VA211-liftoff

European commercial launch services provider Arianespace has launched two telecommunications satellites, Skynet 5D of the UK and Mexsat Bicentenario of Mexico, aboard Ariane 5 ECA from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Developed by Astrium Satellites on the Eurostar E3000 platform, Skynet 5D has been designed to offer secure telecommunications services to the UK Ministry of Defence, Nato and other countries that use the Skynet military communications satellites.

Designed to operate for 15 years, the satellite weighed about 4,800kg at liftoff and was positioned at 53° E, marking the 89th Astrium satellite launched by Arianespace.

Skynet 5D relay platform is expected to strengthen the operational services offered by the existing three Skynet 5 satellites in orbit.

Previously, Arianespace orbited the Skynet 4B, 4C, 4E and 4F satellites for the British MoD.

Mexsat Bicentenario is based on a GEOStar-2 platform and was developed by Orbital Sciences in Dulles, Virginia for the Mexican Secretariat of Communications and Transport.

"Designed to operate for 15 years, the satellite weighed about 4,800kg at liftoff and was positioned at 53° E, marking the 89th Astrium satellite launched by Arianespace."

Equipped with eight C-band and eight Ku-band transponders, the satellite weighed around 3,000kg at the time of launch; it was positioned at 114.9° W to provide telecommunications services to Mexico and neighbouring countries.

Mexsat Bicentenario is the 23rd satellite built by Orbital Sciences and the fifth Mexican satellite transported by Arianespace after Satmex 3, 4, 5 and 6, previously called the Morelos and Solidaridad satellites.

Orbital has built the Mexsat Bicentenario, under a contract with Boeing, as part of a three-satellite order for the Mexico Government.

Boeing, which is a prime contractor for Mexsat, will provide two larger satellites in the series that are scheduled for launch in 2013 and 2014.

Image: The two satellites were launched aboard Ariane 5 ECA from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Photo: courtesy of Arianespace.