From: dnadams@isis.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Subject: Ariane Flight V.50
Apparently-To: sci-space-news@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Followup-To: sci.space
Organization: University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 19:24:24 GMT


ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 50

The 50th Ariane launch is to place the TELECOM-2B and INMARSAT 2-F4 satellites
into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane 44L launch vehicle 
equipped with 4 liquid strap-on boosters (PAL) and the Ariane Dual Launch
System (SPELDA).  It will be the 22nd launch of an Ariane 4 and the 11th in
the Ariane 44L configuration.  It will be launched from the Ariane launch 
complex (ELA 2), in Kourou - French Guiana.

The launch vehicle performance requirement is 4,101 kg (9,041 lb) of which 
3,585 kg (7,904 lb) are the combined satellite masses.  The total vehicle 
mass at liftoff is 480,242 kg.

Required Orbit Characteristics:
  Perigee Altitude ..... 300 km
  Apogee Altitude ... 35,786 km at injection
  Inclination ............ 4 degrees

Note: On the standard geostationary transfer orbit with perigee 200 km and
inclination 7 degrees, the equivalent performance would be approx. 4,370 kg.

The Ariane 44L lift-off for Flight 50 is scheduled on Wednesday April 15,
1992, as soon as possible within the following launch window:

     Kourou Time       GMT               Washington, DC
     20:12 - 20:57     23:12 - 23:57     19:12 - 19:57


Launch Vehicle:

Ariane 44L.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with liquid fueled 
strap-on boosters.  The first stage (L220) is built by Aerospatiale, and is 
powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines.  The second stage (L33) is built
by MBB Erno, and is powered by a single Viking IV engine. Both the Viking IV
and V engines are manufactured by SEP.  The first and second stages use a 
biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel.  The third stage is the newly flight-qualified H10
"plus", with larger fuel tanks and increased performance over past models.
It uses a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP. The four strap-on
boosters are each powered by a Viking VI engine, also built by SEP, and uses
the same biliquid fuel as the first and second stages.  The fully assembled 
launch vehicle stands 57.3 meters high on the pad.


Flight Profile:

+02:31  Liquid strap-on booster jettison
+03:35  First stage separation
+04:23  Fairing jettison
+05:45  Second stage separation
+18:14  Third stage shutdown / GTO injection
+20:29  TELECOM-2B separation
+22:46  SPELDA top separation
+24:54  INMARSAT 2-F4 separation
+25:19  Third stage avoidance maneuver


Payloads:

TELECOM-2B is the second satellite of the second generation for France 
Telecom built by Matra Marconi Space and Alcatel Space to fulfill the 
needs of France Telecom and the French Ministry of Defense (DGA).  
Operational on orbit position will be 3 degrees east, over the Gulf 
of Guinea.  The primary mission is telephone and TV over France and 
between France and its overseas departments, governmental services, 
and business services.

  Total mass at lift-off .... 2,275 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,380 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,124 kg     
  On-board power ............ 3,450 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 10.25 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 22 m
 
 Transmission capacity:  
  C-band .... 10 transponders, each with 11 W 
  Ku-band ... 11 transponders, each with 55 W
  X-band .... 5 transponders of 20 and 40 W

 In-flight operations:
  First apogee motor firing ..... 36 hours after lift-off, at 4th apogee
  Third and last motor firing ... 132 hours after lift-off
  Deployment of solar panels .... 22 hours after last apogee firing  


INMARSAT 2-F4 is the fourth satellite of the second generation built 
for Inmarsat by British Aerospace.  Operation on orbit position will 
be 55 degrees east, over the West Atlantic.  It's primary mission is
mobile and maritime satellite telecommunications.

  Total mass at lift-off .... 1,310 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion .....   824 kg
  Dry mass ..................   624 kg     
  On-board power ............ 1,000 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 10 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 14.9 m

 Transmission capacity:  
  C to L-band transponder for fixed to mobile transmissions (6/1.5 ghz)
  L to C-band transponder for mobile to fixed transmissions (1.5/4 ghz)
  Capacity: 250 voice circuits, 18 mhz total bandwidth

 In-flight operations:
  First apogee motor firing ..... 36 hours after lift-off, at 4th apogee
  Third and last motor firing ... 96 hours after lift-off
  Deployment of solar panels .... 12 hours after last apogee firing  


Launch coverage:

All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou. Coverage
begins at 30 minutes before launch, and continues until all payloads have 
been deployed.  In the US, the majority of recent flights have been carried 
on Westar V.


-{ Dean Adams }-
Newsgroups: sci.space.news