east, over the Pacific Ocean.
 
  Dry mass: 1,224 kg     Total mass at liftoff: 2,560 kg
  Lifetime: 10 years     On-board power: 3,414 W (end of life)
 
  Transmission capacity:  
    Ku-band: 23 transponders (+8 spares) of 36 mhz bandwidth (total 400 mhz)
    Ka-band: 3 transponders of 100 mhz bandwidth.
 
ARABSAT-1C is the third spacecraft of the ARABSAT's first generation space
segment delivered by Aerospatiale (France).  Operation on orbit position
will be 31 degrees east, over East Africa.
 
  Dry mass: 600 kg       Total mass at liftoff: 1,310 kg
  Lifetime: 7 years      On-board power: 1,300 W (end of life)
 
  Transmission capacity:  

    C-band:    25 transponders
    C/S-band:  1 transponder
    Capacity:  8,000 telephone circuits + 7 TV channels
 
-{ Dean Adams }-

Article: 40883
From: dnadams@isis.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Ariane V.49 Launch
Date: 27 Feb 92 03:05:31 GMT
Sender: usenet@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu (netnews admin account)
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
 
Arianespace flight V.49 was launched today, with both satellite
payloads successfully deployed.  The Ariane 44L vehicle lifted off at
23:58:09 GMT (18:58 EST), towards the end of the 50 minute launch window. 
 
Three separate aborts and extended third-stage cryogenic tanking holds
delayed the launch for about 43 minutes.  The aborts all occurred
after resumption of the count following the -6:00 tanking hold, and
were caused by timing synchronization errors with the launch vehicle. 
 
The SUPERBIRD-B1 spacecraft was deployed as scheduled at +20 minutes,
with the ARABSAT-1C following at +24 minutes.  Both satellites are now
in Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), and will have three apogee
motor firings to place them into their final GEO positions of 162
degrees east and 31 degrees east, respectively. 
 
-{ Dean Adams }-

Article: 42587
From: dnadams@isis.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Ariane Flight V.50
Date: 6 Apr 92 10:22:56 GMT
Sender: usenet@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu (netnews admin account)
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
 
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 50
 
The 50th Ariane launch is to place the TELECOM-2B and INMARSAT 2-F4
satellites into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane
44L launch vehicle equipped with 4 liquid strap-on boosters (PAL) and
the Ariane Dual Launch System (SPELDA).  It will be the 22nd launch of
an Ariane 4 and the 11th in the Ariane 44L configuration.  It will be
launched from the Ariane launch complex (ELA 2), in Kourou - French Guiana. 
 
The launch vehicle performance requirement is 4,101 kg (9,041 lb) of
which 3,585 kg (7,904 lb) are the combined satellite masses.  The
total vehicle mass at liftoff is 480,242 kg. 
 
Required Orbit Characteristics:
  Perigee Altitude ..... 300 km
  Apogee Altitude ... 35,786 km at injection
  Inclination ............ 4 degrees
 
Note: On the standard geostationary transfer orbit with perigee 200 km and
inclination 7 degrees, the equivalent performance would be approx. 4,370 kg.
 
The Ariane 44L lift-off for Flight 50 is scheduled on Wednesday April 15,
1992, as soon as possible within the following launch window:
 
     Kourou Time       GMT               Washington, DC
     20:12 - 20:57     23:12 - 23:57     19:12 - 19:57
 
Launch Vehicle:
 
Ariane 44L.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with liquid
fueled strap-on boosters.  The first stage (L220) is built by
Aerospatiale, and is powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines.  The
second stage (L33) is built by MBB Erno, and is powered by a single
Viking IV engine. Both the Viking IV and V engines are manufactured by
SEP.  The first and second stages use a biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The
third stage is the newly flight-qualified H10 "plus", with larger fuel
tanks and increased performance over past models. It uses a cryogenic
H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP. The four strap-on boosters are
each powered by a Viking VI engine, also built by SEP, and uses the
same biliquid fuel as the first and second stages.  The fully
assembled launch vehicle stands 57.3 meters high on the pad. 
 
Flight Profile:
 
+02:31  Liquid strap-on booster jettison
+03:35  First stage separation
+04:23  Fairing jettison
+05:45  Second stage separation
+18:14  Third stage shutdown / GTO injection
+20:29  TELECOM-2B separation
+22:46  SPELDA top separation
+24:54  INMARSAT 2-F4 separation
+25:19  Third stage avoidance maneuver
 
Payloads:
 
TELECOM-2B is the second satellite of the second generation for France
Telecom built by Matra Marconi Space and Alcatel Space to fulfill the
needs of France Telecom and the French Ministry of Defense (DGA).
Operational on orbit position will be 3 degrees east, over the Gulf of
Guinea.  The primary mission is telephone and TV over France and
between France and its overseas departments, governmental services,
and business services. 
 
  Total mass at lift-off .... 2,275 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,380 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,124 kg     
  On-board power ............ 3,450 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 10.25 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 22 m
 
 Transmission capacity:  
  C-band .... 10 transponders, each with 11 W 
  Ku-band ... 11 transponders, each with 55 W
  X-band .... 5 transponders of 20 and 40 W
 
 In-flight operations:
  First apogee motor firing ..... 36 hours after lift-off, at 4th apogee
  Third and last motor firing ... 132 hours after lift-off
  Deployment of solar panels .... 22 hours after last apogee firing  
 
INMARSAT 2-F4 is the fourth satellite of the second generation built
for Inmarsat by British Aerospace.  Operation on orbit position will
be 55 degrees east, over the West Atlantic.  Its primary mission is
mobile and maritime satellite telecommunications. 
 
  Total mass at lift-off .... 1,310 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion .....   824 kg
  Dry mass ..................   624 kg     
  On-board power ............ 1,000 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 10 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 14.9 m
 
 Transmission capacity:  
  C to L-band transponder for fixed to mobile transmissions (6/1.5 ghz)
  L to C-band transponder for mobile to fixed transmissions (1.5/4 ghz)
  Capacity: 250 voice circuits, 18 mhz total bandwidth
 
 In-flight operations:
  First apogee motor firing ..... 36 hours after lift-off, at 4th apogee
  Third and last motor firing ... 96 hours after lift-off
  Deployment of solar panels .... 12 hours after last apogee firing  
 
Launch coverage:
 
All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou.
Coverage begins at 30 minutes before launch, and continues until all
payloads have been deployed.  In the US, the majority of recent
flights have been carried on Westar V. 
 
-{ Dean Adams }-

Article: 45485
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: dnadams@isis.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Subject: Ariane Mission V51
Sender: usenet@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu (netnews admin account)
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 92 13:02:07 GMT
 
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 51
 
The 51st Ariane launch is to place the INSAT 2A and EUTELSAT II F4 satellites
into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane 44L launch vehicle 
equipped with 4 liquid strap-on boosters (PAL) and the Ariane Dual Launch
System (SPELDA).  It will be the 23rd launch of an Ariane 4 and the 12th in
the Ariane 44L configuration.  It will be launched from the Ariane launch 
complex ELA 2, in Kourou - French Guiana.
 
The launch vehicle performance requirement is 4,296 kg (9,470 lb) of which 
3,783 kg (8,540 lb) are the combined satellite masses.  The total vehicle 
mass at liftoff is 480,062 kg.
 
Required Orbit Characteristics:

  Perigee Altitude ..... 200 km
  Apogee Altitude ... 35,914 km at injection
  Inclination ............ 7 degrees
 
The Ariane 44L lift-off for Flight 51 is scheduled on Thursday July 9,
1992, as soon as possible within the following launch window:
 
     Kourou Time       GMT               Washington, DC
     19:34 - 20:14     22:34 - 23:14     18:34 - 19:14
 
Launch Vehicle:
 
Ariane 44L.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with liquid fueled 
strap-on boosters.  The first stage (L220) is built by Aerospatiale, and is 
powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines.  The second stage (L33) is built
by MBB Erno, and is powered by a single Viking IV engine. Both the Viking IV
and V engines are manufactured by SEP.  The first and second stages use a 
biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The third stage (H10) is built by Aerospatiale,
and is powered by a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP. The 
four strap-on boosters are each powered by a Viking VI engine, also built 
by SEP, which use the same biliquid fuel as the first and second stages.  
The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 58 meters high on the pad.
 
Flight Profile:
 
+02:29  Liquid strap-on booster jettison
+03:33  First stage separation
+04:12  Fairing jettison
+05:44  Second stage separation
+17:50  Third stage shutdown / GTO injection
+19:23  INSAT 2A separation
+21:13  SPELDA top separation
+22:59  EUTELSAT II F4 separation
+23:24  Third stage avoidance maneuver
+26:00  End of Ariane mission 51
 
Payloads:
 
INSAT 2A is the first satellite of the second generation of the Insat 
program.  It has been built by ISRO to serve multipurpose domestic needs
of the Indian nation, including telecommunications and weather forecasting.
The operational on-orbit location will be 74 degrees east.
 
  Total mass at lift-off .... 1,906 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,162 kg
  Dry mass ..................   911 kg     
  On-board power ............ 1,140 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 9 years     
 
 Transmission capacity:  

  C-band .... 18 transponders
  S-band .... 2 transponders of 50 W
 
 In-flight operations:

  First apogee motor firing ..... 26 hours after lift-off, at 3th apogee
  Third (final) motor firing .... 78 hours after lift-off, at 6th apogee
  Deployment of solar array ..... 31 hours after last apogee firing  
  East antenna reflector deploy . 14 hours later
  West antenna reflector deploy . 10 hours later
  Solar sail deployment ......... 1 hour later
 
EUTELSAT II F4 is the fourth satellite of the second generation of
telecommunications spacecraft for the European Organization Eutelsat.
It is built under the main contractor of Aerospatiale Cannes.  
The operational on-orbit location will be 7 degrees east.
 
  Total mass at lift-off .... 1,877 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,123 kg
  Dry mass ..................   921 kg     
  On-board power ............ 2,890 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 8 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 22.4 m
 
 Transmission capacity:  

  24 TWTA capable of providing 16 simultaneously operating transponders.
   - 7 wideband (72 mhz) Ku-band transponders 
   - 9 narrowband (36 mhz) Ku-band transponders 
   - 50 watt output power
   - superbeam and widebeam coverage patterns
 
 In-flight operations:

  East antenna reflector deploy . 1 hour 23 minutes after lift-off
  Partial solar panel deploy .... 1 hour 58 minutes after lift-off
  First apogee motor firing ..... at 4th apogee
  Third (final) motor firing .... at 8th apogee
  Full deploy of solar panels ... 30 minutes after last apogee firing  
  West antenna reflector deploy . 5 hours later
 
Launch coverage:
 
All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou. Coverage
begins at 30 minutes before launch, and continues until all payloads have 
been deployed.  In the US, likely locations for the feed would be satellites
such as Galaxy 6 or Satcom F2R.
 
-{ Dean Adams }-
 

Article: 48164
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite,sci.space
From: dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Subject: Ariane V.53 mission data
Sender: usenet@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu (netnews admin account)
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 92 06:34:48 GMT
 
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 53
 
For this fifth launch of 1992, Arianespace will use an Ariane 44LP vehicle
equipped with 2 liquid strap-on boosters and 2 solid strap-on boosters.
The Ariane 44LP will place two telecommunications satellites into
geostationary transfer orbit.  HISPASAT 1A for Hispasat (Spain), and
SATCOM C3 for G.E. Americom.  This 25th Ariane 4 flight is equipped 
with the improved version of the third stage booster: the H10 "plus". 
 
MISSION:
 
The 53rd Ariane launch will place the HISPASAT 1A and SATCOM C3 satellites
into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane 44LP launch vehicle
equipped with 2 liquid strap-on boosters (PAL), 2 solid strap-on boosters 
(PAP), and the Ariane Dual Launch System (SPELDA).  This will be the 25th 
launch of an Ariane 4 and the 7th in it's 44LP configuration.  It will be 
launched from the Ariane launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou - French Guiana.
 
The launch vehicle performance requirement is 4,084 kg, which is the
combined satellite mass.  The total vehicle mass at liftoff is 417,312 kg.
 
Required Orbit Characteristics:
  Perigee Altitude ...   200 km
  Apogee Altitude .... 35786 km at injection
  Inclination ........     7 degrees
 
The Ariane 44LP lift-off for Flight 53 is scheduled on Thursday, 
September 10, as soon as possible within the following launch window:
 
     Kourou Time       GMT               Washington, DC
     20:04 - 20:49     23:04 - 23:49     19:04 - 19:49
 
LAUNCH VEHICLE:
 
Ariane 44LP.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with both solid 
and liquid fueled strap-on boosters.  The first stage (L220) is built by 
Aerospatiale, and is powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines.  The second
stage (L33) is built by MBB Erno and is powered by a single Viking IV engine.
Both the Viking IV and V engines are manufactured by SEP.  The first and 
second stages use a biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The third stage is the new H10
"plus", with larger fuel tanks and increased performance over past models. 
It uses a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP. The two liquid 
strap-on boosters (PAL) are each powered by a Viking VI engine, also built by
SEP, and use the same biliquid fuel as the first and second stages.  The two 
solid strap-on boosters (PAP) are built by BPD and use a solid Flexadrine
propellant.  The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 57.3 meters high on 
the pad.  This mission uses the Ariane Type 01 payload fairing.
 
Flight Profile:
 
+01:07  Liquid strap-on booster jettison
+02:28  First stage separation
+03:35  Fairing jettison
+04:39  Second stage separation
+05:47  Third stage ignition
+18:17  Third stage shutdown / orbit injection
+20:32  HISPASAT 1A separation
+23:21  SPELDA top separation
+24:55  SATCOM C3 separation
+25:25  Third stage avoidance maneuver
+29:55  End of Ariane mission 53
 
PAYLOADS:
 
HISPASAT 1A is the first Spanish telecommunications satellite built by
Matra Marconi Space for the Hispasat organization.  It's primary mission
will be telecommunications, including telephone, telex, and television.
 
  Total mass at lift-off .... 2,194 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,325 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,013 kg     
  On-board power ............ 3,790 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 10 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 22.3 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 30 degrees west, over the Atlantic Ocean.
 
 Transmission capacity:  
   FSS/Ku-band:  8 channels with Spanish coverage area
                 1 channel with U.S. coverage area
   DBS/Ku-band:  3 channels
   X-band:       4 channels
 
 In-flight operations:
  DBS and booms deployment ...... about 7 hours after lift-off
  First apogee motor firing ..... about 37 hours after lift-off
  Second apogee motor firing .... about 92 hours after lift-off
  Third apogee motor firing ..... about 157 hours after lift-off
  Deployment of solar panels .... about 183 hours after lift-off
 
SATCOM C3 is destined to replace the aging SATCOM 1R satellite for a
continued cable-based TV transmission system managed by G.E. American
Communications.
 
  Total mass at lift-off .... 1,370 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion .....   784 kg
  Dry mass ..................   618 kg     
  On-board power ............ 1,407 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 12 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 15.1 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 131 degrees west, over the East Pacific Ocean.
 
 Transmission capacity:  
   32 TWTA's - 24 active / 8 spares
 
 In-flight operations:
  First apogee motor firing ..... about 72 hours after lift-off
  Deployment of solar panels .... about 96 hours after lift-off
 
LAUNCH COVERAGE:
 
All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou. Coverage
begins at 30 minutes before launch, and continues until all payloads have 
been deployed.  This mission will likely be carried on Satcom F2R, however
it could end up being located on a different satellite such as Galaxy 6.
 
-{ Dean Adams }-
 

Article: 50030
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite,sci.space
From: dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Subject: Ariane V.54 / Galaxy VII
Sender: usenet@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu (netnews admin account)
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 92 01:02:55 GMT
 
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 54
 
The 54th Ariane launch is scheduled to place the Hughes Communications 
GALAXY VII satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit adapted for the
PVA (Perigee Velocity Augmentation) procedure, using an Ariane 42P launch
vehicle equipped with 2 solid strap-on boosters (PAP).  This will be the 
3rd flight of an Ariane 4 in the 42P configuration.  It will be launched 
from the Ariane launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou -- French Guiana.
 
The launch vehicle performance requirement for this mission is 3,043 kg 
(6,710 lb), of which 2,968 kg (6,545 lb) represents the satellite mass.
The total vehicle mass at liftoff is 323,161 kg.
 
Required Orbit Characteristics:

  Perigee Altitude ..... 200 km
  Apogee Altitude ...... 27,673 km at injection (prior to PVA)
  Inclination ..........   7 degrees
 
The Ariane 42P lift-off for Flight 54 is scheduled on Thursday October 15,
1992, as soon as possible within the following launch window:
 
     Kourou Time       GMT (10/16/92)    Washington, DC
     21:14 - 22:05     00:14 - 01:05     20:14 - 21:05
 
LAUNCH VEHICLE:
 
Ariane 42P.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with solid fueled 
strap-on boosters.  The first stage (L220) is built by Aerospatiale, and is 
powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines.  The second stage (L33) is built
by MBB Erno and is powered by a single Viking IV engine.  Both the Viking IV
and V engines are manufactured by SEP.  The first and second stages use a 
biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The third stage is built by Aerospatiale and is 
the H10 "plus", with larger fuel tanks and increased performance over past
models.  It uses a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP. The two
strap-on boosters (PAP) are built by BPD and use a solid Flexadrine propellant.
The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 54.5 meters high on the pad.  
It uses the Ariane Short payload fairing.
 
Flight Profile:
 
 +01:31  Solid strap-on booster jettison
 +03:27  First stage separation
 +03:30  Second stage ignition
 +04:35  Fairing jettison
 +05:30  Second stage separation
 +05:43  Third stage ignition
 +18:11  Third stage shutdown / orbit injection
 +20:00  GALAXY VII separation
 +22:46  End of Ariane mission 52
 
Perigee Velocity Augmentation (PVA):
 
PVA is a procedure which optimizes the combined performance of launch 
vehicle and satellite to increase the on-orbit life of the satellite.
For this mission, the Ariane 42P will lift around 280 kg of additional
satellite propellants, to an apogee of 27,600 km instead of the GTO
apogee of 35,975.  The Galaxy VII satellite will use its apogee motor
at the 3rd and 6th perigee to raise the apogee to the altitude normally
used for circularization of the orbit.
 
The on-orbit life increase is due to the fact that the satellite apogee 
motor does not need to propel the dry Ariane 3rd, which will remain in
the lower orbit of 200 x 22,673 km.  This procedure can only be used by
satellites equipped with a liquid bi-propellant apogee motor (which can
be restarted), and whose tank capacity allows fuel in excess of that 
necessary for a standard GTO.  Due to the small inclination of the Ariane
mission (7 degrees), this capacity is often available when the satellites
are built to be launched from sites further away from the equator.  
This combination of HS-601/Ariane 42P/PVA allows an increase of more
than one year of orbital life for the commercial use of the satellite.
 
PAYLOAD:
 
Galaxy VII is the first satellite with a combined C-band and Ku-band
capability in the Galaxy fleet owned by Hughes Communications.  It is
also the first Arianespace launch of the type HS-601 three-axis stabilized
satellite manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Company.
 
  Total mass at lift-off .... 2,968 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,680 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,303 kg     
  On-board power ............ 4,700 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 13.5 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 26.5 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 91 degrees west, over the Galapagos Islands.
 
 Transmission capacity:  

   24/30 Ku-band transponders of 50W each.
   24/30 C-band transponders of 16W each.
 
 In-flight operations:

   Apogee motor ignition for PVA maneuver is at about 24 hrs after launch 
   at the 3rd perigee, and about 60 hrs after launch at the 6th perigee.
 
   First apogee motor firing is at the 12th apogee, about 5 days after 
   launch.  Further firing will be done at 14th and 15th apogee.
 
   Deployment of solar panels .... about 10 days after launch.
 
LAUNCH COVERAGE:
 
All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou. Coverage
begins at 30 minutes before launch and continues until all payloads have 
been deployed.  This mission will likely be carried on Galaxy 6, however
it could end up being located on a different satellite such as Galaxy 2.
 
-{ Dean Adams }-
 

Article: 50440
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite,sci.space
From: dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Subject: Ariane v.54 / Galaxy VII
Sender: usenet@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu (netnews admin account)
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 92 01:23:07 GMT
 
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 54  *rescheduled*
 
The 54th Ariane launch will place the Hughes Communications HS-601
GALAXY VII satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit adapted for
the PVA (Perigee Velocity Augmentation) procedure, using an Ariane 42P
launch vehicle equipped with 2 solid strap-on boosters (PAP).  This
will be the 3rd flight of an Ariane 4 in the 42P configuration.  It
will be launched from the Ariane launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou -
French Guiana. 
 
Due to a payload-related problem, the original launch date was
postponed. The v.54 launch is now scheduled for October 27th, at 7:17
pm (EST). Satellite coverage begins at launch minus 30 minutes. 
Galaxy VI is about the most likely location for the feed.
 
-{ DA }-
 

Article: 51972
Newsgroups: sci.space
From: dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Subject: Ariane v.55 Mission Data
Sender: usenet@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu (netnews admin account)
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 06:20:56 GMT
  
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 55
 
The 55th Ariane launch is scheduled to place the SUPERBIRD-A satellite
into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane 42P launch
vehicle equipped with 2 solid strap-on boosters (PAP).  This is the
4th flight of an Ariane 4 in the 42P configuration.  It will be launched 
from the Ariane launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou -- French Guiana. 
 
The launch vehicle performance requirement for this mission is 2,826
kg, of which 2,780 kg represents the satellite mass.  The total
vehicle mass at liftoff is 320,214 kg. 
 
Required Orbit Characteristics:

  Perigee Altitude ..... 200 km
  Apogee Altitude ...... 35,963 km at injection
  Inclination .......... 7 degrees
 
The Ariane 42P lift-off for Flight 55 is scheduled on Tuesday December 1,
1992, as soon as possible within the following launch window:
 
     Kourou Time       GMT               Washington, DC
     19:48 - 20:39     22:48 - 23:39     17:48 - 18:39
 
LAUNCH VEHICLE:
 
Ariane 42P.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with solid fueled 
strap-on boosters.  The first stage (L220) is built by Aerospatiale, and is 
powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines.  The second stage (L33) is built
by MBB Erno and is powered by a single Viking IV engine.  Both the Viking IV
and V engines are manufactured by SEP.  The first and second stages use a 
biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The third stage is built by Aerospatiale and is 
the H10 "plus", with larger fuel tanks and increased performance over past
models.  It uses a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP. The two
strap-on boosters (PAP) are built by BPD and use a solid Flexadrine propellant.
The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 54.5 meters high on the pad.  
It uses the type 01 Ariane Short payload fairing.
 
Flight Profile:
 
 +01:30  Solid strap-on booster jettison
 +03:28  First stage separation
 +03:30  Second stage ignition
 +04:23  Fairing jettison
 +05:38  Second stage separation
 +05:43  Third stage ignition
 +18:11  Third stage shutdown / orbit injection
 +20:42  SUPERBIRD-A separation
 +20:46  Third stage avoidance maneuver
 +22:23  End of Ariane mission 55 
 
PAYLOAD:
 
Superbird-A is the fourth satellite of a series built by Space Systems/LORAL,
Palo Alto, Ca. for Space Communications Corporation (Mitsubishi Group), Japan.
It will be used for domestic communications purposes.
 
  Total mass at lift-off .... 2,780 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,665 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,155 kg     
  On-board power ............ 3,800 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 10 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 20.3 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 158 degrees east, over the Pacific Ocean
 
 Transmission capacity:  
   Ku-band: 23 transponders (+8 spares) of 36 mhz bandwidth
   Ka-band: 3 transponders of 100 mhz bandwidth
 
 In-flight operations:
   Solar array deployment ....... about 2.5 hours after lift-off
   First apogee motor firing .... about 26 hours after lift-off at 3rd apogee
   Second/third apogee firings .. at 5th and 7th apogee
  
LAUNCH COVERAGE:
 
All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou. 
Coverage begins at 30 minutes before launch and continues until 
all payloads have been deployed.
 
-{ Dean Adams }-
 

Article: 55012
From: etssp@levels.unisa.edu.au
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Ariane Launch Record (1979 to 1992)
Date: 14 Jan 93 10:01:15 +1030
Organization: University of South Australia
 
                  ARIANE LAUNCH RECORD (V1 to V48)
 
 V      Date    Vehicle  Payload
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1  24 Dec 79     1-01  CAT (monitoring)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2* 23 May 80     1-02  CAT, Firewheel, Amsat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3  19 Jun 81     1-03  CAT, Apple, Meteosat
  4  20 Dec 81     1-04  Marecs A (Marecs 1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  5* 10 Sep 82     1-05  Marecs B
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  6  16 Jun 83     1-06  ECS-1, Oscar 10
  7  19 Oct 83     1-07  Intelsat V-F7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  8   5 Mar 84     1-08  Intelsat V-F8
  9  22 May 84     1-09  Spacenet 1
 10   4 Aug 84     3-01  ECS-2, Telecom 1A
 11  10 Nov 84     3-02  Spacenet 2, Marecs C (Marecs 2)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12   8 Feb 85     3-03  Arabsat 1A, Brasilsat S1
 13   8 May 85     3-04  GStar 1, Telecom 1B
 14   2 Jul 85     1-10  Giotto
 15* 12 Sep 85     3-05  Spacenet 3, ECS-3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 16  22 Feb 86     1-11  Spot 1, Viking
 17  28 Mar 86     3-06  GStar 2, Brasilsat S2
 18* 31 May 86     2-01  Intelsat V-F14
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 19  16 Sep 87     3-07  Aussat K3, ECS-4
 20  21 Nov 87     2-02  TV-Sat 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 21  11 Mar 88     3-08  Spacenet 3R/Geostar R01, Telecom 1C
 23  17 May 88     2-03  Intelsat V-F13
 22  15 Jun 88  44LP-01  Meteosat P2, PanAmSat 1, Amsat 3C
 24  21 Jul 88     3-09  ECS-5, Insat 1C
 25   8 Sep 88     3-10  GStar 3/Geostar R02, SBS-5
 26  28 Oct 88     2-04  TDF-1
 27  11 Dec 88  44LP-02  Skynet 4B, Astra 1A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 28  27 Jan 89     2-05  Intelsat V-F15
 29   6 Mar 89  44LP-03  JC Sat-1, MOP-1 (Meteosat 4)
 30   2 Apr 89     2-06  Tele-X
 31   5 Jun 89   44L-01  Superbird 1, DFS-1
 32  12 Jul 89     3-11  Olympus
 33   8 Aug 89  44LP-04  TV-Sat 2, Hipparcos
 34  27 Oct 89   44L-02  Intelsat VI-F2 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 35  22 Jan 90    40-01  Spot 2, Uosat 2/3, Pacsat, Dove, Webersat, Lusat
 36* 22 Feb 90   44L-03  Superbird B, BS-2X
 37  24 Jul 90   44L-04  TDF-2, DFS-2
 38  30 Aug 90  44LP-05  Eutelsat II-F1, Skynet 4C
 39  12 Oct 90   44L-05  SBS-6, Galaxy 6
 40  20 Nov 90   42P-01  Satcom C1, GStar 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 41  15 Jan 91   44L-06  Eutelsat II-F2, Italsat 1
 42   2 Mar 91  44LP-06  Astra 1B, MOP-2
 43   4 Apr 91   44P-01  Anik E2
 44  17 Jul 91    40-02  ERS-1, Datasat X, Tubsat, Uosat F, SARA
 45  14 Aug 91   44L-07  Intelsat VI-F5
 46  26 Sep 91   44P-02  Anik E1
 47  29 Oct 91   44L-08  Intelsat VI-F1
 48  16 Dec 91   44L-09  Telecom 2A, Inmarsat II-F3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Launch failure

                  ARIANE LAUNCH RECORD (V49 to V55)
 
 V      Date    Vehicle  Payload
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 49  27 Feb 92   44L-10  Superbird-B1, Arabsat-1C
 50  15 Apr 92   44L-11  Telecom 2B, Inmarsat II-F4
 51   9 Jul 92   44L-12  Eutelsat II-F4, Insat 2A
 52  10 Aug 92   42P-02  Topex-Poseidon, Kitsat-A, S80/T
 53  10 Sep 92  44LP-07  Hispasat 1A, Satcom C4
 54  28 Oct 92   42P-03  Galaxy VII
 55   1 Dec 92   42P-04  Superbird A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Steven S. Pietrobon,  Australian Space Centre for Signal Processing
Signal Processing Research Institute, University of South Australia
The Levels, SA 5095, Australia.     steven@spri.levels.unisa.edu.au


Article: 55048
From: A6%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: ESA press release
Date: 14 Jan 93 15:59:56 GMT
Sender: news+@cs.cmu.edu
Organization: ESA/ESOC European Space Agency, Operations Centre
 
     Press Release Nr. 01-93
     Paris, 13 Janaury 1993
 
     ESA at the starting blocks of 1993
 
     The calendar of space activities for 1993 is, like every year,
     full of events and activities taking place all over the world.
     ESA will again play a chief role in or will be present at the
     following events at European and at international level.
 
     February
     1st half    Ariane V56: Launch of the American telecommunications
                 satellite Galaxi IV.
     22/02       Meteosat 3: Inauguration of the Wallops Island
                 ground station.
     2nd half    Ariane 5 B1 : First firing test of the Ariane 5
                 solid rocket booster in Kourou.
     end         STS 55/Spacelab D2 : Second German Spacelab
                 mission with heavy ESA involvement.

     March
     12-21       MUBA, Basel -Switzerland: International trade
                 fair and exhibition.
     2nd half    STS 56/Atlas 2 : Follow-up of Atlas-1 mission
                 for atmospheric applications and science.

     April
     t.b.c.      Ariane V57 : Launch of Astra 1C
                 telecommunications satellite with Arsene as
                 seconday passenger.
     end         STS 57/Eureca: Retrieval mission of ESA's
                 Eureca platform.

     May
     t.b.c.      Ariane V58 : Launch of Hispasat 1B and Insat
                 2B telecommunications satellites.
     05-08       Geotechnica, Cologne- Germany:
                 International geotechnology and Earth sciences
                 trade show and congress.
     11-13       Neo-Com 93, Kiev- Ukraine:
                 Telecommunications and information industry
                 fair and conference.
     10-13       SPOT and ERS-1 symposium and exhibition,
                 Paris: The results and applications of these two
                 satellites. Co-organized by ESA and CNES.

     June
     11-20       Le Bourget, Paris- France: Space and Air
                 show. ESA will have a large Pavilion open to the
 
                 general public.
     28/6-3/7    COSY: Columbus Symposium in Ischia
                 (Naples), Italy.
     t.b.c.      Ariane 5 M1: First firing test of solid rocket
                 booster with flight structure in Kourou.

     August
     31/8-5/9    MosAeroshow 93, Moscow- Russia : second
                 Russian aviation and aerospace exhibition.
                 Open to the general public.
     t.b.c.      Ariane: 20 years of the Ariane Programme,
                 decided in Brussels in August 1973.

     September
     11-14       2nd ERS-1 Symposium, Hamburg- Germany.
     t.b.c.      Ariane V59 : Launch of Spot 3 and Stella for
                 France.

     October
     t.b.c.      Ariane V60 : Launch of Intelsat VII-F1
                 telecommunications satellite.
     16-22       IAF, Graz- Austria: Congress and exhibition.
                 The worldwide yearly gathering of space
                 specialists.
     19-23       SITEF, Toulouse- France: International market
                 for advanced technologies.
 
     t.b.c.      ESA Washington Office : 20 years of ESA
                 presence in Washington for close cooperation
                 with NASA.
     t.b.c.      Ariane 5 M2: Second firing test of the Ariane 5 solid
                 rocket booster with flight structure in Kourou.
     t.b.c.      Spacelab: 10th anniversary of ESA's manned
                 space laboratory first launch.

     November
     t.b.c.      Ariane V61/ MOP-3 : Launch of ESA's
                 meteorological satellite Meteosat MOP-3 and the
                 Mexican telecommunications satellite
                 Solidaridad 1.
     t.b.c.      Maser 6 and Texus 31 sounding rocket launch
                 with major ESA payload participation.

     December
     1st half    STS-61/HST servicing : Repair mission of
                 Hubble Space Telescope with ESA astronaut
                 Claude Nicollier on his second shuttle flight.
     t.b.c.      ARIANE V62: launch of DirecTV1 and Thaicom
                 telecommunication satellites.
 
     Dates related to launches are very much dependent on
     different  factors (readiness of spacecraft and/or space
     transportation system/launcher, etc.) and thus remain
 
     t.b.c. (to be confirmed) for quite some time. We will timely
     keep you informed of all these events - and of many more -
     with a constant flow of information.
 
Regards Hermann Schneider
        Network Coordinator
        ESOC (European Space Agency's Operations Centre)

Article: 55326
Date: Wednesday, 20 Jan 1993 14:59:58 CET
From: <JLANDEAU@ESOC.BITNET>
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: ESA internal PR info 01/93
 
                    ******** Ariane V 56  **********
          The first Ariane launch of 1993, flight V56, has now been
          rescheduled for the night from Tuesday 2 to Wednesday 3
          February.

          An Ariane 42P launcher, equipped with two solid strap-on
          boosters, will place into geostationary transfer orbit the
          American telecommunications satellite Galaxy IV.

          The lift-off will take place from the Ariane launch complex
          nr. 2 (ELA 2) in Kourou, French Guiana, as soon as possible
          within the following launch window:

          Kourou time: 21:50 hrs- 22:45 hrs on 2 February
          GMT/UT     : 00:50 hrs- 01:45 hrs on 3 February
          Paris time : 01:50 hrs- 02:45 hrs on 3 February
 

Article: 55510
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite,sci.space
From: dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Subject: Ariane V.56/Galaxy IV Mission Data
Sender: usenet@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu (netnews admin account)
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 93 08:06:42 GMT
 
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 56
 
The 56th Ariane launch is scheduled to place the Hughes Communications 
GALAXY IV satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit adapted for the
PVA (Perigee Velocity Augmentation) procedure, using an Ariane 42P launch
vehicle equipped with 2 solid strap-on boosters (PAP).  This will be the 
3rd flight of an Ariane 4 in the 42P configuration.  It will be launched 
from the Ariane launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou - French Guiana.
 
The launch vehicle performance requirement for this mission is 3,055 kg
of which 2,980 kg represents the satellite mass.  The total vehicle mass
at liftoff is 323,173 kg.
 
Required Orbit Characteristics:

  Perigee Altitude ..... 200 km
  Apogee Altitude ...... 27,673 km at injection (prior to PVA)
  Inclination ..........   7 degrees
 
The flight was delayed due to OPTUS launch failure investigation.
Ariane 42P lift-off for Flight 56 is now scheduled on Tuesday,
February 2, 1993, as soon as possible within the following launch
window: 

     Kourou Time        GMT (01/03/93)      Washington, DC
     21:50 - 22:45      00:50 - 01:45       20:50 - 21:45
 
LAUNCH VEHICLE:
 
Ariane 42P.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with solid fueled 
strap-on boosters.  The first stage (L220) is built by Aerospatiale, and is 
powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines.  The second stage (L33) is built
by MBB Erno and is powered by a single Viking IV engine.  Both the Viking IV
and V engines are manufactured by SEP.  The first and second stages use a 
biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The third stage is built by Aerospatiale and is 
the H10 "plus", with larger fuel tanks and increased performance over past
models.  It uses a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP. The two
strap-on boosters (PAP) are built by BPD and use a solid Flexadrine propellant.
The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 54.5 meters high on the pad.  
It uses the Type 01 Ariane Short payload fairing.
 
Flight Profile:
 
 +01:31  Solid strap-on booster jettison
 +03:27  First stage separation
 +03:30  Second stage ignition
 +04:35  Fairing jettison
 +05:30  Second stage separation
 +05:43  Third stage ignition
 +18:11  Third stage shutdown / orbit injection
 +20:00  GALAXY IV separation
 +20:46  Third stage avoidance maneuver
 +22:46  End of Ariane mission 52
 
Perigee Velocity Augmentation (PVA):
 
The PVA procedure used for the second time by Ariane (after the successful
Flight 54 mission for Galaxy VII) is a method allowing an increase in the
on-orbit life of a satellite by optimizing the combined performance of a
launch vehicle and satellite.  For this mission, the Ariane 42P will lift
around 280 kg of additional satellite propellants.  The resulting apogee,
with respect to standard geostationary orbit, will be 27,600 km instead of
35,975.  The Galaxy IV satellite will use its apogee motor at the 3rd and 6th
perigee to raise the apogee to the altitude normally used for circularization
of the orbit.
 
The on-orbit life increase is due to the optimization of the combined
performances of satellite/launcher.  The 280 kg of additional fuel in the
satellite tanks will to a significant amount remain after the satellite 
has reached the standard transfer orbit.  This will allow the increase of
the on-orbit life over that obtained by a launch directly to the standard
transfer orbit.
 
This procedure can only be used by satellites equipped with a liquid 
bi-propellant apogee motor (which can be restarted), and whose tank 
capacity allows fuel in excess of that necessary for a standard GTO.
Due to the small inclination of the Ariane mission (7 degrees), this 
capacity is often available when the satellites are built to be launched
from sites further away from the equator.  
 
This combination of HS-601/Ariane 42P/PVA allows an increase of more
than one year of orbital life for the commercial use of the satellite.
 
PAYLOAD:
 
Galaxy IV is the second satellite with a combined C-band and Ku-band
capability in the Galaxy fleet owned by Hughes Communications.  It is
also the second Arianespace launch of the HS-601 three-axis stabilized
type satellite manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Company.
 
  Total mass at lift-off .... 2,980 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,692 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,315 kg     
  On-board power ............ 4,700 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 13.5 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 26.5 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 99 degrees west, over the East Pacific Ocean.
 
 Transmission capacity:  
   24/30 Ku-band transponders of 50W each.
   24/30 C-band transponders of 16W each.
 
 In-flight operations:
   Apogee motor ignition for PVA maneuver is at about 24 hrs after launch 
   at the 3rd perigee, and about 60 hrs after launch at the 6th perigee.
 
   First regular apogee motor firing is at the 12th apogee, about 5 days 
   after launch.  Further firing will be done at 14th and 15th apogee.
   Deployment of solar panels is at about 10 days after launch.
 
LAUNCH COVERAGE:
 
All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou. Coverage
begins at 30 minutes before launch and continues until all payloads have 
been deployed.  This mission will likely be carried on Galaxy 6, however
it could end up being located on a different satellite such as Galaxy 2.
 
-{ Dean Adams }-
 

From:	US1RMC::"R4650001@nickel.laurentian.ca" "Andrew Yee, Science North" 
        31-MAY-1993 13:29:16.87
To:	sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:	
Subj:	Projected 1993 Arianespace launches

[From the May 1993 issue (no. 77) of ARIANESPACE NEWSLETTER.]

PROJECTED 1993 ARIANESPACE LAUNCHES

Target date	Flight	Launcher	Satellites

May		56	42L		ASTRA 1C & Arsene
June		57	42P		GALAXY IV
Early July	58	44L		HISPASAT 1B & INSAT 2B
End Aug./Sept.	59	40		SPOT 3 & STELLA + ASAP No. 4 *
Early Oct.	60	44LP		INTELSAT VII F1 **
Early Nov.	61	44L		SOLIDARIDAD 1 & MOP 3
Early Dec.	62	44L		DirecTv & THAICOM 1

*  The fourth ARIANE Structure for Auxiliary Payloads will carry 6 
microsatellites: EyeSat A, B and C, ItamSat, KitSat B & UOSat G.

**  First in the series of INTELSAT VII spacecraft.


From:	US1RMC::"R4650001@nickel.laurentian.ca" "Andrew Yee, Science North" 
        31-MAY-1993 13:29:33.94
To:	sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane 4 production rate: ten per year?

[From the April issue (No. 76) of the ARIANESPACE NEWSLETTER.]

ARIANE 4 production rate: ten per year?

The Arianespace order book makes it necessary to increase launch rates 
in the years to come.  Faster satellite production time means that the delay 
between launch orders and launch dates is becoming shorter and shorter.

This is why Arianespace has set an ambitious goal of carrying out 34 
launches by the end of 1996 (i.e., Flight 89).

To meet this goal, the Operations Department must be able to carry out as 
many launches as possible at the rate of one per month.

But this objective also implies that launcher stages be manufactured at 
appropriate rates.

Within the scope of the P9 production contract, Arianespace is committed 
to order all required equipment for the production of fifty launchers at an 
average rate of 6.25 per year.  The company is currently issuing the first 
orders for the fourth series of ten launchers: Flight 80 to 89.

However, manufacturer and Arianespace's Production Department know 
from experience that great flexibility is required, both to improve customer 
satisfaction and to face potential incidents.  Therefore, they agreed on a 
specific production management plan: twice a year, Arianespace makes 
the best possible assessment of its needs, and manufacturers agree to 
vary their production rates from five to eight launchers per year.  Any such 
change becomes effective nine months after the decision is made.

Thus, in January, 1993, it was decided to increase the production rate 
from seven to eight launchers per year, starting in the second semester of 
1993, to meet new operational objectives.

This new rate will cover our needs through the end of 1995.

If a similar trend is confirmed in 1994, Arianespace and manufacturers will 
study the possibility of increasing production rates to more than nine 
launchers per year, staring in mid-1995 for instance.


From:	US1RMC::"R4650001@nickel.laurentian.ca" "Andrew Yee, Science North" 
        31-MAY-1993 13:29:34.36
To:	sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane's orbital injection accuracy

[From the April issue (No. 76) of the ARIANESPACE NEWSLETTER.]

ARIANE'S ORBITAL INJECTION ACCURACY

The ARIANE launcher features extremely accurate orbital injection, as 
demonstrated by the 50 successful launches carried out to date.

High-precision injection is the result of a combination of factors:

-  very sophisticated navigation, guidance and flight control software,
-  two totally redundant, higher-performance inertial platforms,
-  in-depth pre-flight checks of the platforms for finer adjustment.

During the entire flight, the on-board computer adapts the trajectory to 
projections.  During the second and third stage phases, the flight program 
continually calculates the powered time remaining before injection, several 
times per second.  The program takes into account factors such as 
launcher speed and position, deviations from the targeted point on the 
projected orbit, and the energy remaining at third-stage engine shutdown.

When the time to injection reaches zero, the program orders engine 
shutdown to within a millisecond.  The injection takes place a little over 
one second later.

An orbit close to the optimum orbit saves payload propellant, which means 
longer satellite maneuvering capability at its final working position, i.e., 
its capability to maintain the attitude required for signal transmission, and 
therefore, longer lifetime.

If orbital injection is not very accurate, however, the customer will need to 
use up payload propellant to have the satellite propulsion system correct 
the difference, and this will directly reduce its lifetime in orbit.

To access a launch system's accuracy, it is therefore necessary to know 
both the precision inherent to its design and the accuracy recorded during 
actual flights.

In addition to the resources described above, ARIANE enjoys a seamless 
guided flight (unlike systems with a separate perigee motor) and a 
trajectory without a ballistic phase (unlike systems using launch sites 
further away from the Equator).

The ARIANE User's Manual specifies the system's remarkable accuracy:

-  52 km standard deviation for an apogee of 35,975 km (standard GTO 
[Geostationary Transfer Orbit]).
-  1 km standard deviation for a perigee of 200 km (standard GTO).

A total of 26 ARIANE 4 launches to date shows that the precision actually 
obtained is even better than the Maunal's projections, with deviation of 30 
km for the apogee and 0.5 km for the perigee, i.e., an "inaccuracy" of 
approximately 0.1 to 0.25%!

These results, based on some fifty successful launches over ten years, 
contribute to customers' satisfaction.  Arianespace's launch service allows 
significantly extended satellite life, thus improving return on investment, 
and enabling customers to postpone further investment to replace satellites.

From:	US1RMC::"dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu" "Dean Adams"  2-JUN-1993 00:21:00.62
To:	sci-space-news@uunet.uu.net
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane V.57 / GALAXY IV Mission Summary

ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 57

The 57th Ariane launch is scheduled to place the Hughes Communications 
GALAXY IV satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) adapted for
the PVA (Perigee Velocity Augmentation) procedure, using an Ariane 42P 
launch vehicle equipped with 2 solid strap-on boosters (PAP).  This will
be the 5th flight of an Ariane 4 in the 42P configuration.  It will be 
launched from the Ariane launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou -- French Guiana.

The launch vehicle performance requirement for this mission 
is 3,065 kg of which 2,988 kg represents the satellite mass.
The total vehicle mass at liftoff is 323,181 kg.

Required Orbit Characteristics:
  Perigee Altitude ..... 200 km
  Apogee Altitude ...... 27,673 km at injection (prior to PVA)
  Inclination ..........   7 degrees

The Ariane 42P lift-off for Flight 57 is currently scheduled on Wednesday,
June 9, 1993, as soon as possible within the following launch window:

     Kourou Time       GMT (06/10/93)    Los Angeles
     21:15 - 22:10     00:15 - 01:10     17:15 - 18:10

LAUNCH VEHICLE:

Ariane 42P.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with solid fueled 
strap-on boosters.  The first stage (L220) is built by Aerospatiale, and is 
powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines.  The second stage (L33) is built
by MBB Erno and is powered by a single Viking IV engine.  Both the Viking IV
and V engines are manufactured by SEP.  The first and second stages use a 
biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The third stage is built by Aerospatiale and is 
the H10 "plus", with larger fuel tanks and increased performance over past
models.  It uses a cryogenic LH2/LO2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP. 
The two strap-on boosters (PAP) are built by BPD and use a solid Flexadrine
propellant.  The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 54.5 meters high on
the pad, and it is equipped with the Ariane Short payload fairing (01).

Flight Profile:

 +01:31  Solid strap-on booster jettison
 +03:27  First stage separation
 +03:30  Second stage ignition
 +04:35  Fairing jettison
 +05:30  Second stage separation
 +05:43  Third stage ignition
 +18:11  Third stage shutdown / orbit injection
 +20:00  GALAXY IV separation
 +22:46  End of Ariane mission 57

Perigee Velocity Augmentation (PVA):

PVA is a procedure which optimizes the combined performance of launch 
vehicle and satellite to increase the on-orbit life of the satellite.
For this mission, the Ariane 42P will lift around 280 kg of additional
satellite propellants, to an apogee of 27,600 km instead of the GTO
apogee of 35,975.  The Galaxy IV satellite will use its apogee motor
at the 3rd and 6th perigee to raise the apogee to the altitude normally
used for circularization of the orbit.  This will be the second time the
PVA procedure has been used by Ariane, the first being the successful
Ariane V.54/Galaxy VII mission.

The on-orbit life increase is due to the fact that the satellite apogee 
motor does not need to propel the dry Ariane 3rd stage, which will remain
in the lower orbit of 200 x 22,673 km.  This procedure can only be used by
satellites equipped with a liquid bi-propellant apogee motor (which can
be restarted), and whose tank capacity allows fuel in excess of that 
necessary for a standard GTO.  Due to the small inclination of the Ariane
mission (7 degrees), this capacity is often available when the satellites
are built to be launched from sites further away from the equator.  
This combination of HS-601/Ariane 42P/PVA allows an increase of more
than one year of orbital life for the commercial use of the satellite.

PAYLOAD:

Galaxy IV is the second satellite with a combined C-band and Ku-band
capability in the Galaxy fleet owned by Hughes Communications.  It is
the third Arianespace launch of the type HS-601 three-axis stabilized
satellite manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Company.

  Total mass at lift-off .... 2,988 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,692 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,323 kg     
  On-board power ............ 4,700 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 13.5 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 26.5 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 99 degrees west

 Transmission capacity:  
   24/30 Ku-band transponders of 50W each.
   24/30 C-band transponders of 16W each.

 In-flight operations:
   Apogee motor ignition for PVA maneuver is at about 24 hrs after launch 
   at the 3rd perigee, and about 60 hrs after launch at the 6th perigee.

   First apogee motor firing is at the 12th apogee, about 5 days after 
   launch.  Further firings will be done at 14th and 15th apogee.

   Deployment of solar panels:  about 10 days after launch.

LAUNCH COVERAGE:

All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou. 
Coverage begins at 30 minutes before launch and continues until 
all payloads have been deployed.  This mission will likely be carried
in the US on Galaxy 6 or Galaxy 7, but there is always the possibility
that another satellite could be used.  Live satellite coverage is also
normally provided for Europe.

-{ Dean Adams }-

From:	US1RMC::"dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu" "Dean Adams"  4-JUL-1993 20:35:26.23
To:	sci-space-news@uunet.uu.net
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane Manifest

                   ARIANE LAUNCH MANIFEST  -  JUNE 1993

flight     date       vehicle        payload
------    ------    -----------    -------------------------------------------
 V.58     Jul 21        44L        Hispasat 1B + Insat IIB
 V.59     Sep 93        40         Spot 3 + Stella + ASAP *
 V.60     Oct 93    44LP or 44P    Intelsat VII F1 <or> Telstar 4
 V.61     Nov 93        44LP       Solidaridad 1 + MOP 3
 V.62     Dec 93        44L        DirecTV 1 + Thaicom 1

 V.63     Jan 94        44LP       Eutelsat II F5 + Turksat 1
 V.64     Feb 94        44LP       Intelsat VII F2 <or> F1
 V.65     Mar 94        44L        Solidaridad II + BS-3N
 V.66     Apr 94    44P or 44L     Telstar 4 <or> DirecTV 2 + Thaicom 2
 V.67     May 94        42P        Panamsat 2
 V.68     Jun 94        44LP       Brasilsat B1 + Turksat 2
 V.69     Jul 94    44L or 44LP    DirecTV 2 + Thaicom 2 <or> Intelsat VII F2
 V.70     Aug/Sep       42P        Astra 1D
 V.71     Oct 94        44L        Brasilsat B2 + [Eutelsat II F6 or Telecom 2C]
 V.72     Nov/Dec       42P        Panamsat 3 <or> M-SAT

* Note:  ASAP carries the following microsat payloads:
           Healthsat, Kitsat-B, Posat-1, Eyesat1, Itamsat.

-{ Dean Adams }-

From:	US1RMC::"dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu" "Dean Adams" 17-JUL-1993 09:04:17.24
To:	sci-space-news@uunet.uu.net
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane V.58 Mission Data

ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 58

The 58th Ariane launch is scheduled to place the INSAT 2B and HISPASAT
1B satellites into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an
Ariane 44L launch vehicle equipped with 4 liquid strap-on boosters
(PAL) and the Ariane Dual Launch System (Mini-SPELDA).  It will be the
30rd launch of an Ariane 4 and the 13th in the Ariane 44L configuration.  
It will be launched from the Ariane launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou - 
French Guiana. 

The launch vehicle performance requirement is 4,615 kg, of which 
4141 kg are the combined satellite masses.  The total vehicle mass
at liftoff is 480,529 kg.

Required Orbit Characteristics:

  Perigee Altitude ..... 200 km
  Apogee Altitude ... 35,911 km at injection
  Inclination ............ 7 degrees

The Ariane 44L lift-off for Flight 58 is scheduled on Thursday July 22,
1993, as soon as possible within the following launch window:

     Kourou Time       GMT               Washington, DC
     19:47 - 20:52     22:47 - 23:52     18:47 - 19:52


Launch Vehicle:

Ariane 44L.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with liquid fueled 
strap-on boosters.  The first stage (L220) is built by Aerospatiale, and is 
powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines.  The second stage (L33) is built
by MBB Erno, and is powered by a single Viking IV engine. Both the Viking IV
and V engines are manufactured by SEP.  The first and second stages use a 
biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The third stage (H10) is built by Aerospatiale,
and is powered by a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP. The 
four strap-on boosters are each powered by a Viking VI engine, also built 
by SEP, which use the same biliquid fuel as the first and second stages.  
The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 58 meters high on the pad, and
it is equipped with the Ariane payload fairing type 02.


Flight Profile:

 +02:31  Liquid strap-on booster jettison
 +03:37  First stage separation
 +04:26  Fairing jettison
 +05:43  Second stage separation
 +05:49  Third stage ignition
 +18:16  Third stage shutdown / GTO injection
 +20:53  HISPASAT 1B separation
 +23:54  SPELDA top separation
 +25:55  INSAT 2B separation
 +25:59  Third stage avoidance maneuver
 +29:20  End of Ariane mission 58


Payloads:

INSAT 2B is the second satellite of the second generation of the Insat 
program for the Department of Space of the Indian Government.  It has been
built by ISRO to serve multipurpose domestic needs of the Indian nation.

  Total mass at lift-off .... 1,931 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,187 kg
  Dry mass ..................   911 kg     
  On-board power ............ 1,140 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 9 years     
  On-Orbit position ......... 83 degrees east
 
 Transmission capacity:  
  C-band .... 18 transponders
  S-band .... 2 transponders of 50 W

 In-flight operations:
  Apogee motor firing 1 ..... about 26 hours after lift-off, at 3th apogee
  Apogee motor firing 2 ..... about 58 hours after lift-off, at 5th apogee
  Apogee motor firing 3 ..... about 78 hours after lift-off, at 6th apogee
  Solar array deployment .... about 31 hours after last apogee firing  
  East antenna reflector deploy ... 14 hours later
  West antenna reflector deploy ... 10 hours later
  Solar sail deployment ............ 1 hour later


HISPASAT 1B is the second model of the first generation of
telecommunications spacecraft for HISPASAT.  It is built under
the main contractorship of MATRA MARCONI SPACE Toulouse, France.
The operational on-orbit location will be 7 degrees east.

  Total mass at lift-off .... 2,210 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,330 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,052 kg     
  On-board power ............ 4,700 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 10 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 22.3 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 30 degrees west

 Transmission capacity:  
   2 channels (110W), Spain to American coverage
   2 channels for America to Spain coverage
   2 X-band transponders
   8 Ku-band transponders (55W)

 In-flight operations:
  East antenna deployment ... about 7 hours after lift-off
  Apogee motor firing 1 ..... about 37 hours after lift-off, at 4th apogee
  Apogee motor firing 2 ..... about 92 hours after lift-off, at 8th apogee
  Apogee motor firing 3 ..... about 157 hours after lift-off, at 11th apogee
  Solar array deployment .... about 183 hours after lift-off


Launch coverage:

All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou. 
Coverage begins at 30 minutes before launch, and continues until 
all payloads have been deployed.  

-{ Dean Adams }-

From:	US3RMC::"dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu" "Dean Adams" 16-SEP-1993 13:40:18.51
To:	sci-space-news@uunet.uu.net
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane V.59 Mission Data

ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 59

The 59th Ariane launch is scheduled to place the SPOT 3 satellite, the
STELLA satellite, and 5 auxiliary payloads: EYESAT, ITAMSAT, POSAT, KITSAT,
and HEALTHSAT into a sunsynchronous orbit using an Ariane 40 launch vehicle 
with the ASAP (Ariane Structure for Auxiliary Payloads).  This will be the 
31st launch of an Ariane 4 and the 3rd in the Ariane 40 configuration.  
It will be launched from the Ariane launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou - 
French Guiana.

The launch vehicle performance requirement is 2,357 kg, of which 
2,118 kg represent the combined satellite masses.  The total vehicle
mass at liftoff is 239,784 kg.

Required Orbit Characteristics:

  Perigee Altitude ..... 794 km
  Apogee Altitude ...... 813 km at injection
  Inclination ........... 99 degrees

The Ariane 40 lift-off for Flight 59 is scheduled on Friday, September 24,
as soon as possible within the following launch window:

     Kourou Time       GMT (09/25)       Washington, DC
     22:27 - 22:45     01:27 - 01:45     21:27 - 21:45


Launch Vehicle:

Ariane 40.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with no strap-on
boosters.  The first stage (L220) is built by Aerospatiale, and is powered
by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines.  The second stage (L33) is built by 
MBB Erno, and is powered by a single Viking IV engine. Both the Viking IV
and V engines are manufactured by SEP.  The first and second stages use a 
biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The third stage (H10) is built by Aerospatiale,
and is powered by a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP.
The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 55 meters high on the pad, 
and it is equipped with the Ariane payload fairing type 01.


Flight Profile:

 +02:39  First stage separation
 +03:48  Fairing jettison
 +04:48  Second stage separation
 +04:53  Third stage ignition
 +16:44  Third stage shutdown / orbit injection
 +17:17  SPOT 3 separation
 +20:39  STELLA separation
 +22:56  KITSAT, POSAT, HEALTHSAT separation
 +24:27  EYESAT, ITAMSAT separation
 +26:34  Third stage avoidance maneuver
 +29:00  End of Ariane mission 59


Payloads:

SPOT 3 is an earth observation satellite designed by CNES on behalf 
of SPOT Image and built in France with Belgian and Swedish partners.

  Total mass ................ 1,907 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,749 kg     
  On-board power ............ 1,000 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 3 years 
  Span of solar panels ...... 8.1 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 822 km polar orbit

STELLA, built by CNES, is a geodetic satellite.  Passive and 
autonomous, it is mounted under SPOT 3, inside the payload adapter.

  Total mass at lift-off ....  90 kg
  On-Orbit mass .............  48 kg
  On-board power ............ none
  Nominal lifetime .......... >2000 years     
  Size of satellite ......... 240 mm sphere
  On-Orbit position ......... 800 km orbit

HEALTHSAT-1 is a 50 kg satellite built by SSTL (UK) for Satelife (USA).
Its mission will be to distribute information to medical schools,
universities, and hospitals in Africa.

POSAT-1 is a 50 kg satellite built by SSTL (UK), for LNETI (Portugal).
Its mission is to receive and transmit images, determine its position
using GPS, make radiation measurements, and receive and forward messages.

KITSAT-B is a 50 kg satellite built by KAIST (Korea) for SATREC (Korea).
Its mission is to take CCD pictures, process numerical information, 
measure radiation, and receive and forward messages.

EYESAT-A is a 12.5 kg was built by Interferometrics (USA).  Its 
mission is experimental monitoring of mobile industrial equipment.

ITAMSAT is a 12 kg satellite built by Interferometrics (USA), for ARI
(Italy). Its mission is to store and forward Amateur Radio messages.


Launch coverage:

All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou. 
Coverage begins at 30 minutes before launch, and continues until 
all payloads have been deployed.  

-{ Dean Adams }-

From:	US1RMC::"R4650001@nickel.laurentian.ca" "Andrew Yee, Science North" 
        29-SEP-1993 22:07:12.34
To:	sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:	
Subj:	Arianespace Flights 57 and 58: Two successful launches in less
        than a month.

[From the September 1993 issue (no. 80) of ARIANESPACE NEWSLETTER.]

ARIANESPACE FLIGHTS 57 AND 58: TWO SUCCESSFUL LAUNCHES IN LESS THAN A MONTH

Flight 57: GALAXY IV

On June 24 at 12:18 a.m. (GMT), Arianespace placed into orbit the 
GALAXY IV telecom satellite for US Hughes Communications Inc.  
Europe's Ariane 42P launcher, equipped with two solid strap-on boosters, 
lifted off from the Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.

Commenting on the mission, Arianespace Chairman Charles Bigot said: 
"This evening's launch, initially scheduled for earlier this year, was 
postponed to allow checks, first on the satellite and then on the launcher.  
Tonight's success validates Hughes and Arianespace's prudent and 
professional approach during the launch campaign, while illustrating the 
ongoing reciprocal adaptability between Arianespace and our customers.  
If we are to handle five more launches by the end of the year, we must be 
able to maintain operational control over such events.  We look forward to 
seeing you again in less than a month for Flight 58!"

Provisional parameters at third-stage injection into geostationary orbit 
were: perigee, 199.9 km for a target of 199.8 km; apogee, 27,668 km for a 
target of 27,673 km; inclination, 7.03 degrees for a target of 7 degrees.

The Perigee Velocity Augmentation (PVA) procedure, which will extend the 
satellite's life in orbit by more than a year, was used for the second time.

GALAXY IV is the third HS 601 body-stabilized model developed by 
Hughes Aircraft Company to be launched by Arianespace.  Weighing 
2,988 kg at liftoff, GALAXY IV will be positioned above the eastern Pacific, 
and will provide telecommunications, television and data transmission 
services for more than 13 years.

Flight 58: HISPASAT 1B and INSAT IIB

On July 22, Arianespace launched HISPASAT 1B, Spain's second 
telecommunications satellite, and INSAT IIB, the third Indian multimission 
satellite carried into orbit by the European launcher.

The launch from the Space Centre in Kourou came just 28 days after 
Flight 57.  The Ariane 44L launcher, equipped with four liquid strap-on 
boosters, lifted off at 10:58 p.m. (GMT).

At the end of the mission, Charles Bigot said: "With three successful 
launches in three months, Arianespace shows its commitment and ability 
to fulfill its customers' requirements.  We are pleased to have contributed 
to the consolidation of the HISPASAT system, which serves Spain and 
South America.  We are also extremely gratified by the loyalty of our 
Indian customer ISRO, for which we have launched a third satellite.  
Tonight's successful launch confirms ISRO's confidence in Arianespace."

Provisional parameters at third-stage injection into geostationary orbit 
were: perigee, 200.3 km for a target of 199.7 km; apogee, 35,957 km for a 
target of 35,991 km; inclination, 6.96 degrees for a target of 6.99 degrees.

HISPASAT 1B is the second first-generation HISPASAT satellite.  Prime 
contractor for the spacecraft was Matra Marconi Space (Toulouse, 
France).  With a mass at liftoff of 2,210 kg, it will provide 
telecommunications services (voice telephony and data communications) 
for Spain, the Canary Island and Latin America.

INSAT IIB is the second satellite in the second-generation of the Indian 
government's INSAT program.  The spacecraft was built in Bangalore for 
the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and will be used to meet 
India's domestic needs.  The multimission satellite, with a mass at liftoff 
of 1,931 kg, will provide telecommunications, weather, search and rescue 
and educational services.

From:	US1RMC::"R4650001@nickel.laurentian.ca" "Andrew Yee, Science North" 
        31-OCT-1993 03:22:29.15
To:	sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane Flight 59 a success

[From the October 1993 issue (No. 81) of ARIANESPACE NEWSLETTER.]

FLIGHT 59 A SUCCESS

During the night of September 25-26, 1993, at 1:45 a.m. (GMT),
Arianespace placed into orbit SPOT 3, the third French Earth
observation satellite, as well as a scientific satellite called STELLA
and five auxiliary passengers. 

The launch vehicle was an Ariane 40, a version of Europe's launcher
without strap-on boosters. 

Provisional parameters at third-stage injection into sun-synchronous
orbit were: perigee, 791 km for a target of 794 km; apogee, 814 km for
a target of 813 km; inclination, 98.70 degrees for a target of 98.74
degrees. 

Weighing 1,907 kg at liftoff, SPOT 3 is the third Earth observation
satellite of CNES, the French space agency.  Prime contractor Matra
Marconi Space leads a manufacturing team of French, Belgian and
Swedish partners.  SPOT 3 ensures the continuity of this family's
high-resolution optical observation services, including stereo imaging
capability. 

Launched towards the North, the Ariane 40 launcher also carried
STELLA, a CNES space geodetic satellite dedicated to orbitography
measurements, and five additional passengers: EYESAT A (USA),
HEALTHSAT 1 (UK-USA), ITAMSAT (Italy), KITSAT B (Korea), and POSAT 1
(Portugal). 

As of September 26, following Flight 59, Arianespace's backlog stood
at 40 satellites to be launched, worth approximately $3.1 billion. 

From:	US1RMC::"R4650001@nickel.laurentian.ca" "Andrew Yee, Science North" 
        12-NOV-1993 00:19:02.51
To:	sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane Flight 60: INTELSAT VII F1

[From the October 1993 issue (No. 81) of ARIANESPACE NEWSLETTER.]

FLIGHT 60: INTELSAT VII F1

F1 will be the first in the new series of seven INTELSAT VII
satellites, five of which are to be launched by Arianespace. 

Main characteristics

Customer		Intelsat
Manufacturer		Space Systems/Loral
Model			FS-1300
Stabilization		3-axis
Dimensions:
  * height		2.70 m
  * width		2.20 m
  * length		2.45 m
  * deployed in orbit	21.8 m
Mass at liftoff		3,756 kg
Power 			5kW (beginning of life)
Payload:
  * 26 C-band transponders
  * 10 Ku-band transponders equivalent to 18,000 circuits and 3 TV channels
Design life	 	>11 years
Orbital position	174 degrees East
Mission			telecommunications

Launch campaign

INTELSAT VII F1 arrived in the S1B building on September 15 for
mechanical preparation and subsystem and performance checks.  The
satellite will be transferred to the S3B building on September 29 for
fueling operations. 

Launcher preparation began ahead of schedule, August 25, during the
interruption of the Flight 59 campaign, to minimize the impact of the
launch delay.  The first, second and third stages were erected on
August 25, 26 and September 1, respectively.  Dynamic guidance and
overall checks were carried out on September 10.  After preparation
for the transfer to the launch zone, the launcher was "put to sleep"
on September 13. 

Flight 60 operations should be resumed on October 4, and launch is
scheduled for the night of October 21, 1993. 

From:	US1RMC::"R4650001@nickel.laurentian.ca" "Andrew Yee, Science North" 
        30-NOV-1993 14:29:21.98
To:	sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane flight 60 places first INTELSAT VII in orbit

[From the November 1993 (No. 82) issue of ARIANESPACE NEWSLETTER.]

FLIGHT 60 PLACES FIRST INTELSAT VII IN ORBIT

On October 22, 1993, just 26 days after Flight 59, Arianespace launched 
the first model of a new generation of satellites, INTELSAT 701.  The 
Ariane 44LP launcher, fitted with two solid and two liquid-propellant 
boosters, lifted off at 6:46 a.m. (GMT) from the Space Center in Kourou.

Provisional parameters at third-stage injection into geostationary transfer 
orbit were: perigee, 200 km for a target of 199.9 km; apogee, 35,939 km 
for a target of 35,790 km; inclination, 7 degrees for a target of 6.98 
degrees.

INTELSAT 701 is the first of a new generation of telecommunications 
satellites developed by Space Systems/Loral (California) for Intelsat, the 
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization.

With a lift-off mass of 3,650 kg, INTELSAT 701 will provide international 
telephone links, TV program and video transmission services for the Asia-
Pacific region.

Commenting on this successful 60th mission, Arianespace Chairman and 
CEO said: "Nearly four years to the day after the successful launch of the 
first giant INTELSAT VI satellite, today the first INTELSAT VII enjoys an 
Arianespace launch.  We are pleased and proud to confirm our role as the 
leading supplier of launch services for the prestigious Intelsat organization.  
Furthermore, this is the first of seven launches that Intelsat has booked 
with us over the next three years.  The next is scheduled for Flight 64, in 
just four months."

			*	*	*

FLIGHT 61 PASSENGERS

Meteosat 6 is an Earth imaging satellite dedicated to meteorology, 
collecting and transmission of Meteosat data and retransmission of 
images from other spacecraft.  Solidaridad 1, Mexico's first 
telecommunications satellite, will provide multiple services: telephone, 
television, data transmission and mobile communications.

Launch campaign

The first of Flight 61's passengers, METEOSAT 6, arrived in Guiana on 
September 27.  After three weeks of preparation (including subsystem 
electrical checks and antenna installion), the satellite was filled in 
hydrazine in the S3A building.  Preparations will end with the integration of 
the apogee kick motor on November 2.

The preparation of the second passenger, SOLIDARIDAD 1, was 
optimized by manufacturer HSC, allowing operations to begin directly in 
the S3B filling building.  Combined operations are to begin November 8.

The Ariane 44LP preparation started on October 13.  The transfer to the 
launch zone is scheduled for November 3, with launch programmed for the 
night of November 19.


			METEOSAT 6		SOLIDARIDAD 1

Customer		ESA/ESTEC,		Telecomunicaciones
			for Eumetsat		de Mexico

Manufacturer		Aerospatiale		Hughes Space Com. Co.

Mass at lift-off	682 kg			2,776 kg
  in orbit
  (start of life)	316 kg			1,672 kg
Dimensions
  main body		2.1 m (diameter)	3.4 m x 2.8 m
  height		3.1 m			3.8 m
  deployed in orbit	--			21 m

Stabilization		rotation		3-axis

Power (end of life)	225 W			2,480 W

Design life		5 years			12 years

Payload			* image radiometer	Transponders:
			* S-band transponder	* 12 in C-band, 36-MHz
			* UHF transponder	* 16 in Ku-band, 54-MHz
			* 3 in L-band, 34-MHz

Orbital position	0 degree		109.2 degrees West
			(Gulf of Guinea)

			*	*	*

ARIANESPACE'S BACKLOG

Following Flight 60, as of October 22, 1993, Arianespace's backlog stood 
at 39 satellites to be launched, worth approximately $3 billion.

From:	US1RMC::"ESAPRESS@ESOC.BITNET" "ESAPRESS list" 13-DEC-1993 21:16:35.46
To:	sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane - Flight 62 [ESA Release Internal note 18-93]

Paris, 13 December 1993
ESA PR Internal note Nr. 18-93

Ariane - Flight 62

The next Ariane launch (V62) is scheduled for 17 December 1993 between
22h27 and 23h13, Kourou time ; 02h27 and 03h13, Paris time (on 18 December). 

The purpose of flight 62 is to place in geostationary transfer orbit
the television satellite Direct TV D1 for the benefit of the American
company Hughes Communications and THAICOM 1, telecommunication
satellite for the Shinawatra Satellite Corporation Ltd., Thailand. 

    Bonjour,
     LAst night, Ariane 63 failed to lauch 2 satellites (Eutelsat and
    Turksat). The third motor light upo correctly but after 5 mn, it
    stopped for unknown reasons and Ariane felt down from an altitude of
    190 km. This is the first failure for 26 lauches and four years. the
    lauch schedule will be modified but we don't know how.
    
      Ciao,
       jef
    

Article 1005 of clari.tw.space:
Path: jac.zko.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!looking!clarinews
From: clarinews@clarinet.com (UPI)
Newsgroups:
clari.news.gov.international,clari.tw.space,clari.news.europe,clari.tw.telecom,c
lari.news.law.investigation
Subject: Turbocharger suspected in Ariane failure
Keywords: international, non-usa government, government, space, science,
	satellite, media, legal investigations, legal
Copyright: 1994 by UPI, R
Message-ID: <france-arianeURc00_4JP@clarinet.com>
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Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 10:03:22 PST
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	PARIS (UPI) -- Initial inquiries into the failure of Europe's 63rd
Ariane rocket to reach orbit with two satellites aboard after launch
from French Guiana pointed Tuesday to an engine turbocharger breakdown.
	The two satellites, one European, the other Turkish, fell into the
Atlantic Ocean after the rocket began to lose height five minutes after
launch Monday night.
at and
Eutelsat satellites, has not yet been revealed but the launch was
insured for $356 million.
	A full inquiry is expected to take several weeks.
	Monday's failure was the sixth since the first Ariane launch in 1979.
The last was four years ago when the rocket exploded at an altitude of
10 miles, destroying the two Japnese satellites on board.
	Arianespace, which has 70 percent of the world market in satellite
launches, was due to schedule a record 30 flights over the next three
years but following Monday's setback no further launches are expected
for at least four months.

From:	US1RMC::"ESAPRESS@ESOC.BITNET" "ESAPRESS list" 26-JAN-1994 01:33:40.87
To:	sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:	
Subj:	Ariane Flight 63 - Launch failure [ESA PR Internal Note 02-94]

ESA PR Internal Note Nr.02-94
Paris, 25 January 1994

Ariane Flight 63 - Launch failure

After a nominal take-off of the Ariane 44 LP vehicle at 18h37 Kourou
time (22h37 Paris time) and a normal performance of the first and
second stages, the third stage motor ignited and functioned normally
for more than one minute. 

An interruption of the third stage subsequently led to the loss of the
launcher. 

Full procedures are already underway for the first analysis of the
telemetry readings. 

A multiplex press conference is organised for today, Tuesday 25
January in Kourou at 10h00 local time (14h00 Paris time at the
Arianespace Headquarters in Evry, France). 

Article: 3755
From: clarinews@clarinet.com (Reuters)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.world.europe.western
Subject: European space launches seen resuming in May
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 94 13:30:00 PST
 
	 PARIS, Feb 18 (Reuter) - The European Arianespace company
said on Friday it had identified the fault that caused an Ariane
rocket to crash shortly after lift-off last month, adding it hoped to
resume launches in late May after corrective measures. 

	 Arianespace chairman Charles Bigot said an inquiry had
established the cause of a shutdown of the rocket's third stage on
January 24 that sent it plunging into the Atlantic with the loss of
Turkish and European telecommunications satellites. 

	 It was the first time a rocket belonging to Ariane, world
leader in the commercial satellite market, had failed in 26 launches.
The Ariane 4 rocket exploded seven minutes after launch from French
Guiana. 

	 Two communications satellites built by France's Aerospatiale
-- Turksat-1 and Eutelsat 2-F5 -- were lost. They were estimated to be
worth over 300 million dollars. 

	 The fault lay in insufficient cooling of liquid oxygen fuel
which led to the overload of a key bearing in the oxygen turbo-pump,
Arianespace said. 

	 The panel recommended technical changes to reduce the strain
on the bearing, which they said would be tested at a test bench at
Belgium's University of Liege. 

	 ``This comprehensive action plan will enhance the reliability
of the Ariane launcher, which remains at a very high level following
Flight 63,'' a company statement said. 

	 ``The plan will enable Arianespace to resume launches under
conditions of total security in order to serve its customers.
Resumption of flights is targeted for the end of May. This date will
be confirmed following qualification of the modifications,'' it said. 

	 Bigot said last month's failure was not having any effect on
his company's business. ``I in no way feel that our clients are waiting 
until the resumption of our launches to sign firm launch contracts,'' he said. 

	 Last week the Washington-based INTELSAT, the world's largest
commercial satellite operator signed contracts with Ariane for the
launch of two telecommunications satellites. 

	 Arianespace has 39 satellites on order to be launched worth
2.9 million dollars. Its success rate had exceeded 95 percent. 

From: MAILRP@ESA.bitnet
Newsgroups: sci.space.news
Subject: Incident during Ariane-5 Vulcain engine test [ESA Release 11-94]
Date: 14 Apr 1994 05:54:49 -0700
Organization: European Space Agency
Sender: daemon@news.arc.nasa.gov
 
Paris, 13 April 1994                        No.11-94
Joint ESA-CNES Press Release
 
Incident during Ariane-5 Vulcain engine test
 
On 11 April 1994 at 1534 hours, an incident occurred during
Vulcain engine development testing.  Fifteen seconds into the
second test on the M6-R1 revalidated prototype on the PF50
stand at SEP (Vernon), a fire broke out at the site of the liquid
oxygen turbopump.
 
The test management system operated perfectly, triggering a
safety shutdown.  Initial inspection showed considerable damage
to the LOX turbopump as well as to various engine and stand
equipment and cables.
 
Analysis of the measurements recorded and inspection of the
hardware are under way with a view to determining what caused
the incident.  Any consequences for the programme, as indicated
by the findings, will be clarified within a fortnight.
 
This was the 180th Vulcain engine test.  Since the programme
started, these tests have clocked up a cumulative burntime of
44730 seconds, using 13 engines.   One such engine, the M8,
which conforms to the flight definition, has undergone 10000
seconds of testing, which is over 15 times the nominal flight
burntime.
 
The Ariane-5 development programme is directed by the
European Space Agency, with CNES as prime contractor; the
Vulcain engine is being developed at SEP, in conjunction with
a number of European firms.

From:	GEMVAX::US4RMC::"ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de" "ESAPRESS list" 
        30-MAY-1994 12:43:39.26
To:	Multiple recipients of list ESAPRESS <ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de>
CC:	
Subj:	 Ariane 5 Vulcain

Joint ESA-CNES Press Release               No 15-94

Paris, 24 May 1994

Tests on the Ariane-5 programme's Vulcain engine continue

An incident occurred on 11 April 1994 during a test on revalidated
Vulcain engine M6-R1, carried out on SEP's PF50 teststand at Vernon
(France) - see ESA-CNES Joint Press Release No 11-94. 

Investigation of the incident has established that friction between
the impeller and the casing of the oxygen turbopump caused a fire
inside the pump, which burst as a result of the consequent pressure
build-up. 

In view of the fact that the definition of flight-standard oxygen
turbopumps minimises the risk of such an occurrence, tests were able
to continue on DFVLR's teststand at Lampoldshausen (Germany) after the
necessary checks. Testing on SEP's stand at Vernon will resume in
August 1994 once the test unit has been repaired. 

For tests on the cryogenic battleship stage in Guiana, it has been
decided to use an engine fitted with a flight-standard oxygen
turbopump.  In view of the current stage reached in preparations for
the battleship test campaign, the change of engine will not affect the
starting date for the tests, which are scheduled to begin in mid-July 1994. 

The date of the first Ariane-5 qualification flight (501), scheduled
for October 1995, should not be affected. 

The Ariane-5 development programme is carried out under the direction
of ESA, which has delegated prime-contractorship to CNES.  The Vulcain
engine is being developed under the direction of SEP in collaboration
with a number of European firms. 


Press Release Nr.16-94
Paris, 30 May 1994

Ulf Merbold selected as ESA Astronaut for EUROMIR 94

ESA's Director General, Mr. Jean-Marie Luton has announced today,
Monday 30 May 1994, during a press conference at the ILA'94 Berlin
Airshow the selection of Ulf Merbold as member of the Crew scheduled
to fly for the EUROMIR 94 mission in October this year. 

Following a preparatory phase at the ESA's Astronauts Centre (EAC) in
Cologne (Germany) and the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Centre
(ZPK) near Moscow (Russia), Pedro Duque and Ulf Merbold had been
selected in January this year to train for the EUROMIR 94 flight,
while Christer Fuglesang and Thomas Reiter are preparing for the
EUROMIR 95 mission (see Press Release Nr.02-94 and Information Note
Nr.02-94). 

The 30 days EUROMIR 94 mission is scheduled for launch on 3 October
1994 and will carry on-board the Russian Space Station MIR about 30
experiments of scientists from ESA Member States. 

With ESA astronaut Ulf Merbold, the Russian cosmonauts for this
EUROMIR 94 mission are Mr. Aleksandr Viktorenko, Commander (who will
be thus doing his fourth flight on-board the MIR station) and Mrs.
Elena Kondakova, Engineer. The second crew, which was trained in
parallel and ready to fly in case of problems with a member of the
first one, is composed of ESA astronaut Pedro Duque and cosmonauts J.
Gidsenko and S. Avdejew. 

About 3 weeks before the launch, the flight readiness of both crews
will be assessed and "prime and back-up" crews nominated. 

The ESA astronaut on-board the MIR station will act as "Research
Cosmonaut", fully responsible for the experimental programme and for
selected tasks to be performed on some systems of Soyuz and MIR. He
will be involved in the final mission preparation, mission execution
and post mission activities. The back-up ESA astronaut will also have
an active role in the experimental programme by insuring communication
flow and experiment performance as Crew Interface Coordinator at the
Mission Control Centre in Kaliningrad, Russia. 

Ulf Merbold has already flown twice as ESA astronaut with the Space
Shuttle (STS-9/Spacelab-1 in 1983 and STS-42/IML-1 in 1992). Moreover,
he has supported two Shuttle missions from the ground: in 1984 as
Back-up Payload Specialist and Crew Interface Coordinator during D-1;
in 1993 as Science Coordinator of D-2. 

Pedro Duque was selected by the European Space Agency in 1992. After
completion of his basic training at the European Astronaut Centre and
at the Cosmonauts Training Centre in Star City, he was certified as
European Astronaut in December 1993. 

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From:	GEMVAX::US4RMC::"ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de" "ESAPRESS list" 
        17-JUN-1994 05:51:09.25
To:	Multiple recipients of list ESAPRESS <ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de>
CC:	
Subj:	 Ariane V64 launch

Paris 17 June 1994
ESA PR Internal Note Nr.05-94

Successful launch of Ariane V64

The 64th ariane flight (V64) successfully took place today. 
Lift-off occurred at 04h07, Kourou time (09h07, Paris time). 

The telecommunications satellite Intelsat 702 was properly placed in
Geostationary Transfer Orbit 20 minutes after lift-off. Five minutes
later, the small satellites STRV 1A & 1B were also injected into orbit. 

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From:	GEMVAX::US4RMC::"ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de" "ESAPRESS list"  
        5-JUL-1994 06:56:37.63
To:	Multiple recipients of list ESAPRESS <ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de>
CC:	
Subj:	 

Paris 5 July 1994
ESA PR Internal Note Nr.06-94

Ariane flight V65 : Launch of PanAmSat 2 and BS-3N

The 65th Ariane launch (V65) is scheduled to take place on Friday 8
July 1994. An Ariane 44L launch vehicle (version with 4 liquid
strap-on boosters) will place into geostationary transfer orbit the
PanAmSat 2 and the BS-3N telecommunications satellites. 

The launch window opens at 19h42 and closes at 20h27, Kourou time
(22h42 - 23h27 GMT; 00h42 - 01h27 Paris time on 9 July). 

The PanAmSat 2 is the first of the PanAmSat second generation
satellites and will ensure US communications and video over the
Pacific Ocean region. 

BS-3N will ensure the continuation of the direct to home TV services
for NHK/JSB in Japan. 


Press Release Nr.20-94
Paris, 4 July 1994

ESA/Greece Cooperation Agreement

A Cooperation Agreement between the European Space Agency (ESA), and
the Government of Greece was signed today in Athens by the Greek
Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, Mr. G. Simitis and Mr.
J.-M. Luton, ESA's Director General and in the presence of Mr. J.
Charalambous, Minister of Transport and Communications. 

This Agreement, covering cooperation on the exploration and use of
outer space for peaceful purposes, is an expression of ESA's political
desire for opening and expanding the cooperation to other European
States.  It mentions a number of activities, such as regular exchanges
of information, visits, the award of fellowships, joint symposia,
mutual access to databases and laboratories, studies on joint projects
in fields of mutual interest and describes a mechanism for selecting
and executing projects of common interest. The Agreement is concluded
for a period of five years with the possibility to be renewed. 

ESA has established since a number of years fruitful contacts with the
Hellenic National Space Committee and has recently agreed to provide
the Greek Ministry of Transports and Communications with consultancy
support to the Hellas-Sat project. 

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From:	US4RMC::"elizondo@pogo.den.mmc.com" "Eduardo L Elizondo"  1-AUG-1994 
To:	usenet-space-news@arc.nasa.gov
CC:	
Subj:	BS-3N launched 8 Jul 1994

The Martin Marietta Astro BS-3N spacecraft was successfully launched
from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana on Friday, July
8, 1994 by an Ariane 44L launcher. Liftoff occured at 23:06 GMT (20:06
Kourou time) and the spacecraft was injected into Geosynchronous
Transfer Orbit at 23:31 GMT. The Astro ground station at Guam acquired
spacecraft telemetry at 24:05 GMT and all spacecraft parameters appear
nominal. 

BS-3N is a Martin Marietta Astro Space Series 3000 platform design
carrying three active 120-Watt transponders to transmit direct
broadcasting television programming to Japan. It will be operated
jointly by NHK - the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, and Japan
Satellite Broadcasting, Inc. Key spacecraft characteristics are as
follows: 

Orbit location:        100 deg East longitude
Coverage:              Japan and its surrounding islands
Launch Weight:         1210 kg
Design Life:           7 years
Antennas:              2 fixed, circularly polarized,
                        offset paraboloid reflectors:
                          (1) 0.5m 17 GHz receive
                          (1) 1.7x0.8m 12 GHz transmit
Transponders:          (3) 120-Watt TWTAs in a 6-for-3 redundancy
                        configuration
Power System:          35 volt - direct energy transfer
  Solar Array:         6 panels, 15.4m tip-to-tip
  Energy Storage:      (2) 22-cell Nickel-Hydrogen batteries with
                        independent, redundant chargers
Propulsion:
  Injection:           Solid apogee kick motor
  Stationkeeping:      12 reaction engine assemblies
                       4 electrothermal hydrazine thrusters
                       Monopropellant (hydrazine) fuel
                       Stationkeeping accuracy: +/- 0.1 deg
Attitude Control:
  Transfer orbit:      Spin stabilized
  Mission:             Three-axis momentum bias stabilized
                       Redundant momentum wheels
                       Magnetic torquer with thruster backup
                       Nominal pointing accuracy: +/- 0.1 deg

Martin Marietta Astro Space and its predecessor organizations - GE Space
Systems Division, RCA Astro Electronics Division and GE Astro Space, have
supplied all five previous direct broadcast satellites to Japan since the
world's first direct broadcast satellite, BSE (YURI), was launched in 1978.

For recorded status information call:  1-609-490-3800
For additonal information contact:     Laura Eberle 1-609-490-2298

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Eduardo (Ed) Elizondo        + Internet:  eelizondo@astro.dnet.ge.com  +
+ Martin Marietta Astro Space  +                                         + 
+ PO Box 800 - MS TR-4D        +    voice:  1-609-490-3122               +
+ Princeton, NJ 08543-0800     +      fax:  1-609-490-6472               +
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From:	GEMVAX::US4RMC::"ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de" "ESAPRESS list"  
        4-AUG-1994 15:30:51.74
To:	Multiple recipients of list ESAPRESS <ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de>
CC:	
Subj:	 

Paris  4 August 1994
ESA PR Internal Note Nr. 07-94

Ariane flight V66: Launch of Brasilsat B1 and Turksat 1B

The 66th Ariane launch (V66) is scheduled to take place in the night
from 10 to 11 August 1994. An Ariane 44LP (the Ariane 4 version
equipped with 2 liquid and two solid propellant strap- on boosters)
will place into geostationary transfer orbit the Brasilsat B1 and
Turksat 1B telecommunication satellites. 

The launch window opens at  19h52 and closes at 20h35, Kourou time on
10 August (22h52-23h35 GMT; 00h52-01h35 Paris time on 11 July). 

The Brasilsat B1 satellite will ensure telecommunications services
over Brasil for Embratel Communications while Turksat will provide
telecommunications, television and data transmissions in Turkey,
Europe and central Asia for the Turkish Ministry of Post and
Telecommunications. 

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From:	GEMVAX::US4RMC::"ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de" "ESAPRESS list" 
        22-AUG-1994 11:42:41.88
To:	Multiple recipients of list ESAPRESS <ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de>
CC:	
Subj:	 

Press Release No.22-94
Paris, 18 August 1994

ERS-2 day at ESA/ESTEC on 2 September 1994

Scheduled for launch as from December this year, the second
European Remote Sensing satellite, ERS-2, is undergoing final
tests at ESA/ESTEC (the European Space research and
Technology Centre) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. In mid-
September the spacecraft will be shipped to Kourou, French
Guiana, from where it will be launched on board an Ariane 4 launcher.

Prior to its departure to the launch base, a presentation of the
fully integrated spacecraft will take place at ESA/ESTEC
on Friday 2 September 1994. Media representatives are welcome 
to follow the programme of the day which will be as follows:

10h00        Registration at the ESA/ESTEC Conference Centre.
10h30        Welcome by M. Le F vre, Director of ESA/ESTEC.
10h40        Introduction by L. Emiliani, ESA's  Director of
             Observation of the Earth and its Environment.
10h55        Slide presentation of ERS-1 mission results.
11h10        Presentation of the ERS-2 launch campaign and
             commissioning by Guy Duchossois, Head of ESA's
             Earth Observation Mission Management Office.
11h30        Discussion and Q&A session.
11h45-         Visit to the ERS-2 flight model at the ESTEC
             spacecraft integration and test    facilities with
             presentation by R. Zobl, Head of the Earth Observation
             Projects    Department at ESTEC.
-              Visit to ERS-1 results exhibition and presentation of
             ground segment activities    by W. Jensen, Head of
             Exploitation Department at ESRIN.

Buffet lunch.

14h30        Visit to the Noordwijk Space Expo.

Note : A complimentary shuttle bus will be available from
Amsterdam-Schiphol airport to ESA/ESTEC and return.
Departure from Amsterdam- Schiphol: 09h15, return from
ESA/ESTEC: 15h30.

Media representatives wishing to attend are kindly requested
to fill out the attached form and send it -preferably by fax- to the

ESA/ESTEC Conference Bureau
Keplerlaan 1
NL-2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Tel. + 31 1719 8 5005
Fax. + 31 1718 8 5658


Press Release No.23-94
Paris, 18 August 1994

Europe putting space to work, at the 1994 Farnborough Air Show

At the 1994 Farnborough Air Show, from 5 to 11 September,
the European Space Agency - together with the British
National Space Centre (BNSC) and the United Kingdom
Industrial Space Committee (UKISC) - will be featuring a
space pavilion showing what Europe and Britain do in space.

Large satellite and launcher models, panels and specialised
computer demonstrations (mainly based on Earth observation,
data utilisation, guides to information systems, aerospace
databases, etc.) will enable both the professional visitor and
the general public to find out more about the roles of the
European Space Agency and the British space community.

On Monday 5 September 1994, in the presence of Mr Ian
Taylor, the Minister responsible for UK space activities,
ESA's Director General Mr Jean-Marie Luton will hold a
press conference on the theme "Europe putting space to
work", at which Europe's achievements in space will be
surveyed and its future will be outlined. The press conference
in the space pavilion, will start at 9:30 hrs and will be
followed by  a question and answer session, ending at 11:00 hrs.

Media representatives wishing to take part in the press
conference are kindly requested to fill out the attached form
and return it - preferably by fax - to:

ESA, Public Relations Division
8-10 Rue Mario Nikis
75015 Paris, France
Tel. + 33 1 4273 7155
Fax. + 33 1 4273 7690

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From:	GEMVAX::US4RMC::"ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de" "ESAPRESS list"  
        7-SEP-1994 17:39:06.88
To:	Multiple recipients of list ESAPRESS <ESAPRESS%ESOC.BITNET@vm.gmd.de>
CC:	
Subj:	 

ESA PR Internal Note Nr.09-94

Ariane flight V67 : launch of Telstar 402

The 67th Ariane launch (V67) is scheduled to take place in the night
from Thursday 8 to Friday 9 September. An Ariane 42L (the Ariane 4
version equipped with 2 liquid strap on boosters) will place in
geostationary transfer orbit one spacecraft, the telecommunications
satellite Telstar 402. 

The launch window opens at 21h10 and closes at 21h58, Kourou time on 8
September (00h10-00h58 GMT; 02h10- 02h58 Paris time on 9 September). 

Built for AT&T, Telstar 402 will ensure telecommunications, TV and
data transmission over most of the North American continent. 

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    Details sketchy, but apparently the Ariane 5 launch didn't get
    more than 4-5 thounsand feet in the air before it tipped over
    started to fly horizontal, and they had to detonate it. There
    were 5 satellites on board. As NPR worded it, it was one of the 
    more aggressive Ariane launches to date. This certainly sets back
    their program. 
    I saw this failed launch before leaving the house this morning.
    I happened to turn on the tv to NTV, set up the vcr for later 
    today to tape the press conference on the Tether analysis.
    NASA had live coverage of the launch.
    The thing seemed to launch cleanly, and climbed straight up to a 
    point where it was probably to change its ascent angle. It then 
    turned 90 degrees to the side, started moving horizontal, and the
    control room apparently had to abort it. Alot of the commentary
    was in French so I couldn't understand it. The abort explosion
    created quite a pyrotecnic display and appeared to spread debris
    over the entire launch complex.
    
    Bob

    
    Just caught it on the TV here. It got about 40 seconds into the flight
    before they detonated it - reason - it was deviating from planned
    course. Like .54 said - made a nice bang with bits being showered
    everywhere - real fireworks.
    
    No real idea what went wrong just yet - inquiry to report by mid July 
    ( I think they said ).
    
    Although upset by it, the spokespeople seemed a bit philosophical -
    ie: first flight of new rocket - bound to be problems etc.
    They don't see it as a major setback.
    

    Some more details I gathered from the various interviews on TV. No
    doubt that this scenario will evolve in the coming days or months.
    
    
    - There was a failure of one of the two inertial guidance systems,
      however the failing system was not the one that was active.
    
    - Just before ( about 2 seconds) the explosion, the gymbals of the
      three rockets fully tilted at the same time. This apparently was 
      the result of a software command, the gymbals were not trying to 
      compensate for mismatched power in the solid rocket booster.
      The cause is unknown yet, but it might be a software problem. 
    
    - Responding to the  gymbals action, the rocket tilted swiftly to an 
      almost horizontal position. The aerodynamic forces were extreme and
      the structure started to break.
    
    - Noticing the assault on the vehicle integrity, the on-board destruction 
      system automatically activated.
    
    - The range safety officer send his own destruction command right after
      but the vehicule was already reduced to thousands of glowing parts.
      
    - In a striking parallel to the Challenger tragedy, the official 
      commentator concluded in a toneless voice (seconds after the explosion, 
      while debris were raining down...)  :
    
         "Everything is normal, the vehicle is on a perfect trajectory..."
      
    - French TV's were also showing people evacuated, fearing the debris.
      In fact most were journalist watching the launch on an off-shore
      island. And they were not fearing debris, but poisonous gas that
      could drift back. They were ordered to wear gas masks. Maybe the
      firemen wanted to show their efficiency ?
    
    
    
    All in all it was a bad day for the european space program. Before the
    launch, I saw a french official commenting about the exceptional
    reliability of Ariane 5, the first vehicle were the launch is
    guaranteed. I though that this guy was talking too early. Either it was
    a sales speech or this guy was confusing reliability goals and proven
    facts. Remember the Titanic ? 
    
    

RE: <<< Note 672.56 by 54286::PIGEON >>>

>    - French TV's were also showing people evacuated, fearing the debris.
>      In fact most were journalist watching the launch on an off-shore
>      island. And they were not fearing debris, but poisonous gas that
>      could drift back. They were ordered to wear gas masks. Maybe the
>      firemen wanted to show their efficiency ?

Such is not an idle scare. A number of people were killed in China within the
year due to a launch failure and the resultant fuel release.
						-- Tom

    Here's an extracted report off of the Florida Today web site. I've 
    cleaned up the hypertext stuff where it really mattered.
    When I was watching this live yesterday morning on NASA TV, it was
    obvious that there was a lot of liquid fuel raining down along
    with the debris. The tv shots after of the folks in the firing
    room showed a bunch of unhappy campers. 
    
    -Bob
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
<html>
<!--FLORIDA TODAY Space Online-->
<!--Page design created by Jim Banke, Online Services Coordinator-->
<!--Copyright (c) 1996, FLORIDA TODAY-->
<title>FLORIDA TODAY Space Online</title>
<center><h1>FLORIDA TODAY Space Online<br>
Space Today</h1></center>
<h2>Mission Briefing: June 4, 1996</h2>
<h3>Ariane 5 failure blamed on steering system problem</h3>
<b>Update for 1:30 p.m. EDT:<p>
A problem with the system used to swivel the Ariane 5's solid rocket 
booster nozzles resulted in the destruction of the European Space 
Agency's newest launch vehicle this morning, officials say.
At 37 seconds after launch the actuators that swivel the nozzles 
to steer the rocket went "hard over" and caused the rocket to begin 
turning in a direction it was not meant to, said Ian Pryke of ESA.
Once the rocket began pitching over the aerodynamic forces on the booster 
ripped it apart, causing the initial explosion. About one minute into 
flight range safety officials sent the self destruct signals, prompting 
the solid rocket boosters to burst into tiny pieces trailing flame and smoke.
Debris fell into a safety zone on shore and in the water. There were 
no injuries and no damage to the launch pad, Pryke said.
It isn't clear why the actuators failed. An investigation team is 
being formed and is to report their findings by mid July. Also unclear 
right now is how this incident will affect plans to launch a second 
test flight later this year and the first operational mission early 
next year.
- Todd Halvorson and Jim Banke.

Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1996 06:16:05 CST
From: H Alan Montgomery <FHD@tamvm1.tamu.edu>
Subject: FLIGHT 501 FAILURE - FIRST INFORMATION

>Date:         Thu, 6 Jun 1996 11:19:24 EST
>Reply-To:     ESAPRESS list <ESAPRESS@VMPROFS.ESOC.ESA.DE>

N  20-96 - Paris, 5 June 1996
ESA/CNES JOINT PRESS RELEASE
FLIGHT 501 FAILURE - FIRST INFORMATION

The first Ariane-5 launch took place on Tuesday, 4 June
1996, from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's Spaceport, at
Kourou in French Guiana.  The launcher was carrying the
European Space Agency's four Cluster satellites, a science
mission to study Earth-Sun interactions.

Following nominal ignition of the Vulcain engine (H0) at
09.33.59 hours Kourou time, i.e. 12.33.59 hours GMT or
14.33.59 hours Paris time, the flight proceeded as follows:

* H0 + 7.5 s :
Ignition of solid booster stages and normal lift-off.

* Up to H0 + 37 s :
Flight guidance and trajectory normal.  At this moment the
velocity of the launcher was Mach 0.7 (857 kph) and its
altitude 3500 m.

* H0 + 37 s to H0 + 39 s :
Sudden swivelling of both solid booster nozzles up to the
limit, recorded by telemetry.
This caused the launcher to tilt sharply, giving rise to intense
aerodynamic loads on the launcher structure resulting in
breakage.
Following loss of launcher integrity, destruction of all
launcher elements by the onboard neutralisation system.

Preliminary analysis of the telemetry data confirms that the
propulsion stages (solid boosters and cryogenic main stage)
functioned correctly.  The direction of inquiry is tending
towards the launcher's "electrical and software system".

An independent inquiry board is being set up by ESA and
CNES to determine the causes of the failure and propose
corrective action.  It will be asked to report by 15 July.

ESA, the European Space Agency, has delegated management
of its Ariane-5 programme to the French space agency,
CNES.



Date:	08-Jun-1996
Posted-date: 08-Jun-1996

    After reading all I've been able to find on the Internet, I must
    say that I question the wisdom of launching the cluster of 4 satellites
    on an as yet proven flight vehicle. Even though, to the satellite
    owners/developers it was a chance at a free ride, it still seemed
    a gamble to me. Maybe I would have waited at least one launch of
    the Ariane 5 series vehicle before commiting my payload, even at the
    expense of paying instead of getting a freebie. It just seemed like 
    such a gamble to put 4 satellites all on the same untested rocket.
    
    Bob

    re .60
    
    Maybe they took out insurance.

    
    From what I've read, the satellites were not insured. No-one would
    insure them on a rockets first flight.
    
    Over here in the UK, the press have been on about the loss, questioning
    the amount of money spent on such things , and whether it will be a
    success, but then if it had been a success, we would have not had much
    press coverage :-).
    
    
    

    <----- .61 & .62
    
    I recall reading in one of the sci.space.xxxx newsgroups that
    the Ariane rocket was insured through the launch phase only,
    and that the cluster satellites were in fact not insured.
    
    Bob

I believe the insurance on the Ariane was liability only.

After all, this launch was not bringing in any money so its failure does not
cost Arianespace anything.  Even if successful, the rocket is expendable, so
loosing it is not costing extra money.

The only thing that would make sense to insure against would be liability and
(for the payload owners) loss of payload, and who knows whether they could
rebuild the cluster sats and relaunch them even with the money.

Burns

More details (and it is a sorry tale, I might add...instructive for s/w
engineers).  This comes from Aviation Week, but I'm not quoting...too much text
for that.

It turns out that the software/hardware for the IRS (inertial reference system)
of the Ariane V is essentially the same as that for the Ariane IV.  There is a
little subroutine which is used to deal with alignment drift on the ground. 
Although it is not used in flight, it is still called for about 40 seconds.  Of
course the rocket is not supposed to move on the ground, so any change in
position must be drift.  However after it takes off it is moving, so there is a
lot of position change.  On the A4, the trajectory is such that all is well
before the thing switches off at T+40.  However, on the A5, the trajectory
caused the calculated horizontal drift to cause an integer overflow in a
float-to-integer conversion.  There was no test for this in order to "meet
performance targets" and since, hey, it's supposed to be on the ground!

But, get this, the s/w philosophy of the A5 was that an exception must have been
caused by a random failure, so if an exception occurs, they SHUT DOWN THE
PROCESSOR and let the dual redundant processor take over.  Guess what...this
exception was caused by a non-random s/w failure, so .05 seconds after the first
processor shut down, the second one did too.  "As a result of the double
failure, the active IRS only transmitted diagnostic info to the booster's
on-board computer, which was interpreted as flight data and used for fliglht
control calculations.  The solid booster's gimbals and the Vulcain cryogenic
engine were then asked to correct a change that was not occurring."

The continuation of the IRS alignment routine into initial flight is a
carry-over from A4 where the scheme makes possible quick IRS recycling for
launch holds at liftoff minus 5-9 seconds.  The feature...is not needed at all
on A5.  It was "maintained for commonality reasons, presumably based on the view
that...it was not wise to make changes in s/w that worked well on A4," the
report said.

    
    What do you mean test it all ?
    
    It's only going up one version, IV to V.
    
    :-).