Launch News ASTRA 1N & BSAT 3c/JCSAT 110R atop Ariane 5, August 6, 2011

[IronRain]

Two television broadcasting satellites to serve Europe and Japan moved to a South America launch pad Thursday, ready to blast off aboard an Ariane 5 rocket Friday evening.

The 165-foot-tall Ariane rocket rolled 1.7 miles from the final assembly building to the ELA-3 launch pad Thursday, then workers began connecting the vehicle to the facility's electrical and fueling system.

Liftoff is scheduled for 21:53 GMT (5:53 p.m. EDT) Friday on the expendable rocket's fourth flight of the year.

Satellites for European and Japanese operators are stacked inside the launcher's nose cone for the journey to space.

The ASTRA 1N satellite, a broadcasting platform for Europe, will jettison from the rocket first at 27 minutes, 12 seconds after liftoff. The spacecraft weighs 11,794 pounds at launch, including propellant to guide itself to a 22,300-mile-high perch over the equator.

ASTRA 1N will be initially positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 28.2 degrees east longitude to serve the United Kingdom and Ireland. Then the satellite will move to a permanent location at 19.2 degrees east for the bulk of its 15-year service life.

From its second position, ASTRA 1N will provide direct-to-home digital and high-definition television broadcasting to Germany, France and Spain, according to SES ASTRA, the craft's operator based in Luxembourg.

The spacecraft's communications payload features 52 active Ku-band transponders. Its solar panels will stretch more than 130 feet across when fully extended in orbit.

Full article

Live webcast (starts at 21:23 UTC, 5:23 p.m. EDT)
http://www.videocorner.tv/videocorner2/live_flv/index.php?langue=en

Calender event where you can request a reminder (thanks Orb)
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=380&day=2011-7-1&c=1

The Ariane 5 rocket rolled to the launch pad Thursday. Credit: Arianespace

Photo of the ASTRA 1N satellite being attached to the Ariane 5 rocket earlier in June.

The BSAT 3c/JCSAT 110R spacecraft will ride to orbit in the lower position inside the Ariane 5 rocket's payload fairing.

 

[N_Molson]

Arianespace

Ready for launch: Arianespace's fourth Ariane 5 of 2011 rolls out for its July 1 liftoff

Riding atop its mobile launch table, the Ariane 5 with ASTRA 1N and BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R moves into the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone.

June 30, 2011 – Ariane Flight VA203

The Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone has welcomed another heavy-lift Ariane 5 as preparations enter the final phase for Arianespace’s dual-passenger mission tomorrow with the ASTRA 1N and BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R satellites.

Emerging from the Final Assembly Building in the French Guiana sunshine, the Ariane 5 was transferred atop one of two operational mobile launch tables for the workhorse Arianespace vehicle.

All is ready for the countdown leading to a liftoff on July 1 during a launch window that opens at 6:43 p.m. (21h43 Universal time) on Arianespace’s fourth mission in 2011. The two passengers for this flight are direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcasting satellites with coverage over Europe and Japan, which are to be delivered to geostationary transfer orbit by the Ariane 5.

To be deployed first during the 38-minute mission is ASTRA 1N, which was built by EADS Astrium in Toulouse, France for the Luxembourg-based operator SES Astra. Based on Astrium’s Eurostar E3000 platform, ASTRA 1N has an estimated liftoff mass of 5,350 kg. and is fitted with 52 active Ku-band transponders. It initially is to deliver interim capacity from an orbital position of 28.2 deg. East, and subsequently will move to SES ASTRA’s prime location at 19.2 deg. East for primary and backup services during a designed operational lifetime of 15 years.

BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R was manufactured by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems at its plant in Newtown, Pennsylvania as part of a turnkey contract for Japanese operators B-SAT Corporation and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation. Produced using an A2100 A platform, this satellite will weigh approximately 2,910 kg. at launch, and is to be positioned at 110 deg. East longitude in geostationary orbit, and offers a design life exceeding 16 years. BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R is fitted with 24 active Ku-band transponders, and is primarily designed to provide direct TV broadcast links for all of Japan.

Tomorrow’s mission follows Arianespace’s previous Ariane 5 flights in 2011 that orbited the ST-2 and GSAT-8 telecommunications satellites on May 20; the Yahsat Y1A and Intelsat New Dawn relay spacecraft on April 22; and the Johannes Kepler Automated Transfer Vehicle for servicing of the International Space Station on February 16.

• See the Arianespace VA203 launch kit for further details.
• Watch the launch live with Arianespace’s real-time video broadcast.

Launch window for Ariane Flight VA203

Universal time (GMT) : Between 9:43 PM and 11:06 PM on July 1, 2011

Paris, France : Between 11:43 PM and 1:06 AM on July 1-2, 2011

Kourou, French Guiana : Between 6:43 PM and 8:06 PM on July 1, 2011

Washington, D.C. : Between 5:43 PM and 7:06 PM on July 1, 2011

Tokyo, Japan : Between 6:43 AM and 8:06 AM on July 2, 2011

---------- Post added at 06:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:51 AM ----------

3 hours from live broadcast.

 

[astrosammy]

Astra also has a live broadcast:

Astra 1L @ 19.2 East 
Transponder 1.037
Downlink: 11023.25 MHz
...Polarization: Horizontal
Modulation:
DVB-S: QPSK 22.0 MSym/s, FEC 5/6

Source: http://forum.digitalfernsehen.de/forum/astra-hot-bird-news/279770-astra-1n.html

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: LIVE: Ariane 5 ECA set to launch ASTRA 1N and BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R

 

[N_Molson]

1/2 July launch attempt scrubbed -> Next attempt in 20 days (around the 21th of July)

T - 12 minutes

Everything is green, including the weather.

---------- Post added at 09:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:29 PM ----------

T - 7 minutes

Automatic launch sequence started

---------- Post added at 09:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 PM ----------

T - 3 minutes

Interesting info about the fairing :

Mass : 2.6 tons
Lenght : 17 meters

---------- Post added at 09:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 PM ----------

T - 2 minutes

---------- Post added at 09:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:39 PM ----------

RED !!! Countdown is stopped at T - 1 minute 47 seconds

The launch window is still open for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

The RED comes from the launch complex.

Countdown reset at T - 7 minutes and holding.

The engineers have more than 1 hour to find the cause of the problem and solve it.

---------- Post added at 09:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 PM ----------

Problem comes from a valve (fueling, launch complex).

In 15 minutes, the engineers will be able to say if the launch can be resumed tonight.

Current state of the launcher :

On the illuminated side :

---------- Post added at 10:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:53 PM ----------

Night is quickly falling over Guyana.

---------- Post added at 10:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:00 PM ----------

The 15 minutes given for the diagnostic are now over... Waiting (anxiously) for an update...

---------- Post added at 10:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------

What is said on the Arianespace website :

Arianespace launch with ASTRA 1N and BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R: Mission hold

July 1, 2011 – Ariane Flight VA203

Ariane 5’s dual-payload mission today with the ASTRA 1N and BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R satellites has been put on hold following a “red” indication for the Spaceport infrastructure.

Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said the final countdown was stopped following an indication that a valve in the ground system had not closed completely. Efforts were underway to determine whether the issue can be resolved for a resumption of tonight’s countdown.

The mission’s launch window opened at 6:43 p.m. local time and continues through 8:06 p.m.

---------- Post added at 10:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 PM ----------

Launch window closing in 40 minutes. No news.

---------- Post added at 10:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 PM ----------

The cause of the failure comes from a valve feeding the Vulcain engine with LH2.

Launch scrubbed, will be reported "as soon as possible" (date unknown).

Spaceflight Now :

Ariane 5 rocket launch scrubbed by faulty valve

Two television broadcasting satellites to serve Europe and Japan were grounded Friday by an issue with the Ariane 5 rocket's first stage liquid hydrogen valve. Arianespace says it is evaluating the problem, but no new launch date has been set.

---------- Post added 07-02-11 at 03:40 PM ---------- Previous post was 07-01-11 at 10:34 PM ----------

Spaceflight Now :

Ariane 5 rocket launch postponed about 20 days

Two television broadcasting satellites to serve Europe and Japan were grounded Friday by a malfunctioning hydrogen fuel valve on the Ariane 5 rocket's first stage main engine. Arianespace says the rocket will be rolled back to the final assembly building to replace the valve, delaying the launch about 20 days.

 

[ky]

Sorry but whoo hoo!!I almost missed the launch.Now it's postponed so now I can see it.

 

[Notebook]

ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VA203 - ASTRA 1N & BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R

LANCEMENT ARIANESPACE VA203 - ASTRA 1N et BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R​

Lancement prévu le vendredi 05 août 2011

Les travaux de remise en état et les vérifications effectuées sur le lanceur Ariane 5 ECA étant à présent terminés, Arianespace a décidé de reprendre les opérations de chronologie du Vol VA203, Ariane 5 ECA – ASTRA 1N – BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R.
Le décollage du lanceur Ariane 5 ECA est à présent prévu :
- Le vendredi 05 août à 18h53mn, heure de Kourou,
- Le vendredi 05 août à 17h53mn, heure de Washington DC,
- Le vendredi 05 août à 21h53mn, Temps Universel,
- Le vendredi 05 août à 23h53mn, heure de Paris,
- Le samedi 06 août à 06h53mn, heure de Tokyo.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VA203 - ASTRA 1N & BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R​

Liftoff is scheduled for Friday 5 August 2011

The reconfiguration work and the checkouts on the Ariane 5 ECA launcher are now complete. Arianespace has decided to resume the operations for Flight VA203, Ariane 5 ECA – ASTRA 1N – BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R.

Liftoff of the Ariane 5 ECA launcher is now scheduled for:
- Friday 05 August at 06:53 p.m., local time in Kourou, French Guiana,
- Friday 05 August at 05:53 p.m. in Washington DC,
- Friday 05 August at 21:53 UTC,
- Friday 05 August at 11:53 p.m. in Paris,
- Saturday 06 August at 06:53 a.m. in Tokyo.

​

​

 

[orb]

We have a calendar event for this launch, created more than a month ago for the original launch date, which was updated a couple of times after the scrub on July 1st. You can request a reminder for it (again, if you did previously) here.

 

[orb]

Arianespace: Ariane 5 is cleared for launch with the ASTRA 1N and BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R satellites:

Arianespace’s fourth heavy-lift flight of 2011 has been authorized for its August 5 liftoff following today’s launch readiness review at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

With today’s successful review, Ariane 5 is now cleared for its rollout tomorrow from the Final Assembly Building to the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone, where it will be readied for liftoff on Friday during a launch window that opens at 6:53 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

{...}

 

[orb]

Arianespace:

• 2011-08-04: The Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s next heavy-lift flight is on the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport

 

[orb]

Arianespace:

• Press Release: Arianespace Flight VA203; Ariane 5 ECA – ASTRA 1N – BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R: Launch postponed
  
  
• Mission Update: A weather-related postponement for the Ariane 5 launch with ASTRA 1N and BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R

 

[Moach]

ow, too bad... today was shaping up to be a glorious friday, with two launches in a same afternoon

well, JUNO was plenty awesome to watch already... i think we can wait a bit for weather to clear up for this one

 

[orb]

Arianespace:

• Press Release: Arianespace Flight VA203 > ASTRA 1N & BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R: Launch slated on the night of August 6, 2011

Liftoff of the Ariane 5 ECA launcher is now scheduled for:

• Saturday 06 August at 06:53 p.m., local time in Kourou, French Guiana,
• Saturday 06 August at 05:53 p.m. in Washington DC,
• Saturday 06 August at 21:53 UTC,
• Saturday 06 August at 11:53 p.m. in Paris,
• Sunday 07 August at 06:53 a.m. in Tokyo.

 

[N_Molson]

45 minutes to go, 30 minutes before the beginning of broadcast.

http://www.videocorner.tv/videocorner2/live_flv/index.php?langue=en

 

[astrosammy]

Astra also has a live broadcast:

Astra 1L @ 19.2 East 
Transponder 1.037
Downlink: 11023.25 MHz
...Polarization: Horizontal
Modulation:
DVB-S: QPSK 22.0 MSym/s, FEC 5/6

Source: http://forum.digitalfernsehen.de/forum/astra-hot-bird-news/279770-astra-1n.html

It's still working! :thumbup:

 

[N_Molson]

Broadcast begins.

 

[ky]

12 minutes to go.

 

[N_Molson]

T-12 minutes

Meteo is RED (altitude winds)

---------- Post added at 09:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 PM ----------

Weather forecasts say that the altitude winds should slow down before the end of the 1 hour launch window

---------- Post added at 09:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:42 PM ----------

T-10 minutes

Meteo is still RED

---------- Post added at 09:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:43 PM ----------

T-7 minutes

Countdown hold because of the RED on weather.

Will resume if it gets better.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Stopped at T-7min
I don't catch these launches very often anymore.

 

[N_Molson]

A word of explanation :

Launch isn't allowed when there are altitude winds (over 10 km) for safety concerns. The launcher flies near inhabited areas on the coast, and winds could push debris or burning fuel over those areas if a mid-air explosion happened.