The launcher components for Arianespace’s third Ariane 5 mission of 2011 arrived this week in French Guiana, marking the first step in preparations for a heavy-lift flight with the ST-2 and GSAT-8 telecommunications satellites. Elements for the Ariane 5 were delivered to Pariacabo Port by the MN Colibri, which is one of two sea-going roll-on/roll-off ships used by Arianespace to transport launch vehicle stages from Europe — where they are produced — to South America.
The MN Colibri arrives in French Guiana with launcher components for Arianespace’s third Ariane 5 mission to be performed in 2011. Photo courtesy of Arianespace.
The ST-2 satellite passenger on this Ariane 5 mission will be orbited for ST-2 Satellite Ventures Pte Ltd., a joint venture formed by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel) and Chunghwa Telecom Company Ltd. ST-2 was built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation of Japan using a DS2000 spacecraft bus, and will have a liftoff mass of approximately 5,100 kg. It is fitted with C- and Ku-band transponders for fixed and mobile satellite services, along with voice and data IP-based services for businesses – particularly DTH operators and shipping companies in Asia and the Middle East.
To be orbited along with ST-2 is the GSAT-8 spacecraft for the Indian Space Research Organisation. Weighing in at 3,150 kg. for liftoff, GSAT-8 is equipped with 18 Ku-band transponders, along with a satellite-based global positioning system called GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation).
After docking at Pariacabo Port in French Guiana, the MN Colibri is ready to open its forward ramp, allowing its cargo to be unloaded using the ship’s roll-on/roll-off design. Photo courtesy of Arianespace.
As Arianespace prepares for the expansion of its launcher family with the introduction of Soyuz and Vega at the Spaceport, the company has adopted a new numbering system to identify its missions with these three vehicles. Ariane 5 flights will carry the “VA” designation, followed by the flight number. The “V” is for “vol,” the French word for “flight,” while the “A” represents the use of an Ariane launch vehicle. As a result, the mid-May mission with ST-2 and GSAT-8 will carry the “VA202” reference, for the 202nd launch of an Ariane since this family of vehicles began operations in 1979. With the introduction of Soyuz at the Spaceport in 2011, Arianespace missions from South America with the medium-lift workhorse launcher will be designated “VS,” while flights with the lightweight Vega vehicle are to be referenced as “VV.”
