Topic: Ariane 5 with SES 14/Al Yah 3: launch anomaly
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-25-2018 05:36 PM
Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël has declared an anomaly with tonight's (Jan. 25) launch of an Ariane 5 rocket with the SES 14 and Al Yah 3 communication satellites from Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
Ladies and gentlemen, I come to give you some information because we have had an anomaly on this launch. Indeed, we lost contact with the launcher a few seconds after ignition of the upper stage. At that time, we can consider that the upper composite and the satellite as being (inaudible). But as I said, we lost contact. Up to now, our customers do not have contact with the satellite. We need now some time to know if they have been separated, and where they are exactly, to better analyze the consequences of this anomaly.
I want to present my deepest excuses to our customers, who have entrusted us one more time. We know that there is no launch with no risk. We know that launch is always difficult, and tonight Ariane 5 has had an anomaly, so lets take time now to better understand the situation of the satellites.
Arianespace, in full transparency, will come back to you to provide you with some more information as soon as we have them. I apologize on behalf of Arianespace.
NASA has a hosted payload on SES 14, the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk, or GOLD, which was to "investigate the dynamic intermingling of space and Earth's uppermost atmosphere." GOLD was NASA's first science mission to fly an instrument as a commercially hosted payload.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-25-2018 07:08 PM
Arianespace release
The launcher's liftoff took place on January 25, 2018 at 7:20 p.m. A few seconds after ignition of the upper stage, the second tracking station located in Natal, Brazil, did not acquire the launcher telemetry. This lack of telemetry lasted throughout the rest of powered flight.
Subsequently, both satellites were confirmed separated, acquired and they are on orbit. SES-14 and Al Yah 3 are communicating with their respective control centers. Both missions are continuing.
cspg Member
Posts: 6210 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
posted 01-26-2018 03:24 AM
Both satellites are healthy but in wrong orbits. On board propulsion will be required to reach the planned orbit- in about a month's time.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-26-2018 07:22 AM
SES release
SES-14 in good health and on track despite launch anomaly
Following Ariane-5 launch anomaly, SES has successfully established connection with SES-14
Following the anomaly that occurred during the launch on an Ariane 5 rocket last night, SES announces that it has successfully established a telemetry and telecommand connection to its SES-14 spacecraft and is setting up a new orbit raising plan now. SES-14 would thus reach the geostationary orbit only four weeks later than originally planned. SES confirms that the spacecraft is in good health, all subsystems on board are nominal, and the satellite is expected to meet the designed life time.
SES-14 will be positioned at 47.5 degrees West to serve Latin America, the Caribbean, North America and the North Atlantic region with C- and Ku-band wide beam coverage and Ku-band high throughput spot beam coverage.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-26-2018 08:52 AM
Yahsat release
Yahsat confirms launch of Al Yah 3 mission Satellite to greatly increase its global coverage
Yahsat, a leading global satellite operator based in the UAE, has confirmed the launch of Al Yah 3, the third satellite in the company's fleet. The launch is a key milestone in Yahsat's strategy to expand its Ka-band coverage across Africa and to establish a presence in Latin America.
The mission experienced some challenges during the launch stages which resulted in the Al Yah 3 satellite being inserted into an orbit that differed from the flight plan. However, the satellite is healthy and operating nominally. A revised flight plan will be executed in order to achieve the operational orbit and fulfil the original mission.
Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer at Yahsat, said: "We are pleased to know that the satellite is healthy, and that the necessary steps are being taken to ensure the original mission is fulfilled. I would like to thank our technology partner Orbital ATK and the Yahsat team in ensuring the Al Yah 3 objectives are met."
Frank Culbertson, President of Orbital ATK's Space Systems Group added, "Based on data from initial communications, I can report that Al Yah 3 is in orbit, healthy and responding to commands from our mission operations team. We will continue to work closely with our customer, Yahsat, to meet their mission objectives and remain confident that we will deliver a fully operational satellite to the planned orbit."
Al Yah 3, an all Ka-band satellite, and the first hybrid electric propulsion GEOStar-3™ satellite completed by Orbital ATK, was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket by Arianespace at 22:20 UTC January 25th 2018 from Kourou in French Guiana.
Al Yah 3 will join Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2 in helping to empower millions of people across the Middle East, Africa, South West Asia and Brazil to access affordable Internet access via Yahsat's high-speed satellite broadband service, YahClick. The service is designed to provide satellite broadband Internet to everyone, opening up new opportunities for every aspect of society from governments and enterprises to end users at home.
Al Yah 3 will expand Yahsat's commercial Ka-band coverage to an additional 19 new markets in Africa, reaching 60% of the population. Furthermore, Al Yah 3 will serve Brazil, covering over 95% of its population.
Al Yah 3 is due to begin delivering commercial services later in 2018.