LAUNCH CENTER

Success

Wed Feb 04 1998

Arianespace

Inmarsat-3 F5 & Brasilsat B3

Launch Successful

LAUNCH TIME

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RECOVERY OVERVIEW

Location

No Recovery Specified

Type

No Recovery Specified

Rocket Details

Name:

Ariane 44LP

Description:

The Ariane 4 was an expendable space launch system, developed by the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was manufactured by ArianeGroup and marketed by Arianespace. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 until the final flight on 15 February 2003, it attained 113 successful launches out of 116 total launches.

MISSION OVERVIEW

Type: Communications
Launched in 1996-8, the Inmarsat-3s were built by Lockheed Martin Astro Space (now Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space) of the USA, responsible for the basic spacecraft, and the European Matra Marconi Space (now Astrium), which developed the communications payload. Brazil's second generation of communications satellites are the result of joint engineering and manufacturing efforts in the United States and Brazil. The new spacecraft are called the Brasilsat B series, and are widebody, more powerful versions of Hughes Space and Communications Company's popular HS-376 model. EMBRATEL, Brazil's telecommunications company, signed a contract in August 1990 for two spacecraft. In December 1995, with those new satellites in orbit and rapidly filling with customers, EMBRATEL exercised an option for a third spacecraft. A fourth was ordered in June 1998.

COMPLEX OVERVIEW

Location

Kourou, French Guiana

Pad

Ariane Launch Area 2