This close-up view details the upper portion of Ariane 5 prior to the vehicle’s rollout from its Final Assembly Building.   Clearly visible is the 17-meter-tall ogive-shaped payload fairing, which protected TerreStar-1 during Ariane 5’s climb-out through the atmosphere’s dense layers.  Below it are the two feed arms from the Ariane 5 mobile launch table’s mast that provided propellant to the vehicle’s ESC-Acryogenic upper stage.

Ariane 5 approaches the launch pad complex at Europe’s Spaceport.  The multi-purpose tug is ahead as it brings the launch table into place.  Behind the launch table are a series of rail cars that carry ground support equipment for the Ariane 5’s power and environmental control during the rollout process. (Photo: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2009)

The Ariane 5 is poised for liftoff from the ELA-3 launch zone with its record-setting TerreStar-1 payload, which was the heaviest commercial satellite ever launched.  Surrounding the Ariane 5 are four towers that provide protection from lightning strikes.

This unique perspective of Ariane 5’s departure with TerreStar-1 was captured by a camera mounted on the ELA-3 launch pad’s water tower.  Distinct exhaust paths from the launcher’s cryogenic main engine and two solid boosters as evident they are directed away from the pad by flame ducts.   The ELA-3 installation’s tall water tower provides a deluge for acoustic damping during engine ignition and the Ariane 5’s initial ascent.

Lifting off at 2:52 p.m. local time in French Guiana, the Ariane 5 begins its ascent with TerreStar-1. In the right foreground of this image is the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5. The facility was used to integrate TerreStar-1 with its launch vehicle, and is now ready to receive the next Ariane 5, which is scheduled for a mid-August flight with the JCSAT-12 and Optus D3 satellite passengers.