Moin,
neue Informationen für die Startvorbereitung von *Ariane 5/ECA* mit den Satelliten *Satmex 6* und *THAICOM 5*
von Kourou am 19. Mai 2006:
March 27, 2006
Mission preparations begin for Arianespace`s second dual-satellite Ariane 5 flight of 2006
The heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA for Arianespace`s next dual-payload mission is now taking shape at the Spaceport in French Guiana.
Preparations for this upcoming launch - scheduled for mid-May with the
Satmex 6 and
THAICOM 5 satellites - began with the positioning of Ariane 5`s core cryogenic stage over the mobile launch table. This activity took place in the Launcher Integration Building, where Ariane 5`s initial assembly will continue with the mating of its two solid boosters to the cryogenic stage.
The mid-May mission will mark Arianespace`s second flight of 2006, and it follows the March 11 dual-payload success that placed the SPAINSAT and HOT BIRDTM 7A telecommunications platforms into highly accurate geostationary transfer orbits.
As with the next flight, the March 11 mission utilized the Ariane 5 ECA version - which has become the commercial launch service industry`s true heavy-lift workhorse.
The Satmex 6 spacecraft to be orbited by the upcoming Ariane 5 launch will be operated by Satmex (Satelites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V.), a leading satellite services provider in Latin America. Satmex 6 is one of the most powerful telecommunications satellites ever built for coverage over the Americas, with its C-band and Ku-band footprint reaching from the northern United States to southern Argentina.
The second passenger for the May mission is Thailand`s THAICOM 5 spacecraft, which will provide telecom and television services throughout the Asia/Pacific region. It will join the satellite fleet operated by Shin Satellite Inc., eventually replacing the company`s older THAICOM 1 and 2 relay platforms.
Jerry
