Payload integration is underway for Arianespace’s third Ariane 5 mission of 2019, which will orbit Intelsat 39, for global operator Intelsat; and EDRS-C, based on a public-private partnership between Airbus and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Recent activity at the Spaceport included initial steps in creating the dual-payload configuration, with Intelsat 39 riding in the upper position. This involved installing the relay platform atop Ariane 5’s SYLDA dispenser system inside the launcher’s Final Assembly Building.
Intelsat 39 – which was produced by Maxar Technologies – was then encapsulated by Ariane 5’s protective fairing, completing the payload configuration’s upper portion and readying it for positioning over EDRS-C once this spacecraft is installed atop the launcher.
The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) will take place on Friday, August 2, 2019 in Kourou to authorize the start of operations for the final countdown.
Intelsat 39 will be the 61st satellite launched by Arianespace for Intelsat since the first mission at its service in 1983. It will replace Intelsat 902 (launched by Arianespace in 2001) at 62 degrees East.
The Intelsat 39 telecommunication satellite is designed with both wide and high-powered steerable spot beams to meet the needs of broadband networking, video and government customers across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Indian Ocean region. The steerable spot beams provide flexibility within the payload and enable customers to rapidly and efficiently respond to shifts in geographic or application requirements.
The satellite features C-and Ku-band capabilities to provide additional scale for Intelsat’s Flex managed service and enhance mobile connectivity for aero, maritime and government users operating across these regions. Intelsat 39 was built by Maxar in Palo Alto, California.
Following Ariane 5’s liftoff during the afternoon hours of August 6, Intelsat 39 will be released first into geostationary transfer orbit, to be followed by the separation of SYLDA – enabling EDRS-C’s subsequent deployment to geostationary transfer orbit.
