Arianespace maintained its rapid-paced launch schedule with this
morning’s successful Flight 152, which placed the Intelsat 905
telecommunications platform into a highly accurate orbit on Ariane’s
seventh mission of 2002.

Flight 152’s payload was the fifth in Intelsat’ new-generation
IX-series satellites, and it was the 21st Intelsat spacecraft launched
by Ariane. Arianespace previously orbited three other Intelsat
IX-series satellites (Intelsat 901 in June 2001, Intelsat 902 in
August 2001, and Intelsat 904 last February), and two more are
scheduled for future launches on Ariane vehicles.

Today’s mission occurred right on schedule at the 3:44 a.m. Kourou
time opening of a one-hour long early morning launch window. This
early liftoff time is typical for Intelsat satellites, and is
determined by factors that include the launcher’s flight trajectory,
the ground tracking station network that follows Intelsat 905 during
its initial in-orbit operations, and the Earth-Sun positioning for
satellite’s heating/cooling and power during its initial time in
orbit.

Speaking at the Intelsat headquarters in Washington, D.C., Intelsat
Chief Executive Officer Conny L. Kullman noted that Intelsat 905 will
be positioned in the same area as the company’s first ever satellite –
Early Bird – which was launched in April 1965. “We have come a long
way since then,” he added.

Operating from its orbital position at 335.5¡E, Intelsat 905 will
provide connectivity to one of the largest Public Switched Network
(PSN) communities in the Atlantic Ocean Region with enhanced capacity
and coverage. It will deliver bandwidth solutions and connectivity to
nearly one hundred carriers and Internet service providers. The
satellite’s location will offer coverage over multiple regions in the
Atlantic Region, facilitating the development of new markets.

The Intelsat 905 satellite had a liftoff mass of approximately 4,720
kg. Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California produced the
spacecraft, which has a design life of 13 years.

Flight 152 used one of the last remaining Ariane 4s as this workhorse
launcher family is being succeeded by Arianespace’s capable new Ariane
5 heavy-lift vehicle. The Ariane 4 for today’s flight was in the AR44
configuration, which was equipped with four large liquid strap-on
boosters that provide additional thrust during liftoff and initial
ascent.

Arianespace Chief Operating Officer Jean-Yves Le Gall thanked the
launch team for tonight’s picture perfect mission. “It seems easy when
you have the right team,” he told invited guests and VIPs in the
Jupiter control room at the Spaceport. “Operational capability and
customer services are at the heart of Arianespace, which we
demonstrated once again today.”