* Astronomy

The Launch Readiness Review (RAL) took place in Kourou on Wednesday August 3, 2011 and authorised count-down operations for the ASTRA 1N & BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R launch.
Arianespace will orbit two satellites dedicated to direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcasting on its fourth launch of the year: Astra 1N for the Luxembourg-based operator SES Astra, and BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R for the American manufacturer Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, as part of a turnkey contract for the Japanese operators B-SAT Corporation and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation.

The ARIANE 5 ECA Launcher lift-off for this flight is scheduled on August 5, 2011 as soon as possible within the following launch window:

- Universal time (GMT): Between 09:53 pm and 11:08 pm on August 5, 2011.
- Paris, France: Between 11:53 pm and 01:08 am on August 5-6, 2011.
- Kourou, French Guiana: Between 08:53 pm and 08:08 pm on August 5, 2011.
- Washington, D.C.: Between 05:53 pm and 07:08 pm on August 5, 2011.

Source Arianespace

Ariane 5's launch is postponed approximately 20 days for a component change-out

Arianespace's Ariane 5 mission with the ASTRA 1N and BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R satellite will be delayed to allow a valve replacement for the launcher's cryogenic core stage, which follows an anomaly that interrupted the final countdown yesterday in French Guiana.
To replace this valve - which did not function properly - Ariane 5 will be transferred from the Spaceport's ELA-3 launch zone back to the Final Assembly Building.
Arianespace estimates that the valve's replacement, along with the associated operations, will require approximately 20 days, with a new launch date to be announced shortly.
During the current operations, the Ariane 5 and its two satellite payloads are being maintained in fully safe conditions.

Source Arianespace

Launch scrubbed.

Launch postponed for 24 hours

Clock reset to 7 minutes and holding for a launch anomaly