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An Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket will carry three satellites, including a space tug, into orbit today August 15, and you can watch it live online here at 6:04 p.m. EDT (10:04 p.m. GMT). The weather is now ready for launch.
After a series of delays due to weather conditions, the Ariane 5 rocket is expected to be launched from the Guyanese Space Center in Kourou, Guyana between 5:33 p.m. EDT and 6:20 p.m. EDT (2133-2220 GMT). You can watch the launch here starting approximately 20 minutes before the launch, thanks to an Arianespace webcast.
The rocket carries the Japanese broadcasting satellite BSAT-4b for the Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation and two satellites for Intelsat: the Galaxy 30 communications satellite and the Mission Extension Vehicle 2, a space tug designed to hook up to older Intelsat satellites and transport to higher orbits, extending their mission life.
Arianespace will put Galaxy 30 / Mission Extension Vehicle-2 for INTELSAT and BSAT-4b for MAXAR and Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) into orbit as end customer
For its fifth launch in 2020, Arianespace will put two telecommunications satellites (Galaxy 30 and BSAT-4b) and one life extension vehicle (Mission Extension Vehicle-2 or MEV-2) into orbit using an Ariane 5 launcher from the Center. Guyanese Space.
With this 253rd Ariane mission, Arianespace is once again serving the ambitions of the main satellite operators by contributing to the improvement of life on Earth.
Galaxy 30 / Mission-2 Expansion Vehicle
The Galaxy 30 / MEV-2 is a program of Northrop Grumman Corporation (formerly Orbital ATK) combining two satellites stacked together: the Galaxy 30 from Intelsat and the Mission Extension Vehicle-2 for SpaceLogistics LLC, a satellite service vehicle that will dock first to Intelsat 10-02 (IS-10-02).
Galaxy 30 (G-30) will be the first replacement satellite in Intelsat’s North American Galaxy fleet renewal. It will provide high-performance broadcast distribution capabilities, including Ultra-High Definition (HD), while also supporting broadband, mobility and enterprise networking solutions.
The launch of the G-30 demonstrates Intelsat’s long-term commitment to its media customers and media distribution districts, which have unmatched head-end penetration in the United States.
Galaxy 30 will be the 62nd satellite launched by Arianespace for Intelsat.
Galaxy 30 will be the 29th NG satellite launched by Arianespace.
MEV-2 is provided by Northrop Grumman for the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, SpaceLogistics LLC. Intelsat 10-02 will be the first customer of the MEV-2. Once docked, it will control the orbit of the client satellite using its own thrusters. After its mission for IS-10-02, MEV-2 will detach and be available for another customer’s vehicle.
The first MEV, MEV-1, was launched by Proton in October 2019. It docked at Intelsat-901 in February 2020.
After MEV-2, Northrop Grumman and SpaceLogistics are developing a new generation of satellite maintenance vehicles that could attach jets to multiple spacecraft in a single mission.
MEV-2 will be the first satellite maintenance vehicle launched by Arianespace.
MEV-2 will be the 30th NG satellite launched by Arianespace.
BSAT-4b satellite
The BSAT-4b satellite, designed and built for Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT), one of the leading satellite broadcasting operators in Japan, will be used for the Direct-to-Home (DTH) television service at above the Japanese archipelago.
BSAT-4b The satellite will serve as a backup system after the launch of BSAT-4a in September 2017. This will be B-SAT’s 10th launch. It will provide Direct-To-Home (DTH) television to deliver exceptional 4K / 8K ultra-high definition (UHD) video distribution over the Japanese archipelago, like its twin BSAT-4a. It is designed to provide service for 15 years or more.
The Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) is a Japanese company established in April 1993 to manage the provisioning, control and management of broadcast satellites, provisioning of base broadcasting stations and all operations and related activities.
Arianespace has launched all B-SAT satellites since the creation of this Japanese operator, testifying to the exceptionally strong position of the launch services company in this market. This mission also underlines the exceptional quality of the partnership between Arianespace, Maxar and the Japanese operator B-SAT.
Arianespace GTO’s market share in Japan has been 74% since the launch of the first Japanese commercial satellite JCSAT-1 in 1989. In addition, Arianespace has launched a total of 2 auxiliary payloads in cooperation with JAXA.
Maxar is a leading supplier of innovative satellite systems that has already built and integrated many of the most powerful and complete satellites in the world.
BSAT-4b will be the 66th Maxar satellite launched by Arianespace.
BSAT-4b will be the 68th satellite launched by Arianespace based on a Maxar platform (SSL).
It will be the 58th satellite launched by Arianespace on the basis of the 1300 platform.
There are currently 3 Maxar satellites in Arianespace’s order book.
“ISS Live! Connect to the space station
Find out what astronauts and cosmonauts are doing aboard the International Space Station by listening to the “ISS Live” program. Listen to conversations between the crew and mission controllers on Earth, and watch them work inside the US segment of the Orbiting Lab. When the crew is off duty, you can enjoy a live view of Earth from space. You can watch and listen in the window below, courtesy of NASA.
“Live video from the International Space Station includes internal views when the crew is on duty and views of Earth at other times. The video is accompanied by audio of conversations between the crew and control. This video is only available when the space station is in contact with the ground During periods of “loss of signal” viewers will see a blue screen.
“Since the station revolves around the Earth once every 90 minutes, it experiences a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes or so. When the station is in the dark, video from the external camera may appear. in black, but can sometimes offer spectacular views of lightning strikes or the city lights below. ”
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