From: dnadams@nyx.cs.du.edu (Dean Adams)
Subject: Ariane V.53 mission
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Organization: Denver University
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 14:57:42 GMT

ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 53

For this fifth launch of 1992, Arianespace will use an Ariane 44LP vehicle
equipped with 2 liquid strap-on boosters and 2 solid strap-on boosters.
The Ariane 44LP will place two telecommunications satellites into
geostationary transfer orbit.  HISPASAT 1A for Hispasat (Spain), and
SATCOM C3 for G.E. Americom.  This 25th Ariane 4 flight is equipped 
with the improved version of the third stage booster: the H10 "plus".


MISSION:

The 53rd Ariane launch will place the HISPASAT 1A and SATCOM C3 satellites
into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane 44LP launch vehicle
equipped with 2 liquid strap-on boosters (PAL), 2 solid strap-on boosters 
(PAP), and the Ariane Dual Launch System (SPELDA).  This will be the 25th 
launch of an Ariane 4 and the 7th in it's 44LP configuration.  It will be 
launched from the Ariane launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou - French Guiana.

The launch vehicle performance requirement is 4,084 kg, which is the
combined satellite mass.  The total vehicle mass at liftoff is 417,312 kg.

Required Orbit Characteristics:
  Perigee Altitude ...   200 km
  Apogee Altitude .... 35786 km at injection
  Inclination ........     7 degrees

The Ariane 44LP lift-off for Flight 53 is scheduled on Thursday, 
September 10, as soon as possible within the following launch window:

     Kourou Time       GMT               Washington, DC
     20:04 - 20:49     23:04 - 23:49     19:04 - 19:49


LAUNCH VEHICLE:

Ariane 44LP.  This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with both solid 
and 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 new 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 liquid 
strap-on boosters (PAL) are each powered by a Viking VI engine, also built by
SEP, and use the same biliquid fuel as the first and second stages.  The two 
solid strap-on boosters (PAP) are built by BPD and use a solid Flexadrine
propellant.  The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 57.3 meters high on 
the pad.  This mission uses the Ariane Type 01 payload fairing.


Flight Profile:

+01:07  Liquid strap-on booster jettison
+02:28  First stage separation
+03:35  Fairing jettison
+04:39  Second stage separation
+05:47  Third stage ignition
+18:17  Third stage shutdown / orbit injection
+20:32  HISPASAT 1A separation
+23:21  SPELDA top separation
+24:55  SATCOM C3 separation
+25:25  Third stage avoidance maneuver
+29:55  End of Ariane mission 53


PAYLOADS:

HISPASAT 1A is the first Spanish telecommunications satellite built by
Matra Marconi Space for the Hispasat organization.  It's primary mission
will be telecommunications, including telephone, telex, and television.

  Total mass at lift-off .... 2,194 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,325 kg
  Dry mass .................. 1,013 kg     
  On-board power ............ 3,790 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 10 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 22.3 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 30 degrees west, over the Atlantic Ocean.
 
 Transmission capacity:  
   FSS/Ku-band:  8 channels with Spanish coverage area
                 1 channel with U.S. coverage area
   DBS/Ku-band:  3 channels
   X-band:       4 channels

 In-flight operations:
  DBS and booms deployment ...... about 7 hours after lift-off
  First apogee motor firing ..... about 37 hours after lift-off
  Second apogee motor firing .... about 92 hours after lift-off
  Third apogee motor firing ..... about 157 hours after lift-off
  Deployment of solar panels .... about 183 hours after lift-off


SATCOM C3 is destined to replace the aging SATCOM 1R satellite for a
continued cable-based TV transmission system managed by G.E. American
Communications.

  Total mass at lift-off .... 1,370 kg
  Mass at GEO insertion .....   784 kg
  Dry mass ..................   618 kg     
  On-board power ............ 1,407 W (end of life)
  Nominal lifetime .......... 12 years     
  Span of solar panels ...... 15.1 m
  On-Orbit position ......... 131 degrees west, over the East Pacific Ocean.

 Transmission capacity:  
   32 TWTA's - 24 active / 8 spares

 In-flight operations:
  First apogee motor firing ..... about 72 hours after lift-off
  Deployment of solar panels .... about 96 hours after lift-off


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.  This mission will likely be carried on Satcom F2R, however
it could end up being located on a different satellite such as Galaxy 6.

-{ Dean Adams }-


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