Ariane 5’s First 2019 Launch Orbits Hellas 4 and GSAT-31 Satellites

Kourou, French Guiana, Feb. 5, 2019 — Ariane 5 placed the geostationary satellite 1/Hellas Sat 4 (HS-4/SGS-1) and GSAT-31 telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), lifting off from the European spaceport in Kourou (French Guiana).

The performance required of this Ariane 5 launcher was 10,018 kg of which 9,030 kg for the two satellites. In addition, payload release was optimized by placing the satellites in an orbit inclined at 3° in relation to the equator, instead of the usual 6° for Ariane 5.

“This first mission of 2019 demonstrates once again our ability to adapt the launcher perfectly to meet the specific requirements of each customer. I extend my warmest thanks to the teams at ArianeGroup and Arianespace as well as to the entire industrial chain for this new shared success and the work accomplished, enabling high-precision satellite positioning by optimizing the final orbit,” said ArianeGroup CEO André-Hubert Roussel. “I also once again want to express my gratitude to the European Space Agency and to CNES for their continued support.”

ArianeGroup is the industrial prime contractor for the development and deployment of Ariane 5 and Ariane 6 launchers. The company coordinates an industrial network of more than 600 companies (including 350 SMEs) in 13 European countries. ArianeGroup oversees the entire industrial supply chain, from performance optimization and the corresponding studies associated with the Ariane 5 to production, from the supply of mission-specific data and software to the marketing of the launcher through Arianespace. This chain includes equipment and structures, engine manufacturing, integration of the various stages and finally launcher integration in French Guiana.

ArianeGroup said Ariane 247 flight is the 103rd launch of an Ariane 5, the 78th consecutive nominal ignition of the Vulcain 2 engine, the 103rd consecutive nominal ignition of the EAP solid propellant boosters and the 143rd consecutive nominal ignition of the HM7B engine.