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An Ariane 5 rocket on the launchpad. Photo: ESA
Arianespace postponed the launch of an Ariane 5 rocket, which would carry Egypt’s TIBA-1 satellite and the Inmarsat GX5 satellite. This was due to a power supply anomaly in the ground segment of the Ariane 5 launch complex, the final chronology for Flight VA250 was stopped at 20 minutes prior to liftoff (H0-20), leading to a launch postponement.
The Ariane 5 stages have been emptied of their propellant. The launcher and its two satellite passengers remain in a safe mode at the Spaceport. The ongoing investigation has led to a new targeted launch date of Sunday, Nov. 24, at the earliest.
TIBA-1 is a civil and government telecommunication satellite for Egypt. It was developed by Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space as co-prime contractors, with Thales Alenia Space acting as the consortium’s lead partner. TIBA-1 will be owned and operated by the government of Egypt. GX5 is a mobile communications satellite built by Thales Alenia Space for Inmarsat. Inmarsat’s fifth Ka-band Global Xpress (GX) satellite, GX5 will be the most advanced in the GX fleet.
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