Flight 157: Ariane 5 rolls out for launch pad tests

The first increased-lift “10-ton” Ariane 5 is on the launch pad for a full
dress rehearsal, which is scheduled for tomorrow.

Flight 157’s Ariane 5 was transferred from its final assembly to the launch
zone on Friday, and final preparations were underway today to ready it for
tomorrow’s tests. The launcher’s cryogenic central core and the new ESC-A
cryogenic upper stage will both be filled with propellant, and two simulated
countdowns will be performed.

Liftoff of the “10-ton” Ariane 5 – with its dual payload of the Eutelsat HOT
BIRDTM 7 satellite and the French CNES Stentor telecommunications technology
demonstrator – is slated for early November.

The vehicle is installed on one of two Ariane 5 mobile launch tables, which
will be pulled by the blue multi-purpose tug. At this point in the campaign,
the satellites have yet to be installed on the launcher. HOT BIRDTM 7 and
Stentor are to be integrated atop the Ariane 5 after the vehicle is moved
back to the final assembly building following tomorrow’s launch pad tests.

The “10-ton” version is taller than the basic Ariane 5 launcher used by
Arianespace in previous missions due to the increased length of the upper
stage with its HM-7B cryogenic engine. While new to Ariane 5, the HM-7B has
provided years of reliable service as the Ariane 4’s third stage propulsion
system.