BFF-03 Ariane 5 satellites in orbit despite earlier ‘lost contact’

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FRANCE-SPACE-SATELLITE-TELECOMMUNICATION-LUXEMBOURG

Ariane 5 satellites in orbit despite earlier ‘lost contact’

KOUROU Jan 26, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Two commercial satellites have been
successfully placed in orbit by an Ariane 5 rocket, Arianespace said
Thursday, despite mission control briefly losing contact with the craft.

“Both satellites were confirmed separated, acquired and they are on
orbit,” Arianespace said in an updated statement after the lift-off from the
Kourou Space Centre in French Guiana.

The European space workhorse blasted off at 7.20 pm (2220 GMT) carrying
satellites for Luxembourg’s SES and the United Arab Emirate’s Yahsat in the
first launch of the year for Arianespace.

Around an hour after the launch, CEO Stephane Israel announced that
controllers had “lost contact” with the craft in what he described as an
“anomaly”.

In their updated statement the company said a tracking station in Brazil
was unable to track the craft shortly after ignition of the rocket’s upper
stage.

“This lack of telemetry lasted throughout the rest of powered flight,” the
statement said. But both satellites were later “communicating with their
respective control centres”.

Since it was founded in 1980, Arianespace has put more than 550 satellites
into orbit including for Europe’s Galileo GPS system.

In September the company aborted the launch of an Ariane 5 rocket carrying
two commercial satellites in the final countdown as the main engine was being
ignited.

An Ariane 5 lift-off was also aborted at main engine ignition in March
2011.

BSS/AFP/RY/08:15 hrs