News and views from the World's Spaceports.

Posts in category Intelsat

Ariane 5 cleared to launch from French Guiana 26Nov

Nov25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
Ariane-5 with dual communication satellite payload.

Ariane-5 with dual communication satellite payload.

An Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket carrying a dual payload of Intelsat 17 and HYLAS 1 spacecraft has been cleared to launch on November 26th.  The launch is scheduled to launch from Kourou, French Guiana with a launch window between 18:39 and 21:54 GMT (3:39pm and 6:54pm local).

The two spacecraft are communications satellites.

Positioned at 66 degrees East, INTELSAT 17 will deliver a wide range of communication services for Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Asia. Built by Space Systems/Loral of the United States, this powerful satellite will weigh 5,540 kg at launch. It will also enable Intelsat to expand its successful Asian video distrubution neighborhood. INTELSAT 17 will replace INTELSAT 702.

HYLAS 1 was built by an industrial consortium formed by EADS Astrium and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), using a I-2K platform. Fitted with Ka-band and Ku-band transponders, the satellite will be positioned at 33.5 degrees West, and will be the first European satellite to offer high-speed broadband services across all of Europe. HYLAS 1 will weigh 2,570 kg at launch, and has a design life exceeding 15 years.

The launch will be broadcast live at http://www.videocorner.tv/index.htm

The Arianespace press release follows:

READ MORE »

Posted in Ariane 5, Arianespace, HYLAS - Tagged , , ,

SLC-36 Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 1 Comment Written by Mike
LC-36 Atlas II launches the GOES-L satellite (picture credit NASA)

LC-36 Atlas II launches the GOES-L satellite (picture credit NASA)

Space Launch Complex 36 was originally designed as a complex with a single launch pad.  It is tucked in at the bottom of ICBM Road just south of LC-11.  The complex was built in 1961 for the Atlas rocket development program. The first rocket launched from LC-36A was an Atlas/Centaur test flight on May 8th 1962.  The flight ended in an explosion due to a failure of the Atlas booster.

Complex 36 was the birthplace of NASA’s planetary launch program and was operated by NASA until the late 1980s when it was taken over by the USAF.

Launch Pad 36B is clearly an unplanned addition to the complex.  LC-36A is directly opposite the blockhouse with the cabling conduits leading straight to the pad.  LC-36B is almost at right angles to the blockhouse with extended cabling leading out to the pad.  LC-36B was built and commissioned in 1963/4 with its first flight on August 11th 1965.

Complex 36 hosted many historic missions over the years including Surveyor that landed on the moon and Mariner that orbited Mars and included one to Mercury. Two of the most historic launches were the Pioneer 10 and 11 space probes that were launched to Jupiter and are now outside of the solar system in interstellar space. Also, the historic Pioneer Venus spacecraft included an orbiter and a set of probes that were dispatched to the surface.

The last launch from Complex 36A was an Atlas IIAS/Centaur carrying a National Reconnaissance Office payload on August 31, 2004. This was followed on February 3, 2005 by the final Atlas V launch from Complex 36B before the pad was deactivated. In all, the complex supported 68 major launches from Pad 36A and 77 from Pad 36B.

“Over nearly five decades, Complex 36 was one of the world’s most important and versatile space launch sites. Its credits include a whole catalog of NASA missions to the moon, Venus, Mars and Jupiter – not to mention vital national security and commercial satellite missions,” said Mark Cleary, 45th Space Wing historian.

The last rocket flown from LC-36 was an Atlas V which is still a current launch vehicle. Current Atlas missions are launched from complex 41 to the north of the AFS.

READ MORE »

Posted in Atlas I, Atlas II, Atlas III, Atlas V, ATS, Cape Canaveral AFS, GOES, Mariner, OAO, Pioneer - Tagged , , ,

SLC-17 Launch Complex at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
GPS Satellite launch Oct 2007 from LC-17A

GPS Satellite launch Oct 2007 from LC-17A

Launch Complex 17 is the first of the complexes built on Cape Canaveral that has multiple launch pads supported by a single blockhouse where the launch pads are labelled A and B. Previous complexes were assigned individual numbers. Dual pads on a complex became more common after LC-17 was built.

Launch Complex is split into two pads: 17A (LC-17A) and 17B (LC-17B).

LC-17B is half of the United States Air Force Launch Complex 17, built in the mid 1950s for the Thor ballistic missiles. When the Thor program completed in 1965 the Launch Complex was transferred to NASA.

LC-17A is the other half of the Complex and was run by the United States Air Force until August 2009 when the last Delta II was launched.

The Space Shuttle program was intended to launch satellites into low earth orbit, but with the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger and the suspension of Shuttle operations the site was re-assigned to the Delta 2 expendable launch vehicle.

In particular the Air Force transferred all launches of the GPS satellites from the Space Shuttle programme to the Delta 2 rockets. This meant that the Air Force regained ownership of the Launch Complex. All the GPS satellites were launched from this location up until the last of the GPS block 2R modified space ships was launched on the 17th August 2009, marking the end of the Delta 2 program for the USAF. This was the last Launch from LC-17A. The new GPS satellites are now launched from LC-37B onboard the newer Delta IV and LC-41 on the Atlas Rockets.

I was there for the last USAF launch, and along with most of the rest of the press we witnessed the launch from Cocoa Beach, just after dawn.

Since then there have been a few NASA Delta II Launches, but although the complex is still active there is little activity here. As we found out when we visited the AFB we found that security were still very active on LC-17B.

The best off-base viewing locations for LC-17 are the Jetty Park pier in Port Canaveral, though this can often get very busy, or anywhere on the beach at Cocoa Beach. This is about 6 miles south of the launch complex with no full view of the rocket on the pad.

READ MORE »

Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, DAWN, Delta, Delta I, Delta III, Genesis, GLAST, GOES, GPS, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Polar Lander, Pioneer, Telstar - Tagged , , , ,

AmericaSpace Mission Tracker

Next Launch GPS IIF-4 on a Alas V rocket from Cape Canaveral AFB, FL scheduled for 15 May 13 21:38:00 GMT

Launch
Days
Hrs
Min
Sec
Click here for more details...

Sponsorship by Google

Twitter Feed

  • NASA regains the capability to transport supplies and equipment to and from the ISS thanks to SpaceX
    http://t.co/AZWPTqM1
  • Today sees the launch of the 1st Commercial ISS resupply mission with a Falcon 9 / Dragon Capsule launch
    http://t.co/LNLf1pFK
  • A day in the life of the European Southern Observatory starting now at
    http://t.co/54rQi14S
  • The second stage has shut down for a second time placing the GPS IIF-3 Satellite into a third coast phase lasting for about 3 hours.

Photo of the day

STS-133 Discovery Last Flight NASA 153.jpg
STS-133 Discovery Last Flight NASA 153.jpg

KSC Launch Pad iPhone App

iPhone App: KSC Launch Pad now available!

NOW ONLY $0.99 / £0.59

Are you visiting Kennedy Space Center? Do you want to see a rocket launch?

If so then KSC Launch Pad is the only app you will need. Using local knowledge it shows you the best places to watch from and identifies all the major points of interest in and arround Kennedy Space Center.

Available now from the Apple AppStore. Click here for more details...

Categories