This Echo is READ ONLY !   NO Un-Authorized Messages Please!
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ariane-5, flight 161, update

Flight 161
June 10: Another Ariane 5 moves to the launch zone

The focus of activity for Flight 161 shifted to the launch zone today
following this morning's rollout of Ariane 5.

Riding atop its mobile launch table, the vehicle emerged from the
Spaceport's final assembly building at 10 a.m. It rolled into the
ELA-3 launch zone at noon, and was secured in position by mission
team members.

Weather over the launch facility was good for French Guiana: partly
cloudy equatorial skies, but with periods of bright sunlight that
penetrated large breaks in the overcast.

A second major milestone occurred at the Spaceport today when the
green light was given for Flight 161's liftoff tomorrow evening. This
came after completion of the launch readiness review, which verified
the status of Flight 161's launcher, its dual satellite payload, the
Spaceport's launch infrastructure and the downrange tracking station
network. 

Flight 161 will be Arianespace's third launch of 2003 and will carry
the Optus and Defence C1 spacecraft for Australia, along with Japan's
BSAT-2c satellite.

Optus and Defence C1 was designed, assembled and integrated by
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation of Japan as prime contractor, and by
Space Systems Loral USA and Raytheon Systems Company USA as major
subcontractors. It is to be positioned at 156 deg. East over
Melanesia, and will provide commercial communications service over
Australia, New Zealand, East Asia and Hawaii for Australian telecom
operator Optus. The spacecraft also will serve the Australian
Department of Defence with dedicated links in UHF, X-band and
Ka-band.

This satellite has a liftoff mass of approximately 4,725 kg. and is
designed for an operational lifetime of 15 years.

Also riding aboard Ariane 5 is the BSAT-2c for the Broadcasting
Satellite System Corporation of Japan. BSAT-2c was built by Orbital
Sciences Corporation of the U.S. and has a liftoff mass of 1,275 kg.
With a design lifetime of 10 years, the spacecraft will provide
direct digital TV broadcas t links throughout Japan from an orbital
position of 110 deg. over the island of Borneo.

 - END OF FILE -
==========

@Message posted automagically by IMTHINGS POST 1.30
---