Article Posted on : - Apr 20, 2011

The Ariane 5 rocket getting ready ahead of Friday's lift off. An Arianespace photo

KOUROU (BNS): The Ariane 5 heavy lift rocket is getting ready to lift off from the European spaceport in French Guiana on Friday to place in orbit two communications satellites.

Arianespace said it is on track for the rescheduled April 22 liftoff of its Ariane 5 mission with the Yahsat 1A and Intelsat New Dawn satellite payloads after replacement of actuators on the heavy-lift launcher’s Vulcain 2 cryogenic main engine.

The replacement was made following an interruption of the original final countdown on March 30, when an incorrect displacement of one of the Vulcain 2 engine’s actuators was detected.

The Ariane 5 rocket, presently at the spaceport’s final assembly building where checkout and verification activity was undergoing, will be rolled out to the ELA-3 launch zone tomorrow.

The launch window for the mission, designated Ariane Flight VA201, is scheduled between 21:37 GMT and 22:41 GMT Friday.