THE XTAR-EUR PAYLOAD IS FUELED IN THE S5 SATELLITE PREPARATION FACILITY
Mission Update
January 28, 2005
Preparations for the upcoming flight of Arianespace's heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA entered a new phase today as the mission's primary spacecraft - the XTAR-EUR telecommunications satellite - was fueled at the Spaceport in French Guiana.
Fueling was carried out in the S5B high-bay area of the Spaceport's large S5 satellite preparation facility. Following completion of final pre-launch checkout, XTAR-EUR will be transferred to the launcher Final Assembly Building, where it will be installed on Flight 164's Ariane 5.
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| Photo courtesy of Arianespace |
XTAR-EUR will weigh approximately 3,600 kg. at launch and is fitted with 12 wideband and high-power X-band transponders. The satellite will be operated by XTAR - a joint venture of Loral Space & Communications and HISDESAT, S.A. - and its telecommunications relay services will be offered to government users in the United States, Spain and other friendly and allied nations.
Operating from an orbital slot at 29 deg. East longitude, XTAR-EUR will feature on-board switching and multiple steerable theater beams that allow its X-band capacity to follow users as they move anywhere within the satellite coverage footprint.
In addition to XTAR-EUR, Arianespace Flight 164 will carry an experimental/test payload consisting of the Sloshsat mini satellite (which is to be separated during the mission), and the Maqsat B2 telemetry/video imaging package (which will remain mated to Ariane 5 throughout the flight).
Liftoff of the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA is scheduled for February 11.
Mission update courtesy Arianespace. For more information, visit Arianespace's XTAR mission page
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