Two satellites, with a 8,2 tons combined weight, constitute the biggest load never thrown towards a geostationary orbit for only one rocket, it indicated the European spatial consortium Arianespace.

The blast-off of Ariane 5 ECA, with aptitude to transport 10 tons of useful load, took place at 23.09 hours.

Initially, the flight was foreseen for last Friday, but it was postponed one day, in order to carry technical cross-checks out.

Less half an hour after the blast-off, the Mexican satellite separated of the rocket to go on journey up to his definitive orbit of 113th West, on the Pacific Ocean. Then it touched him the shift to the Thai satellite.


Targets

The Satmex 6, property of Mexican Satellites SA and constructed by Space Systems/Loral in California (USA), will cover a wide area (North America and of the South, Hawaii and the Caribbean Sea). Equipped with 36 band repeaters C and 24 of band KU, and with a life expectancy of 15 years, the satellite will reinforce the offer of Mexican Satellites in telecommunications and linkage for Internet.

According to the Mexican operator, the cost of the project is of approximately 273 million dollars (213 million euros).

The fourth time is that this operator entrusts to Arianespace the throwing of a satellite of telecommunications, after those of Solidarity 1 and 2, in 1993 and 1994, respectively, and of SATMEX 5, in 1998.

'Complete mission', there declared in Kuru the representative of Mexican Satellites, Sergio Autray Maza, after the 'perfect' throwing of this night, before wishing to the Satmex a 'long and prosperous life'.

For his part, the general manager of Arianespace, Jean-Yves Le Gall, congratulated all the teams, in Europe and in Kuru, on this throwing, the second one of the year, and that, as he emphasized, has sat a new world record for the load that it transported to the space.

The success of the flight also was applauded by a representative of the operator Shin Satellite, proprietor of the satellite of telecommunications Thai Thaicom 5, it constructed by Alcatel Alenia Space and the fifth one whose putting in orbit entrusts to the European consortium.

From an orbit of 78,5th East, Thaicom 5 will offer services of television and telecommunications to the whole region Asia - Pacific Ocean and, throughout his 12 years of service, it will replace the units Thaicom 1 and 2.


(29/05/06)