spacetoday.net: Ariane closes out 2010 by launching two satellites

Posted: Thu, Dec 30, 2010, 8:47 AM ET (1347 GMT)
Ariane 5 launch of Hispasat 1E and Koreasat 6 (Arianespace)

An Ariane 5 successfully launched two communications satellites Wednesday in the final scheduled launch of 2010. The Ariane 5 ECA lifted off at 4:27 pm EST (2127 GMT) Wednesday and placed the Hispasat 1E and Koreasat 6 satellites into geosynchronous orbit about a half-hour later. Hispasat 1E, a Space Systems/Loral 1300 model, weighed 5,320 kilograms at launch and carries 53 Ku-band transponders. It will be used by Spanish operator Hispasat to provide video and data services over portions of Europe and the Americas from 30 degrees west in GEO. Koreasat 6, provided by Thales Alenia Space using a Star-2 bus from Orbital Sciences, weighed 2,850 kilograms at launch and carries 30 Ku-band transponders. It will be used by South Korean company KT Corporation to provide communications services from 116 degrees east in GEO. The launch was the sixth Ariane 5 mission of the year, and also the last launch planned for 2010.