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| The heavy-lift Ariane 5 completes its rollout – approaching the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone at left, where it was locked in position for tomorrow’s liftoff with the W3B and BSAT-3b satellites |
The Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s next mission has moved to the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport, readying it for tomorrow’s liftoff with a dual payload of telecommunications satellites for Europe and Japan.
Emerging under clear French Guiana skies at 10:45 a.m. local time today, the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA was transferred during a one-hour process from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building to the launch zone.
Preparations now are underway for tomorrow’s final countdown, which will lead to liftoff during a launch window that opens at 6:51 p.m. local time and continues to 8:01 p.m.
Ariane 5’s payload lift performance for this mission is a total of 8,263 kg., which includes a mass of approximately 7,460 kg. for its satellite passengers, along with the associated integration hardware and the launcher’s SYLDA multi-payload dispenser system.
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Launch window for Ariane Flight 197
Universal time (GMT)
Between 9:51 p.m.and 11:01 p.m. on October 28, 2010
