Launch News Ariane 5 with Sky Muster II and GSAT-18 Wednesday October 6th, 2016

[IronRain]

Spaceflight101.com: Ariane 5 in the Launch Zone for Tuesday Liftoff with Satellites for Australia & India

Europe’s Ariane 5 heavy-lift workhorse was rolled to its French Guiana launch pad on Monday to set up for its next mission to Geostationary Transfer Orbit carrying communications satellites for Australia and India.
Liftoff from the equatorial launch site is set for a 75-minute window opening at 20:30 on Tuesday and Ariane will need 32 minutes to drop the two satellites off in their highly elliptical transfer orbits.
The mission, designated VA231 in Arianespace’s numbering system, is the fifth Ariane 5 launch of 2016 with another two scheduled before the end of the year including the first Galileo navigation satellite launch on Ariane 5. VA231 has a total payload of 10,663 Kilograms comprised of the Sky Muster II satellite riding in the upper berth while the smaller GSAT-18 is installed underneath the rocket’s Sylda adapter.

 

[IronRain]

Nasaspaceflight.com: Ariane 5 holding 24 hours for Sky Muster II and GSAT-18 launch

Ariane 5 will continue Arianespace’s busy 2016 pace with her fifth launch of the year via the lofting of the Sky Muster II and GSAT-18 communication satellites on what is now expected to be Wednesday. The launch – from the European Spaceport in Kourou – is set to take place within a 1 hour 15-minute launch window that opens at 20:30 UTC after high winds postponed Tuesday’s attempt.

 

[mike-c]

T-12

http://www.arianespace.com/mission/ariane-flight-va231/

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[mike-c]

 

[mike-c]

Booster seperation

 

[mike-c]

 

[mike-c]

Orbit...

 

[N_Molson]

Yeah, seems we have a complete success for Ariane 5 once again :

23:03

India's GSAT 18 communications satellite has deployed from the Ariane 5 rocket.

Built by the ISRO Satellite Center in Bangalore, the 7,504-pound satellite will enter service in geostationary orbit at 74 degrees east longitude to support television, voice and data services over India and neighboring regions.

23:01

Plus+31 minutes. The Sylda dual-payload adapter has jettisoned, setting the stage for separation of GSAT 18 at Plus+32 minutes, 33 seconds.

23:00

Separation of Sky Muster 2 confirmed, beginning a 15-year mission for Australia's National Broadband Network, beaming high-speed Internet to remote, underserved parts of the country.

The Ariane 5's Sylda 5 dual payload adapter will be separated next, revealing the GSAT 18 spacecraft for its deployment in a few minutes.

(Spaceflight Now)

 

[IronRain]

Replay of the launch: