Mas
11-14-2005, 07:00 AM
DirecTV Launch Sees Another Delay
A problem encountered Saturday during final preparations of an Ariane 5 launch vehicle with DirecTV's next-generation satellite on board resulted in postponement of the dual-satellite launch mission.
Arianespace said the launch will be rescheduled, but didn't offer a date. Minor problems with ground support infrastructure were blamed for the postponement. The launch vehicle was returned to the final assembly building at Arianespace's launch facility in French Guiana to resolve the problems.
The heavy-lift Ariane 5 and its payload - consisting of DirecTV's Spaceway 2 satellite and the Telkom 2 for PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia - were initially scheduled for launch Saturday. The mission has been delayed a number of times within the last week.
The Spaceway bird is one of four satellites DirecTV is launching during a two-year period as part of an in-orbit expansion. The satellites will enable DirecTV to deliver more than 1,500 local and more than 150 national HD channels and other advanced programming services to consumers nationwide by 2007.
A problem encountered Saturday during final preparations of an Ariane 5 launch vehicle with DirecTV's next-generation satellite on board resulted in postponement of the dual-satellite launch mission.
Arianespace said the launch will be rescheduled, but didn't offer a date. Minor problems with ground support infrastructure were blamed for the postponement. The launch vehicle was returned to the final assembly building at Arianespace's launch facility in French Guiana to resolve the problems.
The heavy-lift Ariane 5 and its payload - consisting of DirecTV's Spaceway 2 satellite and the Telkom 2 for PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia - were initially scheduled for launch Saturday. The mission has been delayed a number of times within the last week.
The Spaceway bird is one of four satellites DirecTV is launching during a two-year period as part of an in-orbit expansion. The satellites will enable DirecTV to deliver more than 1,500 local and more than 150 national HD channels and other advanced programming services to consumers nationwide by 2007.