The Launch Readiness Review (RAL) took place in Kourou on Saturday, July 5, 2008 and authorised count-down operations for the ProtoStar I & BADR-6 launch.
aunch window:
KOUROU: From 6:47 p.m. to 7:21 p.m. on July 7, 2008. WASHINGTON: From 5:47 p.m. to 6:21 p.m. on July 7, 2008. UTC: From 9:47 p.m. to 10:21 p.m. on July 7, 2008. PARIS: From 11:47 p.m. to 00:21 a.m. on July 7-8, 2008. RIYADH: From 12:47 a.m. to 01:21 a.m. on July 8, 2008.
Arianespace has rescheduled the launch of the ProtoStar I BADR-6 to Monday, July 7, 2008. An anomaly was identified on the electrical interface between the Ariane 5 launcher and the launch platform. The faulty unit will be replaced.
An Ariane 5 rocket with an ECA cryogenic upper stage will launch the ProtoStar 1 & BADR 6 communication satellites from ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana from 21:47 - 22:21 GMT on July 4, 2008.
Launch Window:
KOUROU: From 6:47 p.m. to 7:21 p.m. on July 4, 2008. WASHINGTON: From 5:47 p.m. to 6:21 p.m. on July 4, 2008. UTC: From 9:47 p.m. to 10:21 p.m. on July 4, 2008. PARIS: From 11:47 p.m. to 00:21 a.m. on July 4-5, 2008. RIYAD: From 12:47 a.m. to 01:21 a.m. on July 5, 2008.
Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications and the world's leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that it has shipped ProtoStar I to Kourou, French Guiana, where it is scheduled to launch as early as June 24th aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle.
Subhash Chandra's satellite project will soon come alive. Agrani Satellite Services Ltd, promoted by Essel Group, has tied up with ProtoStar Ltd. for a satellite that would cost in the region of $200 million (around Rs 8 billion) and boost Dish TV's capacity to pack in more channels for its direct-to-home (DTH) subscribers. The satellite will have 14 Ku-band and 12 C-band transponders. It is scheduled to launch in May 2008.
New satellite operator ProtoStar has chosen Arianespace to launch DTH satellite ProtoStar I. Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall announced today during his annual January press conference that Arianespace will launch the ProtoStar I satellite for ProtoStar Ltd. This is the 280th launch contract won by Arianespace since its inception in March 1980. ProtoStar I will be placed into geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, during the first half of 2008.
Weighing in at 4100 kg, ProtoStar I is a Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) 1300 platform, built in Palo Alto, California and will be the 34th platform built by SS/L to be launched by Arianespace. The satellite will be equipped with 22 Ku-band 36 MHz equivalent and 38 C-band 36 MHz equivalent transponders, and will provide digital DTH services, HDTV and Broadband Internet to underserved areas in Asia.