Riding atop a mobile launch table, Ariane 5 today completed its transfer from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building – where its two passengers were integrated – to the dedicated ELA-3 launch complex. This paves the way for tomorrow’s liftoff, which is planned during a 1-hour, 35-minute launch window that opens November 22 at 6:08 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

Today’s rollout from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building marked one of the last milestones in preparation for Flight VA250, which is Arianespace’s eighth mission of 2019 across its full launch vehicle family – and the fourth this year using an Ariane 5.

A dual-passenger deployment for Ariane 5

Flight VA250 will be carrying a payload estimated at 10,479 kg. This total factors in the two satellite passengers’ combined liftoff mass, as well as hardware for Ariane 5’s dual-payload deployment system.

Riding in Ariane 5’s upper position, TIBA-1 is to be released first in the flight sequence, with separation occurring 27 minutes after liftoff. It is a communications spacecraft for the Government of Egypt, developed by Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space as co-prime contractors, with Thales Alenia Space acting as lead partner of the contract.

Completing the mission will be the deployment of Ariane 5’s lower passenger, Inmarsat GX5, which will occur 34 minutes after the flight begins. This spacecraft is a very high throughput communications satellite that will be fully integrated into Inmarsat’s current Global Xpress high-speed network.

• A larger version of the photo above is available in the Gallery.

Launch window for Flight VA250:

More details are available in the VA250 launch kit: