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Ariane 5 Launches Three Satellites

More Information:

An Ariane 5 successfully launched Astra-2D, GE-8 and LDREX from CSG, Kourou, pad ELA 3, at 0026 UTC (4:26 p.m. PST December 19) on December 20. Astra 2D will be positioned at 28.2°E to provide direct digital TV broadcast services for Europe, with its coverage area optimized for the United Kingdom and Ireland. The GE 8 spacecraft will be located at 139ºW, replacing Satcom C5 which is currently operating at that location.

Astra 2D is a Boeing built HS 376 HP Spinner spacecraft featuring 15 transponders (16 at the beginning of life) extending coverage to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The 1497 kg (3,300 lbm) satellite will be co-positioned with Astra 2A and Astra 2B prior to Astra 2C. The satellite will operate in the FSS Ku-band frequency range of 10.70 - 10.95 GHz with a design life of 12 years. The spacecraft offers additional protection against potential launch or in-orbit failures across the Astra system. Because of their flexibility in repointing the antenna, HS 376 Spinner spacecraft allows for potential operations at different orbital slots for markets in- and outside of Europe. Société Européenne des Satellites (SES), Luxembourg, contracted to build Astra 2D, with Hughes Space & Communications, now Boeing Satellite Systems, in August 1999.

The 1935 kg (4257 lbm) Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems built A2100A satellite will carry twenty-four 36 MHz 20-watt C-band transponders. GE 8 will primarily serve the cable television and radio programmers providing each capacity for meeting its regional or national distribution requirements. The satellite is expected to have a design life of 15 years. AT&T Alascom purchased a large portion of the GE 8 C-band communications payload to carry its interstate and intrastate telephony, voice and digital services for customers throughout the state of Alaska. The satellite will be jointly owned and operated by GE Americom and AT&T Alascom. GE Americom will provide satellite Tracking, Telemetry & Control (TT&C) and protection services within its fleet. GE-8 will also be known as Aurora 3. GE Americom placed the order for GE 8 in April 1999.

The Large Deployable Reflector Experiment (LDREX) was built by Toshiba for National Space Development Agency (NASDA). NASDA is testing a half-scale version of a new type of very large unfolding satellite antenna. The antenna design is scheduled to be used on the agency's Engineering Test Satellite (ETS-8) targeted for launch in 2003.

Société Européenne des Satellites S.A. (SES) is the operator of the ASTRA direct-to-home Satellite System. The ASTRA fleet consists of ten satellites with seven spacecraft co-located at the orbital position of 19.2°E, and three located at 28.2°E. ASTRA transmits over 1000 television and radio channels, in analogue and digital format, as well as multimedia and Internet services to an audience of close to 80 million homes in Europe. SES is also a 31.1% shareholder in AsiaSat, a 50% owner of Nordic Satellite Company (NSAB), the operator of the Scandinavian Sirius satellite system, and a 19.99% shareholder of Embratel Satellite Division, owner and operator of Brasilsat.

GE American Communications, Inc. (GE Americom) is a subsidiary of GE Capital. GE Capital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric Company. Alascom, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AT&T. Chartered as a communications company in Alaska, AT&T Alascom provides a wide range of residential and business communications services including both interstate and intrastate long distance telephone service, Internet services, local phone service to the Anchorage area, and wireless communications. The relationship between Americom and AT&T Alascom began in 1982 with the Aurora 1 and 2 satellites.

SPACEandTECH Digest is a weekly roundup of the latest industry news of interest to the space professional. SPACEandTECH Flash! is an internet push service offered by Andrews Space & Technology to bring the latest on orders, launches, and important breaking news to your desktop. SPACEandTECH Digest and SPACEandTECH Flash! are part of the Andrews Space & Technology www.spaceandtech.com website, a website designed to serve the information needs of the space industry.

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December 19, 2000