Arianespace said Tuesday it has reset the date for its next Ariane 5 rocket liftoff for March 9, with a launch window extending only about one hour, from 7:06 p.m. to 8:13 p.m., local time. A scheduled launch on Feb. 24 had been postponed because Eutelsat had requested a complete verification of the telemetry signal system.
In addition, on Feb. 25, engineers disconnected a cryogenic purging umbilical line between the launch table mast and the rocket, an action that led Arianespace to roll back the launch vehicle to its Final Assembly Building to change the connector.
The repair was successful, and the telemetry test confirmed HOT BIRD “to be in perfect health and ready for launch,” Arianespace said in a .
The rocket will carry SpainSat, built by Alcatel Alenia Space for the Spanish Defense Ministry, and Hotbird 7 for Eutelsat, which will be used for direct television and radio broadcasts across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
