Activity at the Spaceport is in full swing as preparations move forward in
parallel for two Arianespace Ariane 5 missions.
For Flight 164, the Ariane 5 ECA heavy-lift vehicle has been moved back to
the final assembly building after completing a countdown validation test
that included fueling the vehicle’s ESC-A cryogenic upper stage.
The countdown validation was performed with the Ariane 5 ECA in the
Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone.
The ESC-A upper stage is new for the "10-ton" Ariane 5 ECA version, and is
based on the proven HM-7B third stage engine that provided years of reliable
service on Ariane 4.
Flight 164 will carry the XTAR-EUR satellite – which will provide X-band
relay capacity for the U.S., Spanish and allied governments, along with an
experimental/test payload consisting of the Sloshsat mini satellite and the
Maqsat B2 telemetry/video imaging package.
In parallel, the first activity for Flight 165 has begun at the Spaceport
following the arrival of this mission’s payload – a governmental spacecraft
for France. The payload arrived October 14 at French Guiana’s primary
airport, Cayenne’s Rochambeau International, aboard an Airbus Transport
International A300-600ST Beluga cargo aircraft.
Flight 165 will use an Ariane 5 Generic launcher version to orbit the French
governmental spacecraft.
