Late last evening local time an Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place two satellites into geostationary transfer orbit . Liftoff took place at 20:46 in French Guiana (00:46 CET).
The 50.5-metre tall launcher was carrying the Spaceway 2 telecommunication satellite for the American operator DIRECTV and the Telkom 2 telecommunication satellite for the Indonesian operator PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk. With a mass of over 6100 kg, Spaceway 2 is one of the largest telecom satellites ever launched into geostationary orbit.
The upper stage cryogenic engine was shut down 24:48 minutes after liftoff. By this time the launcher had attained a velocity of approximately 9.3 km per second. Spaceway 2 was the first satellite to separate, 27:24 minutes after liftoff, followed by the Telkom-2 satellite nearly 6 minutes later. Injection into the target geostationary transfer orbit of the two satellites was achieved with very high precision.
This is the 168th Ariane launch and the 24th Ariane 5 launch.
Franco Bonacina | Source: alphagalileo
Further information: www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Home/SEM9YUJBWFE_0.html
More articles from Physics and Astronomy:
Better way to harness waste heat
20.11.2009 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
NIST Demonstrates ‘Universal’ Programmable Quantum Processor
20.11.2009 | National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Scientists Unravel Evolution of Highly Toxic Box Jellyfish
20.11.2009 | Life Sciences
When good companies do bad things: Examining illegal corporate behavior
20.11.2009 | Business and Finance
UCR plant scientist's research spawns new discoveries showing how crops survive drought
20.11.2009 | Agricultural and Forestry Science
Multidisciplinary meeting on Urological Cancers aims to benefit cancer patients
20.11.2009 | Event News
'Golden Age' for clinical psychology in Northern Ireland
20.11.2009 | Event News
New Perspectives in Marine Anti-Fouling Research
11.11.2009 | Event News