Arianespace plans to send a satellite service vehicle – along with two satellites – into space today (July 31) and you can view the launch online.
The launch will take place between 6:30 pm and 7:16 pm local time in Kourou, French Guiana (5:30 pm and 6:16 pm EDT, or 2130 and 2216 GMT). You can see the live launch here and on the Space.com home page, courtesy of Arianespace. You can also directly tune into the Arianespace webcast on YouTube. The webcast will begin about 20 minutes before takeoff.
This release will be the fifth for Arianespace in 2020. The mission was delayed from its previous Tuesday launch date (July 28) due to “additional technical controls required under the fairing and Ariane dual launch system.” Arianespace said in a statement, but the satellites are ready to go.
Related: Two private satellites docked in space in historic first
The satellite service spacecraft, called Mission Extension Vehicle 2 (MEV-2) on the Ariane 5 rocket, is the second built by Northrop Grumman’s subsidiary, SpaceLogistics LLC, for satellite communications provider Intelsat. The first MEV, MEV-1, made a first historical coupling in February with the Intelsat satellite and an IS-901, which was low on fuel. The MEV series’ long-term goal is to refuel and service older satellites in orbit to extend their missions, which could be a cheaper option than sending a replacement satellite.
With the MEV-1 mission considered a success in April: the Intelsat-901 satellite returned to normal operation that month, Intelsat said in a statement – MEV-2 is scheduled to launch to meet another Intelsat satellite, called Intelsat 1002.
“Once docked, [MEV-2] will control the client’s satellite orbit using its own propellers “, Arianespace he said in a statement, adding that the vehicle will be available for other missions after servicing the Intelsat satellite.
Stacked with the MEV-2 will be an Intelsat satellite called the Galaxy 30, the first replacement satellite in a larger effort to replace Intelsat’s old North American Galaxy communications satellites. The new satellites will offer an ultra-high definition media service that will allow customers to bypass companies for direct satellite transmission and a range of broadband, mobile and network services, Arianespace said in the same statement.
Completing the payloads will be the Maxar BSAT-4b satellite launched on behalf of the Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. of Japan. The satellite will be used for direct-home television service in Japan and will serve as a backup for the similar BSAT-4a, which launched in September 2017.
Today’s launch will be Ariane’s 253 mission overall. Arianespace is developing a successor rocket, Ariane 6, which will eventually replace the launch services provided by the heavy Ariane 5.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and Facebook
