Feature story
Ariane 5 is set for starring role in World's Toughest Fixes season premiere
June 2, 2009
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The heavy-lift Ariane 5 comes to U.S. primetime television with the season opener of World’s Toughest Fixes on National Geographic Channel, which documents Arianespace’s successful 2009 mission with the HOT BIRD™ 10 and NSS-9 satellites.
During the 1-hour television program – which is set to air June 4 at 9:00 p.m. EST – host Sean Riley provides a first-hand look at how the Ariane 5 launch team conducts an on-target flight with Arianespace’s workhorse vehicle, which he describes as “one of the most difficult fixes humankind has ever really attempted.”
Riley and his crew documented preparations for the February 12 mission – which included Ariane 5’s build-up, the integration of its dual payload and transfer to the launch zone.
After Ariane 5’s rollout to the ELA-3 launch complex, Riley watched as the team’s hard work came to fruition with the Ariane 5’s on-time liftoff for a successful accurate delivery of its telecommunication satellite passengers.
In addition, Riley spent time on patrol with the French Foreign Legion as they provided security for the launch facilities, and was given the opportunity to train with the unit so he too “would be ready for anything.”
The World’s Toughest Fixes television series takes viewers inside some of the most daunting repair jobs on Earth, with engineering enthusiast Riley working alongside top mechanics and technicians to show how such tasks are tackled. In previous shows, the program covered such tasks as clearing a 300-ton barge blown into the Mississippi River by Hurricane Gustav, and the replacement of a nuclear power plant’s steam turbine.
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