The Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s ninth mission of 2017 is now fully assembled following integration of its two satellite passengers at the Spaceport in French Guiana.
During activity in Ariane 5’s Final Assembly Building, the upper payload component – containing Intelsat 37e, mounted on its SYLDA dispenser system and protected by an ogive-shaped fairing – was lowered into position over BSAT-4a, which was previously installed atop the launcher’s central core.
This step clears the way for final checkout, which will enable the launch readiness review to be conducted on September 1, followed by Ariane 5’s rollout to the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone the following Monday, and an evening liftoff on Tuesday, September 5.
Intelsat 37e is a high performance satellite. Manufactured by Boeing, the all-digital Intelsat 37e payload represents an evolution of the Intelsat EpicNG platform. The satellite features full beam interconnectivity in the C, Ku- and Ka-bands, and also includes enhanced power sharing technology and steerable beams in Ku- and Ka-band. These features combine to bring additional flexibility to address regional and application requirements for broadband, mobility and government customers in the Americas, Africa and Europe.
Intelsat 37e will be placed into service at 342 degrees East where it replaces Intelsat 901, which will be repositioned to another location in Intelsat’s Globalized Network.
BSAT-4a, which is being launched as part of a turnkey contract between Japan’s Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) and US-based satellite manufacturer SSL – will be operated from an orbital position of 110 degrees East. It will be used for DTH television relay in Japan, as well as to expand the availability of advanced television services (such as 4K/8K ultra-high definition TV).
