Slated For Launch Before The End Of The Year

Arianespace launched the Nilesat 102 and Brazilsat B4 satellites aboard an Ariane 4 Aug. 17, in a perfect exercise from the Kourou, French Guiana, launch center at 7:16 p.m. EDT. The launch should start a “regularly sustained” series of launches for the European launch provider reaching an estimated worth of $2.96 billion, said company officials.Brazilsat B4 was the first to separate from the launcher, 21 minutes into the mission, and the first signals were received from it 40 minutes after separation. Its final position, after it transfered to geostationary orbit, is at 92?W, from which its 28 C-band transponders will provide voice and data services to Brazil and South America.The satellite, a Hughes 376W spin-stabilized model, was built by Hughes Space and Communications [GMH], and is the latest in a series of seven spacecraft that the company has built for Embratel’s Satellite Division.Nilesat 102 separated from the launcher at 26 minutes into the mission. It is a DBS satellite carrying 12 Ku-band transponders, which will be able to be received by antennas 60 cm (about 24 inches) in diameter. Its final position will be 7?W, the same as Nilesat 101, from which it will cover an area between Morocco in the east to the Gulf States in the west.The satellite is a three-axis stabilized, Eurostar 2000 design, built by Astrium for Nilesat S.A., the Egyptian DBS operator. Arianespace has three missions planned for September. The Eutelsat W1 satellite is to be launched aboard an Ariane 4 on Sept. 6 for Eutelsat.On Sept. 14, an Ariane 5 is scheduled to launch the Astra 2B for the Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES) and the GE 7 satellite for GE American Communications [GE]. The third mission is planned for the end of September, on an Ariane 4.