Preparations for the upcoming Arianespace Ariane 5 dual-satellite mission moved into their final phase with the Galaxy 15 satellite’s integration atop the launcher.
Galaxy 15 was positioned on Ariane 5 during operations performed October 6 inside the final integration building at the Spaceport in French Guiana.
The PanAmSat spacecraft will ride in the lower payload position, while the mission’s other satellite – France’s Syracuse 3A military communications platform – will be installed above it utilizing the SYLDA 5 deployment system.
Galaxy 15 will operate in the C-band, distributing entertainment and information to cable television systems, TV broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home TV operators, Internet service providers, telecommunications companies and corporations.
It also carries an L-band payload as part of the U.S Federal Aviation Administration’s Geostationary Communications and Control Segment (GCCS) program. It will relay Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation to in-flight aircraft, providing highly accurate guidance to pilots at airports and airfields where there currently is no precision landing capability.
The Ariane 5 mission is on track for an evening liftoff from the Spaceport during a launch window that runs from 07:32 p.m. to 08:56 p.m. on October 13 (local time in French Guiana; from 10:32 p.m. to 11:56 p.m.).
