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.
Related Links
Arianespace
Russian And Indonesia To Ink Air Launch Deal
Moscow, Russia (RIA) Mar 01, 2006
The Russian and Indonesian presidents are expected to sign an agreement this summer on implementing a $122 million aerospace project, a Russian space official said Tuesday. Talks on the Ruslan (An-124-100) aircraft's take off from the Indonesian island of Biak have been ongoing since 2003.
