Ariane 5 completes another successful year of launches with an on-target dual-satellite mission

Arianespace wrapped up its 2005 commercial launch activity with a successful dual-satellite mission tonight for India and Europe, once again underscoring the Ariane 5’s reliability, performance and flexibility.

Lifting off from Europe’s Spaceport at the start of its 28-minute launch window, the Ariane 5 Generic vehicle deployed India’s INSAT-4A telecommunications satellite first – releasing it in geostationary transfer orbit at just over 29 minutes into the flight. Approximately seven minutes later, the European MSG-2 second-generation Meteosat spacecraft also was injected into geostationary transfer orbit.

Ground tracking stations immediately received the first telemetry signals from INSAT-4A and MSG-2, confirming that both passengers were in good condition after their ride aboard Ariane 5.

Tonight’s mission brings the successful Ariane 5 missions performed in 2005 to five. These flights used three standard Ariane 5G and two Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicles to orbit eight satellites, representing a combined payload weight of more than 24 metric tons. In addition, Arianespace’s Starsem affiliate launched a pair of Soyuz missions in 2005, placing two additional spacecraft into orbit.

“This performance clearly demonstrates that Ariane 5 is the world’s best launcher, and Arianespace – with its family of vehicles – is clearly the no. 1 launch services company,” explained Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. “For 2005, we have launched more spacecraft than all of our competitors combined – and there still is one final Starsem mission to perform next week with yet another Soyuz.”

This launch also was another example of Arianespace’s ability to accommodate two spacecraft with very different mission profiles on the same flight, allowing for highly flexible dual-launch operations.

The three-axis stabilized INSAT 4A carries a mixed payload of 12 Ku-band and 12 C-band transponders, and is the first in India’s new INSAT 4A telecommunications spacecraft series that will provide coverage over the Indian subcontinent. It was designed, built and integrated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and it had a liftoff mass of approximately 3,200 kg.

The MSG-2 platform is a spin-stabilized spacecraft developed by Alcatel Alenia Space to provide high-resolution images of the Earth’s weather activity. The 2,034-kg. satellite also will measure the planet’s radiation balance for information on climate change.

Le Gall said the next Ariane 5 mission is set for February 21. This will be another dual-satellite flight, using the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA version to loft HOT BIRD 7A for Eutelsat and the SPAINSAT spacecraft for Hisdesat. The Arianespace CEO also confirmed that Starsem’s year-ending Soyuz mission is on schedule for liftoff from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome on December 28 with the GIOVE A navigation satellite payload.