Arianespace said Monday it has begun preparations for the second duel-satellite launch of its heavylift Ariane 5 ECA rocket in mid-May. The company began prepping for the launch – which will carry the Satmex 6 and THAICOM telecommunications satellites – by positioning Ariane 5’s core crygenic stage over the mobile launch table.
The activity took place within the Launch Integration Building, where the rocket’s assembly will continue with the mating of its two solid boosters to the cryogenic stage.
The mission will be Arianespace’s second launch in 2006, following the March 11 liftoff that place SPAINSAT and HOT BIRD 7A telecom platforms into geostationary transfer orbits.Satmex 6 will be operated by Satmex (Satelites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V.), a leading satellite services provider in Latin America.
Satmex 6 will be one of the most powerful telecom satellites ever built for coverage over the Americas, with its C-band and Ku-band footprint reaching from the northern United States to southern Argentina.
THAICOM 5 will provide telecom and television services throughout the Asia/Pacific region, and will join the satellite fleet operated by Shin Satellite Inc., eventually replacing the company’s older THAICOM 1 and 2 relay platforms.
