Hylas-1 is being launched from Europe's Spaceport, which is situated in the northeast of South America in French Guiana, an overseas department of France. In 1964 the French Government chose Kourou, from 14 other sites, as a base from which to launch its satellites. When ESA came into being in 1975, the French Government offered to share its Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) with ESA. For its part, ESA approved funding to upgrade the launch facilities at the CSG to prepare the Spaceport for the Ariane launchers under development. Read more
Hylas-1 satellite readied for launch from Europes Spaceport
The Hylas-1 telecommunications satellite has arrived at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Its next journey will be to space, on an Ariane 5 launcher towards its operational orbit nearly 36 000 km up. Read more
The completion of important tests on the Hylas telecommunications satellite has brought it a step closer to launch late this year. Once the final tests are completed, Hylas will be ready to be shipped to Europes Spaceport in French Guiana in August. In mid-May, thermal-vacuum testing was completed in Bangalore, India. The thermal-vacuum test is the most demanding phase of satellite testing. For Hylas, it involved taking the complete satellite between the temperature extremes it will experience in orbit several times over a period of four weeks. The test confirms the overall performance and build quality of the satellite subsystems. Read more
ISRO indicate that the communications payload for Hylas, a flexible, broadband Ka-band satellite, has been shipped from England to India for integration with the platform, marking a key milestone for the project. This important step was completed in late October by Astrium UK, the prime contractor for the Hylas satellite, supported by Avanti Communications, the satellite customer and operator, and ESA, partner and co-funder of the project.
A new satellite for Portugal Arianespace recently signed a new contract for its 11th launch this year, of a telecommunications satellite belonging to the operator Avanti Communications Group.
Arianespace to launch HYLAS Avanti Communications Group plc, has chosen Arianespace to launch the HYLAS telecommunications satellite. This new contract is the 11th signed by Arianespace with the major satellite operators. The launch of the HYLAS (Highly Adaptable Satellite) satellite is planned for the first semester of 2010, using an Ariane 5 or Soyuz launcher from the Guiana Space Centre, Europes Spaceport in French Guiana. HYLAS is the first satellite entrusted to Arianespace by Avanti Communications, the new European satellite operator. Avanti Communications is Arianespaces 31st new customer.