Washington, DC Feb. 5, 1998 – Freed from high wind weather problems, Ariane V105 sped aloft Wednesday, and appeared to successfully orbit two communications satellites on this the first Ariane launch of the year. Lift-off of the Ariane 4 booster from the French spaceport in Kourou French Guiana came at 6:29pm EST.
Site was launch complex ELA2. The launcher configuration marked the 75th
Ariane 4 variant, and the 17th in the 44LP configuration, which mixes solid
and liquid strap-on boosters around the vehicle's central core.
Within minutes of launch, the first satellite payload, the BRASILSAT B3 was
set free from the rocket's third stage, quickly followed some 24 minutes
after launch by the second sat, the INMARSAT 3F5. As SpaceCast went to
press late Wednesday, both satellites were headed towards their final
destination in geosynchronous orbit. Ariane V105 had been delayed
repeatedly by high altitude winds blowing north towards Kourou. The winds
would have caused any debris from a launch mishap to threaten local areas.
The winds caused launch scrubs last Friday Jan. 30th as well as Tuesday.
But the condition eased Wednesday, and there was no delay in the final
countdown and successful lift-off.
The BRASILSAT B3 was built by Hughes Space and Communications for Embratel
and is headed towards 65 degrees west orbit position. The INMARSAT 3F5 was
manufactured by Lockheed Martin Telecommunications for INMARSAT, and is
headed for a 25 degree east orbital slot.
The next scheduled Ariane 4 launch will take place in late February.
