Ariane 5

Arianespace has completed the initial build-up of Ariane 5 at the spaceport in French Guiana in preparation for lift-off during July.

The planned mission will be Arianespace’s third heavy-lift mission this year, and will launch European MSG-4 meteorological satellite and Brazilian Star One C4 telecommunications satellite.

As part of the construction works, the core cryogenic stage of the vehicle was removed from the shipping container and raised over one of two operational mobile launch tables.

Two solid propellant boosters were then moved to the launcher integration building and attached with the core stage.

Arianespace installed ESC-A cryogenic upper stage and vehicle equipment bay on to Ariane 5 as part of the assembly activity. Designated Flight VA224 will use this Ariane 5 vehicle.

"The launcher will be transferred to the spaceport’s final assembly building, to receive the MSG-4 and Star One C4 satellites." 

In the coming days, the launcher will be transferred to the spaceport’s final assembly building, to receive the MSG-4 and Star One C4 satellites.

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Eumetsat’s MSG-4 satellite will complement existing Meteosat-series platforms in geostationary orbit at 36,000km.

After launch, the satellite will be named Meteosat-11 and it is designed to serve the gap between Meteosat-10 and the initial Meteosat third-generation spacecraft, which are planned for launch in 2019 and 2021.

Eumetsat MSG-4 arrived the spaceport during the last week of April.

Built by Space Systems / Loral, the Star One C4 is part of the third-generation of Embratel Star One satellites, designed to provide continuous telephone, television, radio, data transmission and internet services in Brazil, as well as in Latin American countries and mainland US.

Image: The Ariane 5 satellite launcher. Photo: courtesy of Arianespace.