Ariane Flight VA232

with Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 36

overview

Launch vehicle
Ariane 5 ECA
Launch date
August 24, 2016
Status
Success
Payload(s)
Intelsat 33e, Intelsat 36
Customer(s)
Intelsat
Prime contractor(s)
Boeing, SSL
Launch site
Spaceport, French Guiana (Guiana Space Center)
Orbit
Geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)

mission
description

Sixth Arianespace mission of 2016: a dual launch for Intelsat

For its sixth launch of the year, and the fourth by Ariane 5 in 2016, Arianespace will orbit the Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 36 satellites for operator Intelsat. Following the successful launch of Intelsat 29e on January 27, this is Arianespace’s second Ariane 5 “all-Intelsat” launch, based on more than 30 years of partnership.

Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 36 will be the 57th and 58th Intelsat satellites to be lofted by Arianespace, continuing a relationship that started with Intelsat 507’s launch in October 1983.

This also is the second launch of the year for Intelsat with Arianespace, following the successful launch of Intelsat 29e on January 27, using another Ariane 5 vehicle.

Arianespace has developed a very solid partnership over the last 30 years with Intelsat, the world leader in satellite services in terms of revenues and in-orbit capacity. Fully half of Intelsat’s current fleet was orbited by Arianespace.

Deploying a fleet of about 50 satellites, Intelsat provides high-performance connectivity solutions for the media, fixed and mobile broadband communications, as well as business, government and military applications.

Between 06:55 p.m. and 07:40 p.m.
Kourou
Between 05:55 p.m. and 06:40 p.m.
Washington, DC
Between 09:55 p.m. and 10:40 p.m.
Universal time
Between 11:55 p.m. and 12:40 a.m.
Paris

Payloads

Intelsat 33e

Intelsat 33e is the second satellite in Intelsat’s next-generation high-throughput Intelsat Epic NG series.

It will meet broadband demand for carrier-grade telecom services, enterprise networks, aeronautical connectivity and certain media services.

Ku-band spot beams provide broadband services for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, while a Ku-band wide beam provides broadcast coverage of Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

C-band spot beams cover high traffic telecom centers in Europe, Central Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia; and a C-band wide beam provides coverage over sub-Saharan Africa for data and media services.

Intelsat 33e is the second in an order for seven Intelsat Epic NG satellites and will be located at 60° East.

Intelsat 33e was built by Boeing using a 702MP platform. It will be the 52nd satellite built by Boeing (or its predecessors) to be launched by Arianespace.

Intelsat 36

Intelsat 36 is designed to enhance Intelsat’s media neighborhoods serving the South African and Indian Ocean region.

The Ku-band payload was built to support MultiChoice, the leading direct-to-home platform in South Africa. The C-band payload provides in-orbit resilience for the company’s leading video content distribution neighborhood at 68.5° East. Intelsat 36 will be collocated with Intelsat 20.

Intelsat 36 was built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) on a 1300 platform in Palo Alto, California. It will be the 56th satellite using an SSL platform (and 50th with the 1300 configuration) to be launched by Arianespace.