Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana. It has been used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) or low Earth orbit (LEO). The rocket had a streak of 82 consecutive successful launches between 9 April 2003 and 12 December 2017. A direct successor system, Ariane 6, is in development.
The Guiana Space Centre also called Europe's Spaceport is a French and European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Operational since 1968, it is particularly suitable as a location for a spaceport. It fulfills the two major geographical requirements of such a site:
Spacebus is a satellite bus produced at the Cannes Mandelieu Space Center in France by Thales Alenia Space. Spacebuses are typically used for geostationary communications satellites, and seventy-four have been launched since development started in the 1980s. Spacebus was originally produced by Aérospatiale and later passed to Alcatel Alenia Space. In 2006, it was sold to Thales Group as Thales Alenia Space.
Star One C1 is a Brazilian communications satellite. It was launched on 14 November 2007 by an Ariane 5ECA carrier rocket, as part of a dual-payload launch with Skynet 5B. It was built by Thales Alenia Space, based on the Spacebus-3000B3 satellite bus. It is operated by Star One, a subsidiary of Embratel.
The Regional African Satellite Communication Organization (RASCOM) will provide telecommunication services, direct TV broadcast services and Internet access in rural areas of Africa. Under an agreement with RASCOM, RascomStar-QAF will implement RASCOM's first 14communications satellite project. This joint African project is expected to lower the continent's dependency on international satellite networks such as Intelsat.
Alphabus is a family of heavy geostationary communications satellites developed by a joint venture between Thales Alenia Space and EADS Astrium Satellites in France, with support of the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), the French space agency and the European Space Agency (ESA).
ELA-3(French: Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 3, lit. 'Ariane Launch Complex 3'), is a launch pad and associated facilities at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana. ELA-3 is operated by Arianespace as part of the expendable launch system for Ariane 5 rockets. As of July 2021, 110 launches have been carried out from it, the first of which occurred on 4 June 1996.
Türksat 3A is a Turkish communications satellite, operated by Türksat. It was constructed by Thales Alenia Space, based on the Spacebus 4000B2 satellite bus, and was launched by Arianespace atop an Ariane 5ECA launch vehicle, along with the British Skynet 5C satellite, in a dual-payload launch on 12 June 2008 at 22:05:02 GMT, from ELA-3 at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana.
Nilesat 201, is an Egyptian communications satellite, which was launched on 4 August 2010.
AMC-21, or GE-21, is an American communications satellite operated by SES S.A., formerly SES World Skies and SES Americom. It was launched in August 2008 and is expected to remain in service for approximately 15 years. It is currently located at 125° West longitude.
Thaicom 5 was a geostationary communications satellite operated by Thaicom. It was used to provide communications services to Asia, Africa, Middle East, Americas, Europe and Australia.
INSAT-4A was the first one in the INSAT-4 Satellites series, providing services in the Ku and C band frequency bands. At the time of launch, it was the heaviest satellite India had produced. The Ku transponders cover the Indian main land and C-Band transponders cover an extended area. It has a dozen Ku transponders and another dozen of C-band transponders. This spacecraft was placed at 83°E along with INSAT-2E and INSAT-3B, by Ariane launch vehicle (ARIANE5-V169).
Eutelsat 21B, previously known as Eutelsat W6A, is a French communications satellite. Operated by Eutelsat, it provides direct to home broadcasting services from geostationary orbit at a longitude of 21.5 degrees east. It replaced the Eutelsat 21A spacecraft which was launched in 1999.
Inmarsat-4A F4, also known as Alphasat and Inmarsat-XL, is a large geostationary communications I-4 satellite operated by UK based Inmarsat in partnership with the European Space Agency. Launched in 2013, it is used to provide mobile communications to Africa and parts of Europe and Asia.
GSAT-18 is an Indian communications satellite. Built by ISRO and operated by INSAT, it carries 24 C-band, 12 extended C-band, and 12 Ku-band transponders.
SES-17, is a high throughput all electric geostationary communications satellite currently under construction and testing for launch in October 2021. Owned and operated by SES S.A., and designed and manufactured by Thales Alenia Space, SES-17 will operate in conjunction with SES's other geostationary satellites and SES's medium Earth orbit O3b and O3b mPOWER satellites to provide connectivity services across the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean region.
Eutelsat 8 West B is a geostationary communications satellite. Operated by Eutelsat, it provides direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting services from geostationary orbit. The satellite is part of Eutelsat's constellation at a longitude of 13° East. Eutelsat announced the order of a new Spacebus-4000C3 satellite bus from Thales Alenia Space in October 2012.
Ariane flight VA248 was a rocket launch conducted by multinational launch service provider Arianespace.
GSAT-30 is a telecommunications satellite developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
STENTOR was a French communications satellite which was lost in a launch failure in 2002. Intended for operation by CNES, France Telecom, and Direction générale de l'armement (DGA). To validate, in flight, advanced technologies which would be integrated in the next generation of telecommunications spacecraft. It will also demonstrate new telecommunications services, including broadband and multimedia transmissions to small user terminals.
