
After 12 days of electrical tests, the Intelsat 17 is ready for the next stage in its preparation for launch, namely the checking out of the propulsion system and the loading of propellants.

On 8 November, the satellite moved from the S1 building here at The Guiana Space Centre where we did all our electrical testing, to S3 where we will load the propellants. The S3 is a fueling facility with all the necessary equipment to make the hazardous operations as safe as possible.
The propulsion team is required to wear SCAPE suits during this operation, to protect them in case of a fuel spill.
Meanwhile, the integration of our launch vehicle, flight V198, was completed on 5 November, and the launch vehicle was moved from the BIL (launcher integration building) to the BAF (final assembly building). At this stage the launch vehicle consists of the two solid rocket boosters supporting the central cryo tanks and the main engine.
As we move forward, we will be working weekends and holidays between now and the launch day, as our countdown to launch continues. We are targeting a launch day of 26 November.







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