NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

DirecTV-9S, Optus D1 & LDREX-2

Launch Time
Fri Oct 13, 2006 20:56 UTC

Flight V173.

Rocket

Ariane 5 ECA
Image Credit: Arianespace
Arianespace
Status: Retired
Price: $200.0 million
Liftoff Thrust: 15,120 kN
Payload to LEO: 21,000 kg
Payload to GTO: 10,500 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 2
Rocket Height: 53.0 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 17.0 m

Mission Details

DirecTV-9S

The DirecTV satellite fleet is a group of communications satellites located at various geostationary orbits for the DirecTV satellite television service and HughesNet (formerly known as DirecWAY and DirecPC) internet service.

DirecTV-9S is an in-orbit spare for DirecTV-4S and does not presently broadcast any channels.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 5,501.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Optus D1

Optus is an Australian telecommunications company. Optus has the largest network of satellites in Australia and New Zealand.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 2,350.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

LDREX-2

The LDREX (Large-scale Deployable Reflector Experiment Model) is a small partial model antenna built to validate the design of the ETS-8's Large Deployable Antenna, and will conduct experiments to solve various technical problems that the ETS-8 is facing. LDREX lifetime is around 20 minutes.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 212.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Location

ELA-3, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Stats

2006

46th orbital launch attempt

Arianespace

161st mission
4th mission of 2006
154th successful mission
17th consecutive successful mission

Ariane 5

29th mission
4th mission of 2006
25th successful mission
15th consecutive successful mission