KOUROU, French Guiana---Arianespace today orbited two satellite payloads built by Boeing Satellite Systems, using an Ariane 4 to loft Japan's JCSAT-8 for the JSAT Corporation and ASTRA 3A for Luxembourg-based operator SES ASTRA.
Flight 149 marked Arianespace's fourth launch in 2002, during which five satellite payloads were orbited in less than 90 days.
Today's successful mission, performed only weeks after the 11th Ariane 5 flight, confirms Ariane's predominant position in the global launch services marketplace. Major satellite manufacturers and satellite communications operators from the U.S., Japan and Europe have chosen Ariane, reflecting international recognition of Arianespace's top-flight launch service.
JCSAT-8 and ASTRA 3A are the 45th and 46th Boeing satellites orbited by Arianespace. This represents nearly 124 metric tons of payload from the U.S. manufacturer that have been boosted into orbit aboard Ariane vehicles.
JCSAT-8 is the 17th Japanese satellite launched by Ariane. It follows earlier Arianespace missions with the JCSAT-1, JCSAT-5 and JCSAT-110 satellites for JSAT Corp. -- the leading satellite telecommunications operator in Asia. Two other satellites, N-Star a and b, joined JSAT's fleet, and were also launched by Arianespace.
ASTRA 3A is the eighth satellite carried by Ariane for SES ASTRA, the world's no. 1 private satcom operator. The launch was performed within the scope of a contract signed by the Luxembourg-based operator with Boeing Satellite Systems.
Following Flight 149, Arianespace's backlog now stands at 38 satellites to be launched, plus 9 ATV missions for the International Space Station.
The next Arianespace mission is Flight 150, which is slated for April 16, 2002. An Ariane 4 will boost the NSS 7 communications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit for New Skies Satellites N.V.
Flight 149 at a Glance: The 68th Successful Ariane 4 Launch in a Row Flight 149 was performed from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, using an Ariane 44L version of the Ariane 4 launcher with four liquid-propellant strap-on boosters.
Liftoff was on March 28, 2002 at 10:29 p.m. local time in Kourou (March 29 at 1:29 a.m. GMT, 2:29 a.m. in Paris, 10:29 a.m. in Tokyo, and on March 28 at 8:29 p.m. in Washington, DC). Provisional parameters at third stage injection were:
--Perigee: 249.8 km for a target of 249.6 km (+/- 3 km) --Apogee: 35,995 km for a target of 35,982 km (+/- 150 km) --Inclination: 4.00 degrees for a target of 4.00 degrees (+/- 0.06 degrees)
JCSAT-8 Built by Boeing Satellite Systems Inc. in El Segundo, California, JCSAT-8 will be positioned at 154 degrees east. It will join the fleet operated by JSAT Corporation to provide telecommunications services for Japan, Asia, Oceania and Hawaii. JCSAT-8 weighed about 2,600 kg at liftoff and is equipped with 16 C-band transponders and 16 Ku-band transponders. Its orbital design life is 11 years.
ASTRA 3A Also built by Boeing Satellite Systems, ASTRA 3A weighed about 1,500 kg at launch and is fitted with 20 Ku-band transponders. It will be positioned at 23.5 degrees east. ASTRA 3A will provide direct TV broadcast and multimedia services for German-speaking Europe. It has a design life of 10 years.
Arianespace is the commercial launch services leader, holding more than 50 percent of the international market for satellites launched to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). Created in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company, Arianespace has signed contracts for the launch of more than 240 satellite payloads.
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Arianespace Flight 149: Fourth Success in Less Than 3 Months
