3 by 3 by 3 by 3 by 3 in 31 Days

Three satellites.

Three spacecraft manufacturers.

Three launch vehicles.

Three continents.

Three launches.

The Space Systems group at Intelsat is particularly busy in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Intelsat staff are supporting an unprecedented three launches, of three satellites, built by three different spacecraft manufacturers, on three different launch vehicles, from three different continents!

The three satellites are the THOR 6, Intelsat 14 (with the IRIS payload) and the Intelsat 15. The three spacecraft manufacturers are Thales Alenia Space, Space Systems/Loral and Orbital Sciences Corporation. The three launch vehicles – the rockets – are the Ariane 5, Atlas V and a Land Launch Zenit. The three continents from where they’ll be launched are South America, North America and Asia, respectively. The three launches are scheduled for Thursday, 29 October; Saturday, 14 November; and Sunday, 29 November, respectively.

Intelsat Space Systems staff members are currently located at all three launch bases, Kourou, French Guiana, (THOR 6); Cape Canaveral, Florida, (Intelsat 14); and the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan (Intelsat 15), to support the final preparations of the satellites prior to their imminent launch.

While Intelsat has been involved with nearly 120 satellite launches throughout the last 40-plus years, never have we been supporting three launches within a month.

The THOR 6 launch campaign is reaching its final stage. The satellite has completed its standalone testing, has been fueled, encapsulated and has been placed on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle. The Ariane 5, Arianespace’s “heavy lifter,” is capable of delivering multiple satellites to geosynchronous transfer orbit, nearly simultaneously. THOR 6 will ride in the lower Ariane 5 position, with the NSS-12 satellite riding the top position. All systems are “go for a launch” on October 29th. The launch window opens at 3:00 p.m. EST. THOR 6 is a Telenor satellite on which Intelsat has purchased 10 transponders.

(Photo: Thales and Telenor teams in front of the THOR 6 satellite)

The Intelsat 14 satellite launch campaign has reached the half-way point. The satellite’s standalone testing has been completed, it’s been fueled and is ready to be placed on top of the Atlas V launch vehicle. The launch window opens at 1:48 a.m. EST on Saturday, November 14th.

(Photo: Intelsat 14 logo on the Atlas V rocket fairing)

Meanwhile, the Intelsat 15 satellite launch campaign just got underway with the satellite being trucked to Dulles International Airport on Sunday, 25 October. The satellite is scheduled to complete standalone testing and fueling by mid-November in preparation for launch on Sunday, 29 November. Its launch window opens at 4:00 p.m. EST.

(Photo, below: Intelsat 15 satellite prior to shipment to Baikonur)

All three satellites combined are a total launch mass of nearly 12 tons and will provide capacity of 54 Ku-band transponders and 40 C-band transponders to the Intelsat fleet.

The Space Systems group’s work does not end once the satellites are launched. The staff also supports the critical orbit-raising and in-orbit-test activities that take place for approximately six weeks following each launch. Those activities will be managed from the Intelsat Control Center in Washington, D.C., the Orbital Sciences Corporation Control Center in Dulles, Virginia, and from the Thales Control Center in Cannes, France.

This will be a very busy end-of-year for Intelsat staff…all of that before we kick off 2010 with another launch out of Baikonur on a Proton rocket – the Intelsat 16 satellite – but that’s another story...

~ Contributed by Jean-Luc Froeliger, Senior Director, Space Systems Acquisition, Intelsat