ARIANESPACE ORBITS AZERBAIJANI, SPANISH SATELLITES
AFP 2013/ S Martin
07:35 08/02/2013
Tags: Arianespace
MOSCOW, February 8 (RIA Novosti) – Arianespace has successfully
launched two telecommunications satellites from French Guiana, the
French space transportation company has reported.
The Ariane 5 launch orbited the Amazonas 3 and Azerspace/Africasat-1a
telecommunications platforms, delivering a total calculated mass of
10,317 kilograms into geostationary transfer orbit, according to
Arianespace.
The mass included 9,503 kg for the two spacecraft, along with the
dispenser system and integration hardware in Ariane 5’s dual payload
“stack.”
Amazonas 3 was orbited for Spanish operator Hispasat, and
Azerspace/Africasat-1a for Azerbaijani operator Azercosmos and the
Azerbaijani Communications Ministry.
The Spanish satellite was produced by Space Systems/Loral in Palo
Alto, California, and is to operate from a 61 deg. West longitude
orbital slot. It is equipped with 33 Ku-band and 19 C-band
transponders, along with nine Ka-band spot beams.
Amazonas 3 is expected to provide telecommunications relay services,
including direct-to-home television (DTH), corporate fixed and mobile
telephone networks, and broadband capacity with coverage across the
Americas, Europe, and North Africa, Arianespace said.
Azerspace/Africasat-1a was Azerbaijan’s first national satellite
launched by Arianespace. The comsat has 24 C-band transponders and 12
Ku-band transponders for communications coverage over Azerbaijan,
Central Asia, Europe and Africa from an orbital location of 46 deg.
East longitude.
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