Preparations for Arianespace’s final Ariane 5 mission of 2005 has marked another milestone with the fueling of Europe’s MSG-2 weather satellite at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
The cylindrical-shaped spacecraft’s propellant loading occurred in the S5A high-bay area of the Spaceport’s S5 satellite preparation building. The massive S5 facility allows payloads to undergo their complete checkout cycle in one of its high-bay sections – including hazardous operations such as the spacecraft fueling – while additional satellites can be processed simultaneously in building’s other high-bay zones.
Built by Alcatel Alenia Space, the spin-stabilized Meteosat Second Generation platform will provide high-resolution images of the Earth’s weather activity, as well as measure the planet’s radiation balance for information on climate change. MSG-2 also is equipped with a search and rescue transponder that relays signals from aircraft and ships in distress.
European forecasters have been aided by space-based weather monitoring for 25 years, and its first-generation of meteorological satellites are now being replaced by the second generation of Meteosats. The first of these spacecraft was orbited by an Ariane 5 in August 2002, and continues in operation today with EUMETSAT – the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites.
MSG-2 will be orbited by an Ariane 5 Generic vehicle on a dual-payload mission that carries India’s INSAT-4A telecommunications spacecraft as its second passenger. INSAT-4A is in the S5 satellite preparation facility as well, and is ready for launch following its recent fueling.
Arianespace has set December 21 as the liftoff date for this launch, which will be the company’s last Ariane 5 flight of 2005.
