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Ariane 5 December 14, 2015

A truly “epic” satellite arrives in French Guiana for its Ariane 5 launch

The Intelsat 29e relay platform for Arianespace’s first Ariane 5 flight of 2016 is now in French Guiana, enabling payload preparations to begin for a January 27 flight from the Spaceport.

Flight VA228

Intelsat 29e is moved into position for an initial integration check with its Ariane 5 adapter during activity in the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility.

Touching down at Cayenne’s Félix Eboué Airport, this passenger – the first of the Intelsat EpicNG high throughput satellites – was delivered to French Guiana aboard a chartered Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft, then transferred by road to the Spaceport.

The Boeing-built Intelsat 29e is now set to undergo final checkout and integration with the launcher ahead of next month’s liftoff from the South American launch facility – where Arianespace operates its family of the heavy-lift Ariane 5, medium-weight Soyuz and light-lift Vega vehicles.

As the 56th Intelsat spacecraft to be orbited by Arianespace, Intelsat 29e has the distinction of being a solo telecommunications satellite on a dedicated Ariane 5 flight – instead of the typical two-passenger configuration for the launcher on missions to geostationary transfer orbit.

The Ariane 5 flight with Intelsat 29e is designated Flight VA228 in Arianespace’s numbering system, representing the 228th launch of an Ariane since this series of European vehicles entered service in 1979.

Intelsat website: www.intelsat.com

Intelsat blog: www.intelsat.com/blog/

Boeing website: www.boeing.com/space

Ariane 5 December 3, 2015

Launcher integration is underway for Arianespace’s first Ariane 5 mission of 2016

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