Article Posted on : - Aug 26, 2011

The Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s upcoming heavy-lift mission with Arabsat-5C and SES-2 moves away from the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building (at left) on its way to the Final Assembly Building. Photo: Arianespace

EVRY (BNS): Arianespace is all set to launch the Arabsat-5C and SES-2 telecommunications satellites on September 9 from the Spaceport in French Guiana.

With the lauch, Arianespace will complete its fifth heavy-lift mission of 2011.

According to Arianespace, the Ariane 5 ECA was handover to it on Wednesday from the Spaceport’s Launcher Integration Building – where it was assembled by prime contractor EADS Astrium.

Ariane 5 will launch two payloads; Arabsat-5C will have an estimated launch mass of 4,630 kg, while SES-2 will weigh in at approximately 3,152 kg. for liftoff.

Built in a joint effort of Europe’s EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space, Arabsat-5C is a fifth-generation satellite for the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat).

This multi-mission platform is designed to provide capacity in both the C- and Ka-bands for a range of communications services from Arabsat’s 20 deg. East orbital position.

SES-2 was produced by the US-based Orbital Sciences Corporation for SES WORLD SKIES, and is a hybrid C- and Ku-band spacecraft that will serve North America from an orbital slot of 87 deg.