The shipping container that protected GSAT-10 during its travels from India to French Guiana is removed inside the Spaceport's S5 payload preparation facility, revealing the spacecraft. Photo is courtesy of Arianespace.

...checkout in French Guiana, as preparations move forward for a dual-passenger heavy-lift mission, scheduled for September from the Spaceport. India’s GSAT-10 is now in the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility, having been removed from the shipping container that protected this spacecraft during its voyage to French Guiana aboard a chartered An-124 cargo jetliner.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) built GSAT-10 using its I-3K satellite bus. It is outfitted with Ku-, C- and extended C-band transponders for relay services, as well as the GAGAN (GPS and GEO augmented navigation) payload for aircraft navigation assistance over Indian airspace and adjoining areas. GSAT-10 will be lofted along with the Astra 2F payload during Arianespace’s heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission,which will mark the 209th Ariane-series vehicle flight since 1979.

The upcoming launch with GSAT-10 and Astra 2F will follow Arianespace’s August 2 mission, which is to orbit a dual payload of Intelsat 20 and HYLAS 2 from the Spaceport.