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Mission Update

Maintaining the launch tempo: the Spaceport receives its fifth Ariane 5 of 2008

June 24, 2008

The fifth Ariane 5 of 2008 has arrived in French Guiana as Arianespace keeps up its mission pace during the busiest year of commercial mission activity for this workhorse launch vehicle.

Components of the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA were delivered to Pariacabo port near Kourou by the MN Toucan, which is one of two roll-on/roll-off vessels utilized by Arianespace to carry launch vehicle elements from Europe to South America.

These components were then transferred to the Spaceport, where they will be assembled inside the Launcher Integration Building.  This facility is ready to receive the Ariane 5 following last week’s roll-out of another heavy-lift launcher – which was transferred to the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building in preparation for a July 4 liftoff with the ProtoStar I and BADR-6 satellite payloads.

Arianespace has successfully performed three of its planned seven Ariane 5 launches in 2008 as the company responds to the in-orbit delivery requirements of its international customer base.

To see the status of Ariane 5's July 4 mission with ProtoStar I and BADR-6, read the latest Mission Update for this flight.