zmapj36@cc.ic.ac.uk (M.S.Bennett Supvs= Prof Pendry) (11/09/90)
Intresting is it not unless I insult someone nothing happens!
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Ariane Returns to Business. By Neville Kidger.
Arianespace, the company which markets and flies the Ariane launcher,
has resumed operations following the loss of the V36 launcher in February
1990.
The loss of the rocket - with two Japanese commercial satellites aboard
- was found to have been due to the presence of a piece of cloth in the
water supply line to one of the four Viking first stage engines. Fredric
d'Allest, the recently-retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Arianespace called the incident "not only shocking but hard to accept." He
also noted that the incident in no way questioned the basic design of the
Ariane series of launchers and called for more rigorous efforts in quality
control at the assembly factory.
The V36 loss came after seventeen straight launch successes for the
Ariane rocket in its various guises.
Ariane V37.
The V37 flight was launched at 06:25 GMT on July 24th from the ELA-2
launch facility at Kourou, French Guiana. The Ariane 44L (with four liquid
propellant boosters around the first stage) placed two satellites into a
geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) of 299.7 km x 35,933 km, inclined at 4.04
degrees to the equator, well within the pre-fight intended parameters.
From that orbit the two satellites were manoeuvred by their own engines
to their respective positions. The two satellites were:
- TDF-2, the second French direct broadcast satellite. The satellite, built
by the Eurosatellite consortium, had a lift-off mass of 2,054 kg. It is 6.5
metres in height with a span of 19 m when its solar panels are deployed. It
has 5 high power TV channels.
- DFS-2 KOPERNIKUS, a German telecommunications satellite built by R-DFS
consortium for the German Bundespost Telekom. Like TDF-2, it is 3-axis
stabilised and had a lift-off mass of 1,419 kg. It has a height of 4.15 m
and a span of 15.4 m with solar panels deployed. It carries 11
transponders.
TDF-2 was placed at 19 degrees West in a shared location above the
equator and KOPERNIKUS was placed at 28.5 degrees West.
Speaking about the launch, Charles Bigot, the new Chairman and CEO of
Airianespace (but at that time the Director General) said: "Thanks to the
contribution of the European space industry community, tonight's launch
followed a short three and a half month recess which allowed for the
enhancement of the launcher's reliability by improving the control and
assembly procedures. This successful resumption of launches demonstrates
once again Arianespace's ability to respond to the many signs of confidence
expressed by the whole international space community."
Ariane V38.
At 10:46 GMT on August 10th the company launched the V38 mission which
again delivered two satellites to GTO. The Ariane 44LP (two liquid strap-on
boosters and two solids) was launched from the ELA-2 facility marking a
record short time between launches from the facility and from Arianespace.
The launch was significant for the UK because it carried a military
communications satellite for the Ministry of Defence - Skynet 4C.
The full payload for V38 was:
- Skynet 4C. Built by British Aerospace and Marconi Space Systems, the
satellite had a lift-off mass of 1,430 kg and an orbital mass of 751 kg.
The height is 2.1 m with a span of 16 m with two solar panels deployed.
Stabilisation is 3-axis and it operates in 4 SHF bands and 2 UHF bands
serving military communications for British land, air and sea forces. The
orbital location is 1 degree West.
- Eutelsat IIA. Built by Aerospatiale and weighing 1,878 kg at launch, this
satellite is to provide telephone, telex, data transmission and TV services
to Europe. It has a capacity of 25,000 telephone half-circuits and 9 TV
channels (or equivalent traffic) and is stationed at 13 degrees East, over
the Equator, with a coverage zone ranging from Ireland to Turkey and from
the Arctic to North Africa. At 2.5 m in height it has a span of 22.4 m with
its solar panels extended.
Following the launch, Charles Bigot said: "This success, five weeks
after Flight 37, marks the continuity of European space activity, in
particular the confidence shown in us by the British Ministry of Defence
after the successful launch of Skynet 4B by Ariane in 1988; also the
confidence of the Eutelsat organisation which has chosen Arianespace to put
into orbit three satellites of its new generation. With this launch,
Arianespace also confirms the ability to increase, if necessary, the launch
capacity to respect our commitments, thanks to the dual launch system which
allowed us to put four satellites into orbit for Europe in the last five
weeks."
As of August 31st Arianespace's order book stood at 35 satellites to be
launched, worth approximately 15 billion French Francs, or about #1.4
billion, and represented a four year work load.
On September 3rd Arianespace announced that it had secured the
contracts to launch two new-generation Brazilian satellites for the EMBRATEL
organisation. The two Brasilsat B1 and B2 satellites will weigh about 1.750
kg at launch and will provide conventional telecommunications services for
Brazil and South America in general.
The launches are planned for 1994.
Ariane V39.
On October 12th Flight 39 was launced carrynig the American
communications satellites SBS-6 and GALAXY VI. Both satellites were
launched for Hughes Communications Galaxy, Inc. A 44L varient was used.
Acknowledgements: Arianespace.
Ariane V39 news added by the editor.
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| | | \ | | M. Sean Bennett |
\-----\ |---- | | \-----\ | UKSEDS TECH.OFF. |
| | | / | | Janet:SEDS@CC.IC.AC.UK |