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ARIANE 5 LAUNCH PROVES RELIABILITY AND FLIES NEW FAIRING
An Ariane 5 carrying two telecom
satellites inside a new lighter fairing
lifted off on the fourth mission from
Europe’s Spaceport in two months.
Liftoff came at 21:15 GMT (18:15
local time, 23:15 CEST) last night
from Kourou, French Guiana on a
mission lasting about 39 minutes
to deliver Hellas Sat 3–Inmarsat S
EAN and GSAT-17 into their planned
orbits.
Hellas Sat 3–Inmarsat S European
Aviation Network, with a mass of 5792 kg, was the first to
be released after about 28 minutes. The 3477 kg GSAT-17
was released 13 minutes later.
Hellas Sat 3–Inmarsat S EAN, will provide direct-to-home
and telecom services to Europe, the Near East and sub-
Saharan African countries, and inflight broadband within
Europe. The Indian Space Research Organization’s GSAT-
17 will provide communications services, data relay, and
search and rescue services.
Both satellites have a design life of more than 15 years.
These speeds will enable real-time uploads to social
media, videoconferencing capabilities, and access to
updated weather information along their journey.
“Honeywell has been a leader in aviation technology for
more than 100 years, and has been connecting planes
for 25 years. No one has more expertise than Honeywell
when it comes to getting critical data on and off an aircraft
and making flights safer and more efficient,” said Warren
Nechtman, vice president, Connected Aircraft Systems,
Honeywell Aerospace. “This is why we’re happy to sponsor
the C150 Global Odyssey. Helicopter connectivity can be a
challenge due to the rotor blades interrupting the satellite
signal to and from the aircraft. Honeywell, in coordination
with Inmarsat satellite technology, is overcoming that
barrier with its Aspire 200 and GoDirect Cabin Connectivity
to make sure that the Denglers’ flight has consistent, high-
speed connectivity from start to finish.”
“Connectivity on helicopters is often spotty and inconsistent
because the rotor blades that power the aircraft disrupt
connections to satellites. This makes maintaining high-
The payload mass for this launch
was 10 177 kg. The satellites
totalled about 9269 kg, with
payload adapters and carrying
structures making up the rest.
Four-panel fairing for Ariane 5
The protective payload fairing
proved by this launch was built
from only four instead of the usual
14 panels. Fewer metallic junctions
reduced the mass by 107 kg, giving
a performance gain of about 10 kg
in geostationary transfer orbit.
Different composite material and optimised manufacturing
processes also lowered costs. From August, Vega will use
fairings built in the same way.
“Switzerland’s Ruag Space with Airbus Safran Launchers
as prime contractor, developed this fairing under ESA’s
Launchers Exploitation Accompaniment Programme which
nurtures innovation within European industry to guarantee
independent access to space for Europe.
“This new fairing for Ariane 5 qualifies the
speed, reliable connectivity on global journeys very
challenging. Honeywell’s Aspire 200 and connectivity enable
us to share photos and videos of our adventure from the
air, but they also provide real-time data to manage mission
risk as we fly, greatly enhancing our safety no matter where
we travel,” said Bob Dengler, pilot, C150 Global Odyssey.
“Our biggest need for this journey is reliable, global service
that provides consistent coverage anywhere in the world.
Honeywell’s offering does that and more.”
In honor of Canada’s 150th birthday, the C150 Global
Odyssey team will fly more than 20,000 nautical miles and
plans to stop at more than 100 airports across 14 countries.
Throughout their journey, the team will be joined by notable
Canadians including astronaut Dave Williams, hockey
legend Guy Lafleur and photojournalist Peter Bregg. The
C150 Global Odyssey is raising awareness for the Southlake
Regional Health Centre Foundation and True Patriot Love
Foundation.
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