…the August 2 mission from French Guiana, undergoing key steps of their final preparations in the Spaceport’s S5 payload processing facility. The HYLAS 2 relay platform has received its propellant load in the facility’s S5B dual-function hall, which is capable of handling both satellite integration and fueling. Separately, Intelsat 20 has been mounted on the cone-shaped adapter that will serve as its interface with Ariane 5, marking the first contact with launcher hardware during activity in the S5A integration hall.
Intelsat 20 is shown at the Spaceport’s S5 payload processing facility after being integrated on the cone-shaped adapter that will serve as its interface with the Ariane 5 (photo at left). In the other image, HYLAS 2 is fueled in a separate high-bay area of the S5 facility. Photos courtesy of Arianespace.
Arianespace’s upcoming mission—designated Flight VA208 in the launcher’s numbering system to signify the 208th mission of an Ariane family vehicle—will be the fourth for the heavy-lift Ariane 5 in 2012. The HYLAS 2 payload was produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation for Avanti Communications, and has been conceived to deliver high-speed, low-cost two-way data communications with the latest Ka-band technology. The satellite’s 24 fixed beams and one steerable beam will provide data capacity to telecommunications, enterprise and government customers in the fast-growing markets of Eastern and Southern Africa, the Middle East and across the Caucasus. The Intelsat 20 passenger for Ariane 5’s next flight was built by Space Systems/Loral for Intelsat, and its C- and Ku-band payload is optimized for high-power distribution of video, voice and data network services. This spacecraft will replace the Intelsat 7 and Intelsat 10 satellites, which are co-located at 68.5 degrees East.
