ESA TV News — coverage of tonight’s Ariane launch
ESA TV News is covering tonight’s Ariane launch as follows:
9 March 2001
06:00-06:15 GMT and
08:00-08:15 GMT
Highlights of the Arianespace live launch transmission (4′)
Eutelsat W1 at 10 degrees east
Transponder B5, horizontal, dig ch 2 (SCPC)
F=11.14375 MHz, SR=20150 MS/sec, FEC =3/4
Arianespace has scheduled Flight 140 for the night of 8 to 9 March 2001, with a one-hour launch window opening at 22:51 GMT. The Arianespace live launch transmission itself can be downlinked via Eutelsat Hot Bird. For details, see below.
An Ariane 5 launcher will carry a dual satellite payload: BSAT-2a for Japan’s Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT), and EUROBIRD for Europe’s Eutelsat telecommunications organization.
BSAT-2a was built by Orbital Sciences Corp. (Arianespace’s customer for this mission), and the spacecraft will be operated by Japan’s Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. It carries 4 Ku-band transponders and has a design operating life of 10 years.
Eutelsat’s EUROBIRD was built by an international consortium led by Alcatel Space Industries of France as the prime contractor, and will provide continuity for telecommunications services currently supplied by the EUTELSAT II-F4 satellite. Its in-orbit uses will include business services, satellite news gathering and television/radio programme distribution.
The ESA TV Service transmits a 4-minute highlights package of images from the Arianespace live launch transmission, in time for Friday morning’s breakfast programmes.
The 75-minute live launch tramsmission, starting at approx 22:30 GMT, can be downlinked via:
Eutelsat Hot Bird 3 at 13 degrees east
Transponder 70, vertical, digital channel 01 “HOTBIRDTM” (MCPC)
F=12111 MHz, SR=27500 MS/sec, FEC=3/4
More background information on the launch can be found on: http://www.arianespace.com
For further information and a daily update of the transmission schedule, visit our website at http://television.esa.int. For all enquires, contact Claus Habfast, Tel +31 71 565 3838, Fax +31 71 565 6340, e-mail chabfast@hq.esa.fr.
