NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Sicral-1 & Skynet 4F

Launch Time
Wed Feb 07, 2001 23:05 UTC

Flight V139.

Rocket

Ariane 44L
Image Credit: Arianespace
Arianespace
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 6,000 kN
Payload to GTO: 4,720 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 4
Rocket Height: 58.72 m

Mission Details

Sicral-1

SICRAL (Sistema Italiana de Communicazione Riservente Allarmi), the first national Italian system for satellite military telecommunications, has been developed by the SITAB consortium made up of Alenia Spazio, a Finmeccanica Company (70%), Fiat Avio (20%) and Telespazio (10%).

The SICRAL 1 satellite can operate simultaneously on several frequency bands (SHF, EHF and UHF), a characteristic first in Europe, with the possibility to switch the bands onboard the satellite (first in the world). The UHF satellite repeater is Europe's most powerful and the only to operate inter-connected to the SHF/EHF band.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 2,596.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Skynet 4F

Skynet is a family of military communications satellites, now operated by Airbus Defence and Space on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence, which provides strategic communication services to the three branches of the British Armed Forces and to NATO forces engaged in coalition tasks. The satellites were operated by Paradigm Secure Communications until October 2012 when the organisation was rebranded to Astrium Services.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 1,500.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Location

ELA-2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Stats

2001

5th orbital launch attempt

Arianespace

127th mission
2nd mission of 2001
122nd successful mission
66th consecutive successful mission

Ariane 4

103rd mission
2nd mission of 2001
100th successful mission
61st consecutive successful mission