From: dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Subject: Ariane v.55 Mission Data
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 06:20:56 GMT


ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 55

The 55th Ariane launch is scheduled to place the SUPERBIRD-A satellite into 
a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane 42P launch vehicle 
equipped with 2 solid strap-on boosters (PAP).  This is the 4th flight of 
an Ariane 4 in the 42P configuration.  It will be launched from the Ariane
launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou -- French Guiana.

The launch vehicle performance requirement for this mission is 2,826 kg,
of which 2,780 kg represents the satellite mass.  The total vehicle mass 
at liftoff is 320,214 kg.


Required Orbit Characteristics:
  Perigee Altitude ..... 200 km
  Apogee Altitude ...... 35,963 km at injection
  Inclination .......... 7 degrees


The Ariane 42P lift-off for Flight 55 is scheduled on Tuesday December 1,
1992, as soon as possible within the following launch window:

     Kourou Time       GMT               Washington, DC
     19:48 - 20:39     22:48 - 23:39     17:48 - 18:39


LAUNCH VEHICLE:

Ariane 42P.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with solid 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 built by Aerospatiale and is 
the 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 two
strap-on boosters (PAP) are built by BPD and use a solid Flexadrine propellant.
The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 54.5 meters high on the pad.  
It uses the type 01 Ariane Short payload fairing.


Flight Profile:

 +01:30  Solid strap-on booster jettison
 +03:28  First stage separation
 +03:30  Second stage ignition
 +04:23  Fairing jettison
 +05:38  Second stage separation
 +05:43  Third stage ignition
 +18:11  Third stage shutdown / orbit injection
 +20:42  SUPERBIRD-A separation
 +20:46  Third stage avoidance maneuver
 +22:23  End of Ariane mission 55


PAYLOAD:

Superbird-A is the fourth satellite of a series built by Space Systems/LORAL,
Palo Alto, Ca. for Space Communications Corporation (Mitsubishi Group), Japan.
It will be used for domestic communications purposes.

  Total mass at lift-off .... 2,780 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,665 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,155 kg     
  On-board power ............ 3,800 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 10 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 20.3 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 158 degrees east, over the Pacific Ocean

 Transmission capacity:  
   Ku-band: 23 transponders (+8 spares) of 36 mhz bandwidth
   Ka-band: 3 transponders of 100 mhz bandwidth

 In-flight operations:
   Solar array deployment ....... about 2.5 hours after lift-off
   First apogee motor firing .... about 26 hours after lift-off at 3rd apogee
   Second/third apogee firings .. at 5th and 7th apogee


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.

-{ Dean Adams }-

Newsgroups: sci.space