Launches Syracuse 3A and Galaxy 15 

The Ariane 5 Generic launcher lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana at the 1932 local time opening of its launch window and flew the planned trajectory to deploy Syracuse 3A and Galaxy 15 in geostationary transfer orbit, according to a company statement.

Arianespace's video broadcast -– carried live on Ariane's website -– clearly showed the Ariane 5's ascent and climbout, including the jettison of its two solid propellant boosters at an altitude of some 69 km.

Thursday's mission underscored Arianespace's flexibility to accommodate multiple payloads on a single Ariane 5 flight, as well as its ability to handle spacecraft from both civilian and military customers.

"Arianespace celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and tonight's success is exemplary - placing our 225th and 226th satellites in orbit," Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said in post-launch comments from the Spaceport.

Ariane Guarantees Sovereignty

Le Gall noted that Syracuse 3A is the latest military satellite orbited by Arianespace, whose commercial launch services guarantee sovereignty for European and international space programs. He added this important reality should be remembered by program decision-makers when selecting launch services for new systems in the telecommunications, Earth observation and other sectors.
 
During Thrusday night's launch, Ariane 5 released Syracuse 3A at approximately 29 min. into the mission, followed by the Galaxy 15 spacecraft's deployment some 10 minutes later. Syracuse 3A rode in the upper position on Ariane 5's SYLDA 5 deployment system, while Galaxy 15 was installed below it.

Syracuse 3A is the initial satellite in France's new third-generation Syracuse III system for secure military communications. With a mass at liftoff of 3,725 kg., the satellite carries a 15-channel payload operating in nine SHF (super high frequency) channels and six EHF (extremely high frequency) channels.

Built by France's Alcatel Alenia Space using the company's Spacebus 4000 B3 satellite platform, Syracuse 3A has a design lifetime of 12 years, and the platform will operate from an orbital position of 47 deg. East. The Syracuse 3A spacecraft was ordered through the French DGA military procurement agency.

The 20th Satellite Orbited By Ariane For PanAmSat

PanAmSat's Galaxy 15 satellite was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and will be placed in an orbital position of 133 deg. West. Providing coverage over the 50 United States, the satellite's C-band payload will distribute entertainment and information to cable television systems, TV broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home TV operators, Internet service providers, telecommunications companies and corporations.

Galaxy 15 also has an L-band payload for the relay of Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation to in-flight aircraft as part of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's Geostationary Communications and Control Segment (GCCS) program. The Galaxy 15 spacecraft design is based on Orbital Sciences Corporation's Orbital Star 2 spacecraft bus, and it had a liftoff mass of approximately 2,030 kg.

With today's launch Arianespace has orbited a total of 20 payloads for PanAmSat.

The next Ariane 5 mission is scheduled for November 9, using a heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA version to carry Spaceway 2 for DirecTV of the U.S. and Telkom 2 for PT Telkom Indonesia.

FMI: www.arianespace.com