SES-17

SES-17, is a high throughput geostationary communications satellite to be operated by SES and was designed and manufactured by Thales Alenia Space on the all-electric Spacebus Neo platform.

It weighs more than 6 t (6.6 tons), can generate over 15 kW of power, and has a design life of at least 15 years.

The satellite will provide almost 200 Ka-band spot-beams of mixed sizes for coverage over North America, South America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean mainly for aircraft connectivity.

Syracuse-4A

The Syracuse-4, launched for the French armed forces, is set to replace the Syracuse 3A and 3B satellites, launched in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

The satellite is equipped with a number of innovations to improve communications for the armed forces.

These improvments include new main antennas and new ground control centers, as well as larger frequency bands (X band: 8 -12.5 GHz and Ka band: 26.5-40 GHz) for better communication performance.

Photo: SES-17 Credit: Thales Alenia Space

Meet the European Space Agency's heavy-lift, workhorse rocket.

Ariane 5 is operated by Arianespace and carries a per launch price tag of approximately $168 million (USD). However, Arianespace offers ride-shares for two large payloads on the same mission.

Stats

Height: 46–52 m (151–171 ft)

Diameter: 5.4 m (18 ft)

Mass: 777,000 kg (1,713,000 lb)

Stages: 2

The two payloads ride one on top of the other, with the upper payload customer paying $101 million (USD) and the lower payload customer paying $67 million (USD).

This makes the price of an Ariane 5 launch competitive with other heavy-lift rockets from a "what the customer pays" perspective.

Ariane 5 debuted on June 4th, 1996, and has undergone five upgrades over the years.

Of those five variants, one remains in operation: the Ariane 5 ECA (Evolution Cryotechnique type A).

Over its service life, the rocket has launched hundreds of satellites as well as five cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station.

Arianespace and the European Space Agency are in the process of building Ariane 5's successor, Ariane 6, which will be more affordable than Ariane 5.

At this time, the rocket will fly until at least 2023.

Photo: An Ariane 5 lifts off from South America. Credit: Arianespace

ELA-3 (Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 3) is a launch pad built specially for the Ariane 5 rocket - the European Space Agency's (ESA's) and Arianespace's heavy-lift workhorse.

Built in the mid-1990s, it was first used on June 4th, 1996, for the maiden launch of Ariane 5.

ELA-3 is located in the Guiana Space Centre (French: Centre Spatial Guyanais), a French and European spaceport located near Kourou in French Guiana near the northern tip of South America.

The space centre itself has been operational since 1968 and has hosted launches for the ESA, the French National Centre for Space Studies, and commercial companies Arianespace and Azercosmos.

A total of 9 different rockets types have launched from the Guiana Space Centre, including three active rockets and six retired vehicles.

The current rocket fleet at the space center is comprised of the Ariane 5 for heavy payloads, the Russian-provided Soyuz 2.1 for medium-mass payloads, and Vega for smaller satellites.