Arianespace prepares for Satmex 6 & THAICOM 5 satellite launch

[BGonaSTICK]

Mission preparations begin for Arianespace's second dual-satellite Ariane 5 flight of 2006

The heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA for Arianespace's next dual-payload mission is now taking shape at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

Preparations for this upcoming launch - scheduled for mid-May with the Satmex 6 and THAICOM 5 satellites - began with the positioning of Ariane 5's core cryogenic stage over the mobile launch table. This activity took place in the Launcher Integration Building, where Ariane 5's initial assembly will continue with the mating of its two solid boosters to the cryogenic stage.

The mid-May mission will mark Arianespace's second flight of 2006, and it follows the March 11 dual-payload success that placed the SPAINSAT and HOT BIRDTM 7A telecommunications platforms into highly accurate geostationary transfer orbits.

As with the next flight, the March 11 mission utilized the Ariane 5 ECA version - which has become the commercial launch service industry's true heavy-lift workhorse.

The Satmex 6 spacecraft to be orbited by the upcoming Ariane 5 launch will be operated by Satmex (Satelites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V.), a leading satellite services provider in Latin America. Satmex 6 is one of the most powerful telecommunications satellites ever built for coverage over the Americas, with its C-band and Ku-band footprint reaching from the northern United States to southern Argentina.

The second passenger for the May mission is Thailand's THAICOM 5 spacecraft, which will provide telecom and television services throughout the Asia/Pacific region. It will join the satellite fleet operated by Shin Satellite Inc., eventually replacing the company's older THAICOM 1 and 2 relay platforms.

Source: arianespace.com