The 273rd mission by the family of European launchers will orbit the 56th Intelsat satellite to be launched by Arianespace, a series that started in October 1983 with Intelsat 507. Intelsat 29e is the first satellite in the company’s next-generation, high throughput Intelsat Epic^NG series.

The launch will take place from Ariane launch complex No. 3 (ELA 3) in Kourou, French Guiana.

Date and time

The Ariane 5 ECA launcher is scheduled to lift off on Wednesday, January 27, 2016, as early as possible within the following launch window:

• Between 08:20:41 pm and 09:40:24 pm, Kourou time
• Between 06:20:41 pm and 07:40:24 pm, Washington D.C. time
• Between 11:20:41 pm and 00:40:24 am, Universal Time (UTC), on January 28
• Between 00:20:41 am and 01:40:24 am, Paris time, on January 28.

Mission duration

The mission’s nominal duration (from liftoff to satellite separation) is: 29 minutes and 52 seconds

Targeted orbit

• Perigee altitude: 250 km.
• Apogee altitude: 35,546 km.
• Inclination: 0.5 degrees

The launcher will be carrying a total payload of 6,700 kg.

The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) will take place on Monday, January 25, 2016 in Kourou, to authorize the start of operations for the final countdown.

Intelsat 29e is the first satellite in the company’s next-generation, high throughput Intelsat Epic^NG series and will deliver high throughput Ku- spot beams in the Americas to meet broadband demand for carrier-grade telecom and enterprise connectivity as well as Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean coverage for dense aeronautical and shipping routes.

A transatlantic Ku-band wide beam overlay provides efficient broadcast capabilities for in-flight entertainment and the C-band wide beam provides full South American continent coverage for media distribution. It will offer through-put of 25 gigabits per second.

Intelsat 29e was built by Boeing using a Boeing 702MP platform. It will be the 51st Boeing-built satellite to be launched by Arianespace.

To watch a live, high-speed online transmission of the launch, go to www.arianespace.com on January 27, 2016 (including local commentary in French or English), starting 15 minutes before liftoff. You can also follow the launch live on your iPhone or iPad (the Arianespace.HD app is free).

For further information, download the launch press kit here: https://www.arianespace.com/news-launch-kits/launch-kit.asp

About Arianespace

Arianespace is the world’s leading satellite launch company. Founded in 1980, Arianespace deploys a family of three launchers, Ariane, Soyuz and Vega, to meet the needs of both commercial and government customers, and has performed over 270 launches to date. Backed by its 20 shareholders and the European Space Agency, Arianespace is the only company in the world capable of launching all types of payloads into all orbits, from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. As of January 20, 2015, Arianespace had carried out 227 Ariane launches, 39 Soyuz launches (13 at the Guiana Space Center and 26 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, via Starsem) and six Vega launches. Arianespace is headquartered in Evry, near Paris, and has a facility at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, plus local offices in Washington D.C., Tokyo and Singapore.