|
|
|
|
|
  BY SPACEFLIGHT NOW Follow the launch of Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket carrying the Insat 4A and MSG 2 spacecraft. Reload this page for the latest on the mission.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2005
2309 GMT (6:09 p.m. EST) The satellite is the second in a series of four spacecraft that comprise the Meteosat Second Generation family that will provide continuity to European meteorologists throughout the coming decade.
2307 GMT (6:07 p.m. EST)
2306 GMT (6:06 p.m. EST)
2305 GMT (6:05 p.m. EST)
2304 GMT (6:04 p.m. EST)
2302 GMT (6:02 p.m. EST) Built by the Indian Space Research Organization, Insat 4A will be added to the nation's communications and broadcasting fleet to increase the capacity of the system. Its 12 Ku-band transponders will work primarily to deliver direct-to-home services to customers scattered across India, a market that has been exploding in growth through the past few years. An additional 12 C-band transponders will serve other users in a swath covering all of southern Asia.
2300 GMT (6:00 p.m. EST)
2259 GMT (5:59 p.m. EST)
2259 GMT (5:59 p.m. EST)
2258 GMT (5:58 p.m. EST)
2257 GMT (5:57 p.m. EST)
2256 GMT (5:56 p.m. EST)
2255 GMT (5:55 p.m. EST)
2254 GMT (5:54 p.m. EST)
2253 GMT (5:53 p.m. EST)
2252 GMT (5:52 p.m. EST)
2251 GMT (5:51 p.m. EST)
2250 GMT (5:50 p.m. EST)
2249 GMT (5:49 p.m. EST)
2248 GMT (5:48 p.m. EST)
2247 GMT (5:47 p.m. EST)
2245 GMT (5:45 p.m. EST)
2244 GMT (5:44 p.m. EST)
2244 GMT (5:44 p.m. EST)
2243 GMT (5:43 p.m. EST)
2242 GMT (5:42 p.m. EST)
2242 GMT (5:42 p.m. EST)
2242 GMT (5:42 p.m. EST)
2241 GMT (5:41 p.m. EST)
2240 GMT (5:40 p.m. EST)
2239 GMT (5:39 p.m. EST)
2238 GMT (5:38 p.m. EST)
2237 GMT (5:37 p.m. EST)
2236 GMT (5:36 p.m. EST)
2236 GMT (5:36 p.m. EST)
2235 GMT (5:35 p.m. EST)
2234 GMT (5:34 p.m. EST)
2234 GMT (5:34 p.m. EST)
2233 GMT (5:33 p.m. EST)
2233 GMT (5:33 p.m. EST)
2232 GMT (5:32 p.m. EST)
2232 GMT (5:32 p.m. EST)
2231 GMT (5:31 p.m. EST)
2230 GMT (5:30 p.m. EST)
2229 GMT (5:29 p.m. EST)
2228 GMT (5:28 p.m. EST)
2227 GMT (5:27 p.m. EST)
2226 GMT (5:26 p.m. EST)
2223 GMT (5:23 p.m. EST)
2219 GMT (5:19 p.m. EST)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2005 Liftoff of the 25th Ariane 5 rocket is set for 2233 GMT (5:33 p.m. EST) from the ELA-3 launch pad at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, at the opening of a 28-minute launch window. The Ariane 5GS booster will deliver the Insat 4A and MSG 2 spacecraft to a geostationary transfer orbit stretching from a low point of 385 miles to a high point of over 22,300 miles with an inclination of four degrees. Built by the Indian Space Research Organization, Insat 4A will be added to the nation's communications and broadcasting fleet to increase the capacity of the system - the largest of its kind throughout Asia and the Pacific. Its 12 Ku-band transponders will work primarily to deliver direct-to-home services to customers scattered across India, a market that has been exploding in growth through the past few years. An additional 12 C-band transponders will serve other users in a swath covering all of southern Asia. After deployment from the Ariane 5 upper stage, the 6,800-pound Insat 4A will use its kick motor to gradually circularize its orbit at a geostationary altitude of around 22,300 miles, while also decreasing inclination to hug the equator. The craft will be guided into a permanent location at 83 degrees East longitude, and its two solar arrays will be extended to span over 50 feet tip-to-tip as it embarks on its 12-year mission. Below Insat 4A and inside the Sylda 5 payload adapter during the ascent to orbit will be the 4,484-pound MSG 2 weather satellite, the second in a series of four spacecraft that comprise the Meteosat Second Generation family that will provide continuity to European meteorologists throughout the coming decade. MSG 2 was manufactured by a contracting team led by Alcatel Alenia Space. Once in its operational position in geostationary orbit parked above the intersection of the equator and prime meridian, data from MSG 2 will be delivered directly to ground terminals for use by both research meteorologists and daily weather forecasters to input into scientific studies and forecast models. The craft's imager features twelve channels ranging from visible to infrared wavelengths. Pictures can be snapped at regular 15-minute intervals, or around twice as fast as possible with satellites from the earlier series. Preparations for today's launch - the 169th in Ariane program history - officially began on June 21 with the arrival of MSG 2 in Kourou from its European factory. A string of delays with the Insat 4A payload caused Arianespace's manifest to be shuffled, so the campaign did not begin in earnest until the end of October, when Insat 4A touched down in French Guiana. Assembly of the Ariane 5 rocket commenced on November 17 when workers hoisted the cryogenic first stage atop its mobile launch table. The twin solid rocket boosters were positioned alongside the first stage on the following two days, and connections between the three components were made on November 21. The storable propellant upper stage and vehicle equipment bay containing the command and control systems were attached to the top of the first stage on November 23. Meanwhile, Insat 4A and MSG 2 were loaded with their chemical maneuvering fuel beginning on November 22 and November 29, respectively. The nearly-complete Ariane 5 was rolled from its launcher integration building to the final assembly building on December 7, where it would receive its two passengers. Insat 4A was integrated on the Sylda 5 dual payload adapter on December 10, while MSG 2 was placed directly on the rocket on December 13. The Sylda 5 and Insat 4A were then attached to the booster the next day. Work to fuel the Ariane 5 upper stage was completed over two days ending last Friday, and most activities were suspended over the weekend. Senior managers convened on Monday in the traditional launch readiness review, which concluded with a formal “go” for launch. Workers in the final assembly building armed pyrotechnic devices and made final closeouts to the vehicle before the rocket rolled on dual rail lines to the launch zone on Tuesday. Looking ahead to today's events, the final countdown will get underway at 1103 GMT (6:03 a.m. EST). Controllers will perform a check of the launcher's electrical systems at 1503 GMT (10:03 a.m. EST), followed by the start of filling operations for the first stage's load of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen at 1643 GMT (11:43 a.m. EST). Chilldown conditioning of the first stage Vulcain main engine will begin at 1913 GMT (2:13 p.m. EST). A final check of connections between the Ariane 5 and ground-based telemetry, tracking, and command systems is planned for 2123 GMT (4:23 p.m. EST). As the last few minutes in the countdown tick away, all major events will be controlled by computers in the synchronized sequence. When the countdown reaches zero, the Vulcain engine will come to life, followed seven seconds later by the ignition of the solid rocket boosters and liftoff. As the Ariane 5 rocket ascends away from the South American coast, it will roll on an easterly course before dropping its twin solid rocket boosters two minutes, 20 seconds after launch. The protective payload fairing will be jettisoned about one minute later. The launcher's first stage will drain its fuel tanks shortly before the flight hits the ten-minute mark, and separation will occur just seconds later. The hypergolic upper stage will continue the push toward orbit with a marathon 17-minute burn. After shutdown of the second stage, thrusters will re-orient the vehicle for the release of Insat 4A and MSG 2, which are slated for T+29 minutes, 5 seconds, and T+36 minutes, 44 seconds, respectively. Check this page during the launch of Arianespace Flight 169 for updates on the progress of the mission.
|
|
|
|
Apollo Collage This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos. U.S. STORE STS-127 Patch  The official embroidered patch for shuttle Endeavour's flight to finish building Japanese section of the space station.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STORE Hubble Patch  The official embroidered patch for mission STS-125, the space shuttle's last planned service call to the Hubble Space Telescope, is available for purchase.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREProject Orion  The Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.U.S. STOREFallen Heroes Patch Collection  The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREAres 1-X Patch  The official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREApollo Collage This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.U.S. STOREExpedition 21  The official embroidered patch for the International Space Station Expedition 21 crew is now available from our stores.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREHubble Patch The official embroidered patch for mission STS-125, the space shuttle's last planned service call to the Hubble Space Telescope, is available for purchase.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STORE |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
INDEX | PLUS | NEWS ARCHIVE | LAUNCH SCHEDULE ASTRONOMY NOW | STORE ADVERTISE © 2009 Spaceflight Now Inc. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The first robotic space mission to visit the distant planet Pluto and frozen objects in the Kuiper Belt is explained by the project's managers and scientists in this NASA news conference from the agency's Washington headquarters on Dec. 19.
Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for space operations, discusses the latest space shuttle program news, including the decision to remove the PAL foam ramp from future external fuel tanks, during this December 15 teleconference with reporters.
The Gemini 6 mission launched from the Cape at 8:37 a.m. December 15, 1965 to rendezvous with the orbiting Gemini 7 spacecraft. The rendezvous occurred and Gemini 6 safely returned to Earth.
NASA's Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn is wrapping up a phenomenally successful year of observing the mysterious icy moons, including Enceladus, Dione, Rhea, Hyperion and Iapetus.
Mission Control remembers the spacewalking efforts by astronaut Jerry Ross and Jim Newman from this week in 1998. The duo worked to connect the first two pieces of the International Space Station -- the Russian-made Zarya control module and the U.S Unity node.
New panoramas from NASA's long-lasting Mars Exploration Rovers show the view from the Columbia Hills where Spirit continues its adventure and the strange landscape at Meridiani Planum where Opportunity is driving southward.
Scientists marvel at the achievements made by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope in this produced movie looking at the crown jewel observatory that has served as our window on the universe.
