On Saturday evening, May 27, Arianespace placed two satellites into geostationary transfer orbit: Satmex 6 for the Mexican operator Satélites Mexicanos S.A. de C.V., and Thaicom 5 for the Thai operator Shin Satellite Plc.
The 27th Ariane 5 launch, 13th success in a row, and a new record for satellite mass delivered in orbit
Today’s launch was the 27th mission for Ariane 5 and the 13th success in a row, further proof that Arianespace sets the global standard for launch services, meeting the needs of operators around the world.
Arianespace set a new record with this launch, boosting two satellites totaling more than 8,200 kg. into orbit. In just a little more than nine months, Arianespace has used six Ariane 5s to boost 11 satellites into geostationary transfer orbit.
Today, Ariane 5 is the only commercial launcher in service capable of simultaneously launching two payloads and providing customers the performance, flexibility and competitiveness they expect.
Launches for two loyal customers
This is the fourth time that Mexico has used Arianespace to launch a communications satellite. Mexico had already chosen Arianespace to launch Solidaridad 1 in November 1993, Solidaridad 2 in October 1994 and Satmex 5 in December 1998.
Thaicom 5 was the fifth satellite launched by Arianespace for private Thai operator Shin Satellite, following Thaicom 1 in December 1993, Thaicom 2 in October 1994, Thaicom 3 in April 1997 and Thaicom 4 in August 2005. Shin Satellite Plc, one of the largest operators in the Asia-Pacific region, has shown its continued confidence in Arianespace, the clear recognition of a top-quality launch service.
Satmex 6/Thaicom 5 mission at a glance
The mission was carried out by an Ariane 5 ECA launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Liftoff was on Saturday, May 27 at 6:09 pm local time in Kourou (5:09 p.m. in Washington, D.C., 4:09 p.m. in Mexico City, 21:09 GMT, 11:09 p.m. in Paris, and on Sunday, May 28 at 4:09 a.m. in Bangkok).
Provisional parameters at injection of the cryogenic upper stage (ESC-A) were:
Perigee: 250 km. for a target of 249.7 km. (±3)
Apogee: 35,923 km. for a target of 35,910 km. (±160)
Inclination: 6.99 degrees for a target of 7.00 degrees (±0.06°)
Satmex 6 was produced by Space Systems/Loral of the United States in Palo Alto, California. Weighing about 5,500 kg. at launch, it will be positioned at 113 degrees West. Satmex 6 is fitted with 36 C-band transponders and 24 Ku-band transponders. It will bolster Satmex’s telecommunications and Internet service offering throughout Mexico, as well as in parts of North America and Latin America.
Built by Alcatel Alenia Space, Thaicom 5 weighed about 2,800 kg. at launch. It is fitted with 25 C-band transponders and 14 Ku-band transponders. From its orbital position at 78.5 degrees East, Thaicom 5 will provide telecom and television transmission services for the entire Asia-Pacific region, and will eventually replace the Thaicom 3 satellite.
The 117th and final Ariane 5 launch, operated by Arianespace, placed two telecommunications satellites in orbit: Heinrich-Hertz-Satellit for the German government and SYRACUSE 4B for the French Armament General Directorate (DGA).
Europe’s Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher, for which ArianeGroup is the lead contractor, is taking its place in the annals of history and leaves an exceptional heritage of expertise and reliability to its successor Ariane 6.
Ariane 6 will now take over from Ariane 5, in carrying out Europe’s institutional space missions and responding to the growing demands of the commercial market.
On July 5, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. local time, Ariane 5, operated by Arianespace, lifted off flawlessly from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, carrying Heinrich-Hertz-Satellit for the German government and SYRACUSE 4B for the French Ministry of Defence..
The Heinrich-Hertz-Mission is the first dedicated German telecommunications satellite-based mission that will be used to conduct research and to test new technologies and telecommunications scenarios. The technologies on board are meant to respond smartly and flexibly to future challenges, to support future telecommunications scenarios and to be adapted from Earth to address new technical requirements and market needs. The mission is managed by the German Space Agency on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and with the participation of the German Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg). The Heinrich-Hertz-Satellit was mainly developed and built by OHB System.
The SYRACUSE 4B satellite is part of the SYRACUSE IV program carried out under the leadership of the DGA in collaboration with the French Air and Space Force, and for the Space Command (CdE). Together with SYRACUSE 4A, it will enable French armed forces to remain permanently connected when they are deployed on operations. At sea, in the air, or on land, the armed forces need powerful and secure communications systems to be able to exchange information with theIr command center. Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment including an anti-jamming antenna and a digital onboard processor, SYRACUSE 4B will be fully protected against the most severe military threats. It will help guarantee French national sovereignty while also supporting NATO operations. Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space joined forces to develop the SYRACUSE 4A and SYRACUSE 4B satellites so that the program could benefit fully from their combined expertise. .
“This 117th and last Ariane 5 mission is emblematic in several respects. Ariane 5 has just deployed two telecommunications satellites, SYRACUSE 4B and Heinrich-Hertz-Satellit, for France and Germany, the first two contributors to the Ariane program,” said Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace. “This mission is also emblematic of Ariane 5’s ability to perform dual launches, which constitutes the very core of its success, with 197 satellites placed in geostationary orbit out of a total of 239 satellites deployed. Over its career, Ariane 5 has served 65 institutional and commercial customers from 30 countries. Ariane 5’s success heralds a promising career for Ariane 6.”
This launch also marks the end of the remarkable career of the HM7 upper stage engine, which flew on the first Ariane 1 and on the final Ariane 5. It helped power Ariane launchers 228 times, without ever failing. This veteran of spaceflight has been a crucial element in the European space adventure. It will be replaced on Ariane 6 by the re-ignitable Vinci engine.
“Ariane 5 is now taking its place in the annals of global space history. This final successful mission demonstrates once again its supreme reliability in the service of European autonomy and rounds off an exceptional career distinguished by a succession of technological and industrial achievements. I share the emotion of all the employees at ArianeGroup, Arianespace, the French and European space agencies CNES and ESA, and all our European partners, who have contributed to its success over the course of these 27 years,” said Martin Sion, CEO of ArianeGroup. “Together we are now taking up the challenge of Ariane 6, the beneficiary of the experience acquired with Ariane 5. It will be able to evolve and play a full role in guaranteeing independent, sustainable access to space for Europe, in a context of major strategic, economic and environmental challenges, to meet the needs of its institutional and commercial customers.”
Leading up to its inaugural flight, Ariane 6 is currently passing a series of key milestones in Europe and in French Guiana. Even more versatile and competitive, Ariane 6 will carry out its first missions with a rapid production ramp-up, supporting Europe’s institutional missions and meeting the swiftly growing demands of the commercial market.
The Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher is an ESA program carried out in cooperation between public institutions and industry across 12 European partner states.
ArianeGroup is the lead contractor for the development and production of the Ariane family of launchers. It is responsible for Ariane 5 and Ariane 6 preparation operations up to lift-off. ArianeGroup is at the head of a vast industrial network of more than 600 companies, including 350 small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). ArianeGroup delivers a flight-ready launcher on the launch pad to its subsidiary Arianespace, which markets and operates Ariane 5 from Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana. During Ariane 5 launch campaigns, Arianespace works closely with the French space agency (CNES), the design authority for the launcher and responsible for the satellite preparation facilities and the launch base.
THE LAUNCH AT A GLANCE
347th Launch operated by Arianespace
More than 1,150 satellites launched by Arianespace
2nd launch operated by Arianespace in 2023
This launch was carried out on July 5, 2023 from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 7:00 p.m. local time (10:00 pm UTC)
117th and last Ariane 5 launch from the European Spaceport
7,680 kg is the total payload carried by the launcher for this mission
91st and final consecutive launch with nominal operation of the Vulcain 2 main-stage engine
117th and final consecutive launch with nominal operation of the solid boosters
157th and final consecutive launch with nominal operation of the HM7B upper-stage engine
About Arianespace
Arianespace uses space to make life better on Earth by providing launch services for all types of satellites into all orbits. It has orbited over 1,100 satellites since 1980. Arianespace is responsible for operating the new-generation Ariane 6 and Vega C launchers, developed by ESA, with respectively ArianeGroup and Avio as industrial primes. Arianespace is headquartered in Evry, near Paris, and has a technical facility at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, plus local offices in Washington, D.C., Tokyo and Singapore. Arianespace is a subsidiary of ArianeGroup, which holds 74% of its share capital, with the balance held by 15 other shareholders from the Ariane and Vega European launcher industry, and ESA and CNES as censors.
About ArianeGroup
ArianeGroup is lead contractor for civil and defense space launcher systems, responsible for the design and the entire production process of Europe’s Ariane 5 and Ariane 6, including marketing and operation by its Arianespace subsidiary, as well as for the design, manufacture, and operational condition maintenance of the missiles of the French oceanic deterrent force. Internationally recognized for its innovative, competitive solutions, ArianeGroup has expertise in all aspects of state-of-the-art space propulsion technologies. ArianeGroup and its subsidiaries also offer their specialist skills in space equipment, services, space surveillance, and critical infrastructure to benefit other industrial sectors. Equally owned by Airbus and Safran, the group employs more than 8,000 highly qualified staff in France and Germany. Its 2022 revenues amounted to €2.4 billion.
Due to unfavorable high altitude winds above the Guiana Space Center, Arianespace has decided not to initiate the final phase of VA261 launch preparation operations.
Subject to favorable weather conditions, the earliest possible launch date for VA261 flight is July 5, 2023:
Between 7:00 p.m. and 8:05 p.m. Kourou, French Guiana time,
Between 10:00 p.m. and 11:05 p.m. Universal time (UTC).
The Ariane 5 launch vehicle and the two satellites –SYRACUSE 4B and Heinrich-Hertz-Satellit– are in stable and safe conditions.
