After yesterday's delay due to a strike of workers of a company that provides radar tracking and range data, Arianespace has announced that a launch attempt on September 21 will be possible as all facilities will be available. The countdown sequence has started and the team is targeting a liftoff at 5:38pm EDT. The launch window extends until 7:02pm EDT and a launch is possible during this entire period. The first major milestone will be the beginning of the Tanking Process which will begin at 12:48pm EDT. At 4:28pm EDT a final check of all communication connections and links to ground stations will be conducted. The synchronized sequence should pick up at T-7 Minutes and Counting at 5:31pm EDT to target the launch for 5:38:07pm EDT.
Launch Delayed! Arianespace has delayed today's launch of an Ariane 5 on Mission VA204 due to a strike. The countdown was stopped this morning before Cryogenic Tanking was scheduled to begin. Workers of a local Company that provides critical data for Ariane Launches have gone on strike. The initial postponement is 24 hours.
The Ariane 5 Launch Vehicle that will carry out the VA 204 Mission for Arianespace and the two Payload Contractors Arabsat and SES was rolled to the Launch Pad on Monday, September 19. Being rolled atop two large mobile launch tables, the 60th Ariane 5 Launcher was transferred from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building to the ELA-3 launch site. The weather was nearly perfect and the Vehicle came to a stop within one hour after first motion. Launch remains targeted for tomorrow at 5:38pm EDT which is the beginning of an almost 90-minute launch window that extends until 7:02pm EDT. The vehicle can launch at any point in that period.
The LRR for the next flight of Europe's Launch Vehicle Ariane 5 was completed today in preparation for launch on September 20. All systems of the rocket, the two satellite payloads and the ground support equipment were reviewed and it was determined that a GO to press into terminal launch operations can be given. This sets the stage for a rollout of the Launcher that will occur tomorrow with countdown activities beginning in the morning hours of September 20.
Checks on the Cryogenic Upper Stage Engine have been completed and revealed no concerns. The Rocket is now ready for launch and Arianespace announced the new launch date of September 20 with a launch window of 84 Minutes beginning at 5:38pm EDT. The launch Readiness Review that is planned for September 18 will set the formal launch date and give a GO for the Rollout of the Rocket that would occur on September 19.
The Launch Vehicle is now standing ready for Launch in the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building where the Payload Integration Process has been completed. SES-2 was installed on top of the stacked rocket before the rest of the payload assembly was placed on top of it. The Payload Fairing that will protect the two satellites was then attached to the rocket's body and separation devices were checked one final time to make sure that a clean Fairing Separation will occur when the rocket is in flight.
Today, Arianespace announced that additional checks on the HM-7B Cryogenic upper Stage Engine will be performed to ensure its readiness to support the VA204 Mission. The Launch that was planned for September 9 was delayed. This procedure of checking the engine will take several days. The Launch remains targeted for September.
Payload Integration operations are progressing well at the Korou Spaceport. One of the satellites that will be carried to orbit by the launcher, Arabsat 5C, has been installed atop the Sylda in preparation for Payload Fairing Installation. The Sylda is a payload dispenser device that is used to allow two satellites to be carried in a stacked manner. The Payload Fairing was then installed round the stack. SES-2, the second satellite for this mission, will be placed on top of the cryogenic upper stage to allow the Sylda/Arabsat/Fairing Complex to be installed on to of it in order to complete Rocket/Payload integration.
The Ariane 5 Rocket for the VA204 Mission has completed its integration process inside the Launcher Integration Building where the prime contractor for Ariane Launch Vehicles, Astrium, was in charge of building the Rocket. A Handover to Arianespace was conducted. Arianespace is responsible for launch operations and payload integration that is performed inside the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building. Launch is targeted for September.