Date: Sat, 5 Sep 92 05:05:21 From: Space Digest maintainer Reply-To: Space-request@isu.isunet.edu Subject: Space Digest V15 #171 To: Space Digest Readers Precedence: bulk Space Digest Sat, 5 Sep 92 Volume 15 : Issue 171 Today's Topics: Ariane V.53 mission data Laser distance record? Welcome to the Space Digest!! Please send your messages to "space@isu.isunet.edu", and (un)subscription requests of the form "Subscribe Space " to one of these addresses: listserv@uga (BITNET), rice::boyle (SPAN/NSInet), utadnx::utspan::rice::boyle (THENET), or space-REQUEST@isu.isunet.edu (Internet). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 5 Sep 92 06:34:48 GMT From: Dean Adams Subject: Ariane V.53 mission data Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite,sci.space ARIANESPACE FLIGHT 53 For this fifth launch of 1992, Arianespace will use an Ariane 44LP vehicle equipped with 2 liquid strap-on boosters and 2 solid strap-on boosters. The Ariane 44LP will place two telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbit. HISPASAT 1A for Hispasat (Spain), and SATCOM C3 for G.E. Americom. This 25th Ariane 4 flight is equipped with the improved version of the third stage booster: the H10 "plus". MISSION: The 53rd Ariane launch will place the HISPASAT 1A and SATCOM C3 satellites into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using an Ariane 44LP launch vehicle equipped with 2 liquid strap-on boosters (PAL), 2 solid strap-on boosters (PAP), and the Ariane Dual Launch System (SPELDA). This will be the 25th launch of an Ariane 4 and the 7th in it's 44LP configuration. It will be launched from the Ariane launch complex ELA 2, in Kourou - French Guiana. The launch vehicle performance requirement is 4,084 kg, which is the combined satellite mass. The total vehicle mass at liftoff is 417,312 kg. Required Orbit Characteristics: Perigee Altitude ... 200 km Apogee Altitude .... 35786 km at injection Inclination ........ 7 degrees The Ariane 44LP lift-off for Flight 53 is scheduled on Thursday, September 10, as soon as possible within the following launch window: Kourou Time GMT Washington, DC 20:04 - 20:49 23:04 - 23:49 19:04 - 19:49 LAUNCH VEHICLE: Ariane 44LP. This is a three-stage liquid fueled launcher with both solid and liquid fueled strap-on boosters. The first stage (L220) is built by Aerospatiale, and is powered by 4 liquid fueled Viking V engines. The second stage (L33) is built by MBB Erno and is powered by a single Viking IV engine. Both the Viking IV and V engines are manufactured by SEP. The first and second stages use a biliquid UH25/N2O4 fuel. The third stage is the new H10 "plus", with larger fuel tanks and increased performance over past models. It uses a cryogenic H2/O2 fueled HM-7B engine built by SEP. The two liquid strap-on boosters (PAL) are each powered by a Viking VI engine, also built by SEP, and use the same biliquid fuel as the first and second stages. The two solid strap-on boosters (PAP) are built by BPD and use a solid Flexadrine propellant. The fully assembled launch vehicle stands 57.3 meters high on the pad. This mission uses the Ariane Type 01 payload fairing. Flight Profile: +01:07 Liquid strap-on booster jettison +02:28 First stage separation +03:35 Fairing jettison +04:39 Second stage separation +05:47 Third stage ignition +18:17 Third stage shutdown / orbit injection +20:32 HISPASAT 1A separation +23:21 SPELDA top separation +24:55 SATCOM C3 separation +25:25 Third stage avoidance maneuver +29:55 End of Ariane mission 53 PAYLOADS: HISPASAT 1A is the first Spanish telecommunications satellite built by Matra Marconi Space for the Hispasat organization. It's primary mission will be telecommunications, including telephone, telex, and television. Total mass at lift-off .... 2,194 kg Mass at GEO insertion ..... 1,325 kg Dry mass .................. 1,013 kg On-board power ............ 3,790 W (end of life) Nominal lifetime .......... 10 years Span of solar panels ...... 22.3 m On-Orbit position ......... 30 degrees west, over the Atlantic Ocean. Transmission capacity: FSS/Ku-band: 8 channels with Spanish coverage area 1 channel with U.S. coverage area DBS/Ku-band: 3 channels X-band: 4 channels In-flight operations: DBS and booms deployment ...... about 7 hours after lift-off First apogee motor firing ..... about 37 hours after lift-off Second apogee motor firing .... about 92 hours after lift-off Third apogee motor firing ..... about 157 hours after lift-off Deployment of solar panels .... about 183 hours after lift-off SATCOM C3 is destined to replace the aging SATCOM 1R satellite for a continued cable-based TV transmission system managed by G.E. American Communications. Total mass at lift-off .... 1,370 kg Mass at GEO insertion ..... 784 kg Dry mass .................. 618 kg On-board power ............ 1,407 W (end of life) Nominal lifetime .......... 12 years Span of solar panels ...... 15.1 m On-Orbit position ......... 131 degrees west, over the East Pacific Ocean. Transmission capacity: 32 TWTA's - 24 active / 8 spares In-flight operations: First apogee motor firing ..... about 72 hours after lift-off Deployment of solar panels .... about 96 hours after lift-off LAUNCH COVERAGE: All Ariane missions are broadcast live via satellite from Kourou. Coverage begins at 30 minutes before launch, and continues until all payloads have been deployed. This mission will likely be carried on Satcom F2R, however it could end up being located on a different satellite such as Galaxy 6. -{ Dean Adams }- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 05 Sep 1992 01:12:00 -0500 From: Shawn McCarthy Subject: Laser distance record? Newsgroups: sci.space >>I seem to recall reading something about natural lasers in the atmoshere of > >>Venus?????? > Hmmm, I think that's Mars. I had read it was CO2 transitions > which would be > thermally crowed transitions in the Venutian atmosphere. > Can anyone confirm? Confirmed.. a martian sunrise is a sight to see.. :> Shawn McCarthy > ------------------------------ End of Space Digest Volume 15 : Issue 171 ------------------------------