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ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 156

December 10: NSS-6 meets its Ariane 4 launch vehicle

The Ariane 4 for Flight 156 is now complete, following the integration 
of the NSS-6 payload atop the launch vehicle.

This activity took place in the mobile launch gantry in the 
Spaceport's ELA-2 launch zone.

Flight 156 is set for a December 17 liftoff with NSS-6 - the second 
all-new satellite booked on Ariane launchers by New Skies Satellites, 
N.V. The first was NSS-7, which was lofted by another Ariane 4 last 
April on Flight 150.

NSS-6 is an all Ku-band spacecraft that will operate from New Skies' 
new orbital slot at 95 degrees east longitude. From this prime 
location, it will cover all of Asia, Australia, India, the Middle East 
and Southern Africa.

The satellite is an A2100AX platform built by Lockheed Martin 
Commercial Space Systems. NSS-6 features 60 transponders across six 
coverage beams:  Australia, the Middle East and Southern Africa, the 
Indian Subcontinent, China, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. Up to 
15 of its transponders can be flexibly assigned to any one of the 
satellite's beams, allowing New Skies to match regional demand.

Flight 156 will be Arianespace's 12th and final launch of 2002, 
following tomorrow's scheduled liftoff of the "10-ton" Ariane 5 from 
the Spaceport's ELA-3 complex.

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