Ariane flight VA246

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Ariane flight VA246
The Ariane 5 launch vehicle, and the GSAT-11 and GEO-KOMPSAT-2A satellites, depicted in front of abstract representations of the Indian and South Korean flags
Artwork featured on visitors' brochures
Ariane 5 ECA launch
Launch4 December 2018 (2018-12-04), 20:37:00 UTC
OperatorArianespace
PadKourou ELA-3
Payload
OutcomeSuccess
Components
Serial no.5104
Ariane launches
← VA245
VA247 →

Ariane flight VA246 is an Ariane 5 space launch of two geosynchronous satellites that took place on 4 December 2018.[1]

Payload[]

The payloads of the flight were the GSAT-11 and geosynchronous satellites. They were adapted together onto the SYLDA adapter inside the long version of the upper stage fairing. The total payload mass was approximately 10,298 kilograms (22,703 lb), including the adapters.[1]

GSAT-11[]

Main article: GSAT-11

GSAT-11 was in the upper position. The telecommunication satellite is the first satellite based on the I-6K satellite bus, and had a liftoff mass of 5,854.5 kilograms (12,907 lb). It was designed and manufactured by ISRO and will be operating for a design lifetime of more than 15 years from the 74° East orbital position, where it will be providing telecommunications services to the Indian subcontinent with Ku- and Ka-band multi-beam coverage.[1]

GSAT-11 was initially foreseen on board Ariane flight VA243, which had to be reconfigured and postponed after Ariane flight VA244 due to its unavailability.[2]

It is ISRO's 21st spacecraft orbited by Arianespace, and the latter's 591st.[1]

GEO-KOMPSAT-2A[]

GEO-KOMPSAT-2A was in the lower position, inside the SYLDA adapter. The civilian Earth observation satellite had a liftoff mass of 3507,2 kg and was developed by KARI at its facility in Daejeon. It will be performing meteorological and space weather monitoring covering the Asia-Pacific region from the 128.2° East orbital position for a 10-year nominal lifetime.[1]

It was the 592nd, KARI's 2nd and South-Korea's 7th spacecraft orbited by Arianespace.[1]

Mission overview[]

Launch time and location[]

The launch took place on 4 December 2018 at the very beginning of its 20:37 – 21:53 (UTC) window (05:37 – 06:53 local time) from the Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA-3) in Kourou, French Guiana.[1]

Timeline[]

Liftoff took place about 7.3 seconds after reference time T-0 (the latter occurred at 20:37:00 UTC exactly), and GSAT-11 and GEO-KOMPSAT-2A were separated respectively 29 minutes and 7 seconds and 33 minutes and 38 seconds after T-0.[1]

Orbit[]

The launch placed both satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit with a perigee altitude of about 250 kilometres (160 mi) and an apogee altitude of approximately 35,726 kilometres (22,199 mi) at an inclination of about 3.5 degrees.[1]

Statistics[]

It was the 102nd launch of Ariane 5 (the 6th in 2018), and the 304th Arianespace mission (the 10th in 2018).[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "VA246 Launch Kit" (PDF). Arianespace. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  2. ^ Clark, Stephen (27 April 2018). "Concerns with Indian satellite postpone next Ariane 5 launch". Retrieved 5 December 2018.

External links[]

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