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Mission Update

HOT BIRD™ 9 is prepared for Ariane 5’s upcoming dual-payload mission

December 9, 2008

The first satellite for Arianespace’s year-ending mission of 2008 began its final integration phase today, with HOT BIRD™ 9 installed atop the launch vehicle’s dual-payload dispenser at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

HOT BIRD 9 is one of two spacecraft to be orbited for Europe’s Eutelsat telecommunications organization on the December 20 flight, joining W2M aboard the heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA.

During this morning's activity inside the Ariane 5 Final Assembly Building at the Spaceport, HOT BIRD 9 was lowered into place atop the SYLDA dispenser (see photo, at right).  This positions the satellite in the upper portion of the payload “stack,” and readies the HOT BIRD 9/SYLDA element to be encapsulated inside the payload fairing (visible in the foreground). 

The next step will be to install W2M on the Ariane 5’s central core stage, after which the HOT BIRD 9/SYLDA/payload fairing combination will be placed over the satellite – completing the launch vehicle.

Arianespace’s December 20 launch with HOT BIRD 9 and W2M will be the sixth flight of the workhorse Ariane 5 in 2008.