Ariane flight VA247

Ariane flight VA247 is an Ariane 5 space launch of two geosynchronous satellites that took place on 5 February 2019.[1][2]

Ariane flight VA247
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Ariane 5 ECA launch
Launch5 February 2019 (2019-02-05), 21:01:00 UTC
OperatorArianespace
PadKourou ELA-3
Payload
OutcomeSuccess
Components
Serial no.5106
Ariane launches

Payload

The payloads of the flight were the Hellas Sat 4 and GSAT-31 geosynchronous satellites. They were adapted together onto the SYLDA adapter inside the long version of the upper stage fairing.[1] The total payload mass was approximately 10,018 kilograms (22,086 lb), including the adapters.[2]

Saudi Geostationary Satellite 1/Hellas Sat 4 (SGS-1)
Main article: SGS-1

Hellas Sat 4 was in the upper position, inside the SYLDA adapter. The telecommunication satellite had a liftoff mass of approximately 6,495 kilograms (14,319 lb) and was developed by Lockheed Martin Space in the United States of America in its facilities in Denver, Colorado and Sunnyvale, California for KACST and Hellas Sat.[1] It will be operating for a design lifetime of 15 years to 23 years from the 39° East orbital position, where it will be providing telecommunications services to Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East thanks to its Ku- and Ka-band payloads.[1]

It is Lockheed Martin's 46th spacecraft orbited by Arianespace.[1]

GSAT-31
Main article: GSAT-31

GSAT-31 was in the lower position. The telecommunication satellite had a liftoff mass of 2,536 kilograms (5,591 lb). It was designed and manufactured by ISRO and will be operating for a design lifetime of more than 15 years from the 48° East orbital position, where it will be providing telecommunications services with Ku-band coverage.[1]

It is ISRO's 22nd spacecraft orbited by Arianespace.[1]

Mission overview

Launch time and location

The launch took place on 5 February 2019 at the very beginning of a 1-hour launch window that started at 21:01 (UTC) window (18:01 local time) from the Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA-3) in Kourou, French Guiana.[1][2]

Timeline

Liftoff took place about 7.3 seconds after reference time T-0 (the latter occurring at 21:01:00 UTC), and Hellas Sat 4 and GSAT-31 were separated respectively about 27 minutes and 21 seconds and 42 minutes and 27 seconds after T-0.[1]

Orbit

The launch placed both satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbits with perigee altitudes of about 250 kilometres (160 mi) and apogee altitudes of approximately 35,786 kilometres (22,236 mi) at inclinations of about 3°.[1]

Statistics

It was the 103rd launch of Ariane 5 (the 1st in 2019), and the 306th Arianespace mission (the 1st in 2018).[1][2]

References
  1. "VA247 Launch Kit" (PDF). Arianespace. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  2. "Arianespace orbits two telecommunications satellites on first Ariane 5 launch of 2019". Arianespace. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
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