Kourou – Ariane 5 puts into orbit two communications satellites – Express

The pitcher took off Saturday from French Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, at 6:38 p.m. local time (9:38 p.m. GMT).

For its third launch of the year, the 230th Ariane family launcher crossed a small cloud layer, common during the rainy season, illuminating the savannah Kourou, to continue his race towards space, watched by more than two thousand spectators welcomed the observation sites in Kourou, said a journalist from AFP.

Two minutes and twenty-one seconds after liftoff, the Ariane 5 has dropped its two solid boosters in the Atlantic Ocean, according to data provided by Arianespace.

Twenty-nine minutes after launch, the launcher has orbited the satellite Echo Star XVIII, designed to provide for fifteen years of direct broadcast services on the United States, Alaska and Hawaii to on behalf of the American company Dish Network.

Forty-two minutes after liftoff, the Ariane 5 placed into geostationary transfer orbit the satellite BRIsat first telecommunications satellite in the world dedicated to a financial institution, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, which has 53 million customers in the Indonesian archipelago, according to Arianespace.

Ariane 5 set a record mass carried into space, with 10 tons 730 kilograms under the cap at the launch of 6.3 tonnes and 3.5 tonnes Echostar XVIII to BRIsat more a few hundred kilos of equipment. The previous record was 10 tons 500 kilos.

“ We will continue to improve the overall competitiveness of Ariane 5, prior to Service Ariane 6 ,” said Stéphane Israel in Kourou, the ceo of Arianespace to launch the guests.

The two satellites launched Saturday by Ariane 5 were built by US company Space Systems Loral in the United States.

According to Arianespace, the next Ariane 5 launch is scheduled for August 24 with the expected orbit commissioning of two telecommunications satellites for Intelsat.