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Karthik Naren

European Ariane-5 rocket launching 2 Asian Communication Satellites

VA-257 mission will launch satellites for Malaysia and the Republic of India. Liftoff will occur during a 100-minute window that opens at 5:03 p.m. EDT (2103 UTC).

VA257 Flight Infographic by S.I and HDE

An Ariane 5 Flight 257 is scheduled to take off on June 22, 2022, during a launch window from 21:03 to 22:43 UTC (18:03 to 19:43 Kourou, 02:33 to 04:13 IST, 05:03 to 06:33 MST) As a payload will be two geostationary telecommunications satellites, the MEASAT-3d, and GSAT-24. The satellites will be launched to long-time customers of Arianespace, MEASAT is Malaysia's leading satellite operator contracted by Airbus, and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India company under the Department of Space (DOS) and ISRO. The launcher will carry a total payload of approximately 10,863 kg.


Ariane 5 VA-257 poised at ELA-3 in Kourou (Credit: Arianespace)

The Ariane 5 heavy load launcher is an ESA program carried out in cooperation between public institutions and industry. ArianeGroup is the prime contractor for the development and production of the launcher, as well as being responsible for campaign operations through to takeoff. The rocket is marketed and operated by Arianespace from the Guyana Space Center in Kourou, with the support of the French space agency CNES, responsible for the design and maintenance of the launch pad and satellite preparation facilities.

Bordeaux Métropole presided over the Communities of Ariane Cities from 2020 to 2021 and is the partner of Flight VA257. As such, the logo of the intercommunal structure will be displayed on the launcher’s fairing.


VA-257 Fairing decal (Credit: Arianespace)

The Bordeaux Métropole, with its Aéroparc dedicated to the aerospace industry that stretches out over 3,400 hectares. It hosts over 300 companies generating more than 20,000 jobs (which represents 42% of the Aéroparc global workforce).


Payloads

MEASAT-3d (Airbus)

The MEASAT-3d, to be co-located with the MEASAT-3a and MEASAT-3b in the geostationary slot 91.5°E orbital, MEASAT is a multi-mission telecommunications satellite built by Airbus Defense and Space for Malaysia's Measat Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd. The Satellite Weighing is approximately 5,648 kg and is built on a Eurostar 3000 chassis, It will carry C- and Ku-band payloads for direct-to-home (DTH) services and a high-throughput Ka-band payload with multiple user spot beams optimized to deliver high speed broadband communications over Malaysia for internet connectivity. It will also carry an L-band navigation payload for South Korean KT-SAT as part of the Korea Augmentation Satellite System (KASS).

It is designed for an estimated service life of 18 years. It will significantly increase broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps per user in areas with limited or no terrestrial network across Malaysia while continuing to provide redundancy and additional capacity for HD, 4K and ultimately 8K video distribution in the Asia-Pacific region.

In addition, the satellite will also host a Q/V-band payload, the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, which allows MEASAT to study propagation effects in high rainfall regions such as Malaysia to enable the project of its next-generation satellites. It will be the fourth satellite launched by Arianespace for MEASAT. It will be the 137th satellite made by Airbus to be launched by Arianespace.


GSAT-24 (ISRO)

GSAT-24, a 4,181 kg communications satellite based on the I-3K (INSAT 3000) chassis, with 24 Ku-band transmitters, was built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) which will offer television services. , telecommunications and broadcasting in India.

NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), incorporated during March 2019, is a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE), under Department of Space (DOS) and is the commercial arm of ISRO

The GSAT-24' is the “1st Demand Driven communication satellite mission” with Pan India coverage for meeting DTH application needs. NSIL has leased the entire satellite capacity to M/s Tata Play, a leader in Direct-To-Home (DTH) services in the Indian Subcontinent. M/s Tata Play announces that it will be able to offer better and more reliable services to its customers. GSAT-24 will be the twenty-fifth indian satellite launched by Arianespace and the eleventh of the GSAT series.




Flight Profile of VA-257 mission


LAUNCH AND DEPLOYMENT

All times are approximate


HR/MIN/SEC EVENT

00:00:00 Lift-Off

00:01:10 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)

00:02:21 Solid boosters (EAP) separation

00:03:20 Fairing Deployment

00:08:47 End of the cryogenic main stage (EPC) thrust phase and separation

00:08:51 Cryotechnic Upper Stage (ESC-D) ignition

00:28:39 MEASAT-3d satellite separation

00:29:52 SYLDA Separation

00:39:57 GSAT-24 satellite separation



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