Arianespace Flight VA216: Ariane 5 ECA – ASTRA 5B – Amazonas 4A; Liftoff is set for Friday, March 21, 2014

The checks on the Amazonas 4A satellite are proceeding nominally, enabling Arianespace to announce the launch date for the ASTRA 5B and Amazonas 4A satellites.

Liftoff of the Ariane 5 ECA launcher is now set for the night of Friday, March 21, as early as possible in the following launch window:

From 7:05 p.m. to 8:14 p.m., local time in Kourou, French Guiana
From 5:05 p.m. to 6:14 p.m. in Washington D.C.
From 10:05 p.m. to 11:14 p.m. UTC, on Saturday
From 11:05 p.m. to 00:14 a.m. in Paris, during the night of Friday, March 21 to Saturday, March 22.