Payload processing for Arianespace’s next dual-passenger Ariane 5 flight is moving forward as the Eutelsat 25B/Es’hail 1 satellite is readied for its upcoming liftoff from the Spaceport in French Guiana August 29.
This relay platform – built by Space Systems/Loral (SSL) based on the company’s 1300 satellite bus – made initial contact with Ariane 5 launcher hardware during activity inside the Spaceport’s S1B clean room facility. The step involved Eutelsat 25B/Es’hail 1’s fit-check with its cone-shaped payload adapter, which serves as the spacecraft’s interface with Ariane 5.
After deployment by Ariane 5, Eutelsat 25B/Es’hail 1 will assist European telecommunications operator Eutelsat and Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company, in responding to demand for the fastest-growing applications in the Middle East and North Africa – including video broadcasting, enterprise communications and government services. In addition, it will initiate a Ka-band capability that opens business opportunities for both parties.
Eutelsat 25B/Es’hail 1 is equipped with four steerable spot beam antennas and four deployable reflectors, along with advanced command and telemetry capabilities, and it will provide a follow-on to the Eutelsat 25C satellite – which currently is operated at 25.5° East.
With a liftoff mass of more than 6,000 kg., Eutelsat 25B/Es’hail 1 will ride in the upper position of Ariane 5’s payload “stack,” with the Indian GSAT-7 communications satellite – which also has been undergoing checkout activities at the Spaceport – located below it. GSAT-7 was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation and carries relay payloads in UHF, S-band, C-band and Ku-band.
This upcoming launch – targeted for August 29 – is designated Flight VA215 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system, signifying the 215th mission with the Ariane series of launch vehicles.
