KOUROU: From 6:54 p.m. to 7:43 p.m. on June 12, 2008. WASHINGTON: From 5:54 p.m. to 6:43 p.m. on June 12, 2008. UTC: From 9:54 p.m. to 10:43 p.m. on June 12, 2008. PARIS: From 11:54 p.m. to 00:43 a.m. on June 12/13, 2008. ANKARA: From 00:54 a.m. to 01:43 a.m. on June 13, 2008.
A significant milestone in the UK's biggest space project will be reached on Friday with the launch of the third and final Skynet 5 satellite. The military communications platform will be lofted by an Ariane rocket from Europe's equatorial spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana.
Arianespace Flight Skynet 5C Turksat 3A liftoff rescheduled for the night of May 30, 2008. In order to perform complementary checks on the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, Arianespace has rescheduled the launch of Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A from the original May 23 target date. Liftoff of the Ariane 5 launcher is now set for the night of Friday, May 30, as early as possible in the following launch window:
From 6:52 p.m. to 7:35 p.m., local time in Kourou, French Guiana From 5:52 p.m. to 6:35 p.m. in Washington, D.C. From 9:52 p.m. to 10:35 p.m. UTC, on May 30. From 11:52 p.m. to 00:35 a.m. in Paris, on May 30/31. From 00:52 a.m. to 01:35 a.m. in Ankara, on May 31.
EADS Astrium Ltd. yesterday choose Arianespace to launch the UK Ministry of Defence's third Skynet 5 military communications satellite, Skynet 5C.
Jean-Yves Le Gall, CEO of Arianespace announced the signature of a launch contract with EADS Astrium Ltd for the Skynet 5C satellite. EADS Astrium has already selected Arianespace for the launches of Skynet 5A and Skynet 5B.
As with Skynet 5A and 5B, Skynet 5C will be boosted into geostationary transfer orbit by Ariane 5 launcher from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch is scheduled for 2008. Skynet 5C will be launched by Arianespace on behalf of EADS Astrium, which in turn will deliver the satellite in orbit to Paradigm Secure Communications Ltd., the world's first commercial provider of military satellite communications. Paradigm is contracted to provide secure communications services for the UK Armed Forces, NATO and a number of other countries.
The Skynet 5 satellites, built by EADS Astrium, will weigh approximately 4,700 kilograms at launch. Europe's Ariane launcher has already orbited the Skynet 4B, 4C, 4E and 4F satellites for the UK Ministry of Defence. The Ariane 5 launcher is key to the development of a common European defence and security policy, for which the space segment is essential. Skynet 5C is the 26th military payload entrusted to the European launch vehicle.