24-hour delay for Astra 5B/Amazonas 4A launch

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24-hour delay for Astra 5B/Amazonas 4A launch

March 21, 2014 07.20 Europe/London By Robert Briel

High winds at ground level prevented today’s transfer of the Ariane 5 launcher for Arianespace’s Flight VA216 mission with Astra 5B and Amazonas 4A, resulting in a 24-hour postponement of this mission from the Spaceport in French Guiana.

The launch was scheduled to take place on Friday, March 21.

The Ariane 5 and its two telecommunications satellite payloads remain in a safe condition inside the Final Assembly Building. Its rollout from the facility to the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone is now scheduled for tomorrow, enabling the countdown to begin for a liftoff on Saturday, March 22 at 7:04 pm local time during a launch window of 58 minutes.

Astra 5B is located in the Ariane 5 payload “stack’s” upper position and will be deployed first during the 34-minute flight sequence. It was built by Airbus Defence and Space for SES, and will operate from a 31.5 degrees East orbital slot.

Installed in the payload stack’s lower position, Amazonas 4A is an Orbital Sciences Corporation-produced satellite. It will be operated by Hispasat from an orbital position of 61 degrees West.