Arianespace successfully carried out its 54th Ariane 5 launch in a row, orbiting the Amazonas-3 for Spanish operator Hispasat and Azerspace/Africasat-1a for the Azerbaijani operator Azercosmos. 
   Arianespace’s 68th launch of Ariane 5 was also its first of 2013. The mission set a new record for weight injected into geostationary transfer orbit: the launcher on this mission carried a total payload of 10,317 kilograms, including 9,503 kilograms for the two satellites, Amazonas-3 and Azerspace/Africasat-1a. Amazonas-3 is the seventh Spanish satellite launched by Arianespace.
   The company first launched the Hispasat 1A and 1B satellites in 1992 and 1993, respectively, followed in 2005 and 2006 by the XTAR-EUR and Spainsat satellites for Hispasat and its subsidiary Hisdesat. Amazonas-2 was launched in 2009, followed by Hispasat 1E in 2010. Azerspace/Africasat-1a is the first national satellite to be launched by Arianespace for the Azerbaijan Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies.
   “Today’s successful mission, the 54th in a row for the European launcher, once again proves the reliability and availability of the Ariane 5 launch system. It also confirms that Arianespace continues to set the standard for independent access to space for all operators, including national and international space agencies, private industry and governments,” Arianespace said in a statement following the launch.