Status Report

Mission Update: Kick-off of Flight 130 Flight Preparations Ends Forced Mission Stand-down for Arianespace

By SpaceRef Editor
May 30, 2000
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Europe’s Spaceport at French Guiana is alive again with mission activity as preparations move into full swing for a dual-payload Ariane 5 mission this summer.
 
Arianespace Flight 130 will orbit a dual satellite payload – with the SES Astra 2B and GE Americom’s GE-7 telecommunications satellites currently identified for the mission. The launch is targeted for July 25, which will end a three-month stand-down due to the unavailability of several customer payloads.
 
Preparations for Flight 130 kicked off on Monday, May 29 with the pre-mission review, which was held in the ELA-3 launch control center. This session brought together key members of the launch team to validate that all is in readiness for the startup of operations.
 
The same day, Ariane 5’s cryogenic core stage was removed from its large shipping container, where it has been stored since its arrival in French Guiana last March. On May 30, the stage was moved into position over the mobile launch table in the Launcher Integration Building, beginning the heavy-lift vehicle’s assembly process.
 
Both solid boosters for Ariane 5 will be transferred to the Launcher Integration Building tomorrow, May 31. Moving on their tracked pallets, the boosters will slide onto each side of the mobile launch table and be made ready for mating with the cryogenic core stage.
 
The Ariane 5 is due to roll out from the Launcher Integration Building on July 6 for the short rail trip to the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building – where its upper stage will be integrated, followed by installation of the Astra 2B and GE-7 satellite payloads.
 
Arming and final inspection of the Ariane 5 will take place on Friday, July 21 in the Final Assembly Building, followed by its rollout to the ELA-3 launch zone on Monday 24. Liftoff is planned on July 25, marking the completion of a standard 33-day launch campaign for the Ariane 5.

SpaceRef staff editor.