Ariane 5 Is On The
Launch Pad For Its April 18 Lift-off
(17 April 2008) Arianespace today rolled out the Ariane 5 for its second mission of 2008, clearing the way for a final countdown to its lift-off tomorrow evening with the Star One C2 and Vinasat-1 telecommunications satellites.
(courtesy: ESA, CNES, Arianespace, Photo Optique Video du CSG)
The heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA emerged from its
Final Assembly Building at 10:45 a.m., and arrived in the Spaceport's ELA-3
launch zone at 12:00 noon.
This transfer utilised a 2.8-km. section of
the dual-rail system that links the Spaceport's major launch infrastructure
elements. The Ariane 5 rode atop one of two mobile launch tables developed for
the workhorse vehicle.
Star One C2 and Vinasat-1 will be deployed during
the Ariane 5's 31-minute-long flight, with lift-off from French Guiana
scheduled at the 7:17 p.m. opening of a 1-hour, 7-min. launch
window.
Today's Ariane 5 rollout opens the Final Assembly Building for
the arrival of another Ariane 5 ECA vehicle, which currently is completing its
build-up in the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building.
Arianespace
is targeting a total of seven missions in 2008, making this the most active
year since the Ariane 5's commercial introduction in 1999. The initial
Arianespace flight of 2008 was conducted March 9, when an Ariane 5 ES launcher
version orbited the no. 1 Automated Transfer Vehicle for the International
Space Station.
(source: Arianespace)
