Bangkok--Jan 12--Francom Asia
Arianespace successfully kicked off its 2001 launch activity by orbiting T?rksat 2A/Eurasiasat
1, an Alcatel Space communications satellite for Turkish operator Eurasiasat S.A.M.
Building bridges between Europe and Asia
Eurasiasat 1 will bridge the continents of Europe and Asia, providing communications links
between Western Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Far East.
T?rksat 2A/Eurasiasat 1 is the third Turkish satellite to be boosted into orbit by Ariane,
following T?rksat 1B in August 1994, and T?rksat 1C in July 1996. The T?rksat 2A/Eurasiasat 1 spacecraft
is designed for a service life exceeding 15 years.
Today's launch is part of a turnkey contract awarded by Eurasiasat S.A.M. to Alcatel Space.
Based in Monaco, Eurasiasat S.A.M. is jointly owned by Turk Telekom and Alcatel Space.
Ariane continues to set the standard for reliability and availability
This first successful launch in 2001 marks the 60th consecutive successful launch of an Ariane 4.
Arianespace has maintained a rapid-paced launch schedule in 2000, demonstrating its capability to adapt
to customer satellite availability. In the year 2000 the launch services company has orbited 16
communications satellites and four auxiliary payloads, using eight Ariane 4s and four Ariane 5s.
First launch of a busy year
The next launch, Flight 139, is planned for February 7, when an Ariane 44L will carry two
communications satellites into orbit: SICRAL of the SITAB consortium for the Italian Ministry of Defence
and SKYNET 4Fof Astrium for the British Ministry of Defence.
Arianespace plans 10 other Ariane launches in 2001, bringing the year's total to 11.
Flight 137 launcher Ariane 44P (with four solid-propellant strap-on boosters)
102nd Ariane 4 launcher since service entry
Launch site ELA-2, Guiana Space Center, Kourou, French Guiana
Launch time
7:09 pm January 10 Kourou
22:09 January 10 GMT
5:09 am January 11 Bangkok
T?rksat 2A/Eurasiasat 1 for Alcatel SpaceCommunications satellite: Spacebus 3000B3 platform
Prime contractor Alcatel Space Industries, Cannes, France
Mass at liftoff 3,535 kg.
Payload 32 Ku-band transponders (20 BSS channels and 12 FSS channels)
Orbital position 42? East, over Somalia
Coverage zone Europe, Middle East, Asia
Arianespace wraps up record-breaking year with four more contracts
End of 2000, three regular Arianespace customers have chosen Ariane to launch four new
satellites: DirecTV of the United States, the Indian Space Research Organisation (two satellites),
and Israel Aircraft Industries, Ltd.
The wave of new contracts helped Arianespace close out 2000 on a high note, further strenghtening
the company's worldwide leadership position that was bolstered by 12 launches during the year.
DirecTV-4S for local U.S. channels
Arianespace was selected to launch DirecTV's latest digital TV direct broadcast satellite,
DirecTV-4S.
Built by Boeing Satellite Systems, the 5-ton spacecraft will be launched at the end of 2001
or early the following year. It will be fitted with 38 high-power Ku-band transponders, providing direct
broadcast of local TV stations using digital compression technology.
DirecTV-4S is the U.S. operator's third satellite to be launched by Arianespace. It will be
positioned at DirecTV's primary orbital slot at 101? West, over the Galapagos Islands, to cover all of
the United States.
Insat 3A and 3E: communications and weather services for India
India has favored the Ariane launcher since the Apple experimental satellite was orbited by
Flight L03 in 1981. The country has now renewed its confidence in Arianespace by signing contracts for
two new Insat 3-series satellites.
Built and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Insat 3A and Insat 3E are
scheduled for launch in late 2001 and late 2002, respectively. Each satellite will weigh slightly over
2,000 kg. at liftoff.
Insat 3A is a hybrid satellite, carrying a mixed C/Ku-band communications payload and a weather
monitoring system. It will be positioned at 83? East, over the Indian Ocean.
Insat 3E is a dedicated communications satellite, with 36 C-band transponders.
These are the ninth and tenth launch contracts awarded to Arianespace by ISRO. From 1992 to 1999,
Arianespace launched five Insat 2 series satellites. In March 2000, an Ariane 5 lofted Insat 3B
(the first satellite in India's new Insat 3 series), and the Insat 3C spacecraft will follow this year.
Amos 2: digital TV for the Middle East
Four years ago, Arianespace Flight 86 orbited Israel Aircraft Industries' first satellite,
Amos 1. IAI has come back to Arianespace for Israel's second communications satellite, Amos 2, which
is scheduled for a late 2002 or early 2003 launch.
Weighing 1,300 kg. at liftoff, Amos 2 will be operated by Spacecom Ltd. It is to be equipped
with 22 Ku-band transponders, and will beam the digital broadcast package provided by new Israeli operator
YES. It offers extended coverage over the entire Middle East.
Amos 2 will be co-located with Amos 1 at 4? West over the Gulf of Guinea. It will be used as
a backup for the older satellite, supplying telecommunications and TV broadcast services for the Israeli
government.
Arianespace's record orderbook
In 2000, Arianespace's launch contract signings were for a total of 15 telecommunications
satellites, one Earth observation satellite and 9 ATV missions to the International Space Station -
confirming the company's world leadership in the commercial space transportation market.
Since its inception, Arianespace has inked orders for the launch of a total 231 payloads.
Following today's successful Flight 137, Arianespace's order book stands at 39 satellites to be
launched, plus 9 ATV launches for the International Space Station, worth a combined orderbook value of
approximately 4.45 billion euros.
For More Information, Please Contact: Tel: 233 4329/30, 233 4338/39 Fax: 236 8030
Email:
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