NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Star One C4 & MSG-4

Launch Time
Wed Jul 15, 2015 21:42 UTC

Flight VA224.

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

Star One C4

Star One C4 is a Brazilian communications satellite. It was launched on 15 July 2015, 21:42 UTC by an Ariane 5 ECA carrier rocket, as part of a dual-payload launch with MSG-4. It was built by Space Systems/Loral, based on the SSL 1300E plataform. It will be operated by Star One, a subsidiary of Embratel.

The Star One C4 is equipped with 48 Ku-band transponders (equivalent to 36 MHz) it covers almost the entire Ku band, between 10,075 GHz and 12,2 GHz, and must release some of the Star One C2 satellite transponders to be used in Mexico coverage (the Star One C2 has 14 transponders of 36 MHz and two of 72 MHz). Ensuring the coverage of the entire national territory and ensuring the expansion of service to the west of South America and Central America, besides Mexico and the contiguous United States. The satellite has a power of 15,6 kW and has a park of 24 to 30 million satellite dishes aimed.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 5,565.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

MSG-4

Meteosat Second Generation was designed in response to user requirements to serve the needs of Nowcasting applications and numerical weather prediction. In addition, the GERB instrument provides important data for climate monitoring and research.

The satellites are spin-stabilised like the previous generation but with many design improvements. The more frequent and comprehensive data collected by MSG also aids the weather forecaster in the swift recognition and prediction of dangerous weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, fog, and explosive development of small, but intense, depressions, which can lead to devastating wind storms.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 2,043.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Location

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

Stats

2015

37th orbital launch attempt

Arianespace

227th mission
6th mission of 2015
219th successful mission
10th consecutive successful mission

Ariane 5

80th mission
3rd mission of 2015
76th successful mission
66th consecutive successful mission