NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

WildBlue-1 & AMC-18

Launch Time
Fri Dec 08, 2006 22:08 UTC

Flight V174.

Rocket

Ariane 5 ECA
Image Credit: Arianespace
Arianespace
Status: Retired
Price: $200.0 million
Liftoff Thrust: 15,120 kN
Payload to LEO: 21,000 kg
Payload to GTO: 10,500 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 2
Rocket Height: 53.0 m
Fairing Diameter: 5.4 m
Fairing Height: 17.0 m

Mission Details

WildBlue-1

WildBlue (formerly iSky and KaStar) plans to offer Ka-band Broadband Internet Access via satellite. WildBlue's approach is based on next-generation, two-way wireless Ka-band spot beam satellite technology, which dramatically lowers the cost of providing high bandwidth access to the Internet. Offering 35 spot beams, it will enable operator WildBlue Communications to provide broadband Internet access for the contiguous United States - even in the most isolated regions of the country. It will be positioned at 111.1° West.

The Satellite names were changed from KaStar 1 and 2 to iSky 1 and 2 in 1999 and to WildBlue 1 and 2 in September 2000.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 4,735.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

AMC-18

AMC-18 is a geostationary Lockheed Martin A2100A communications satellite owned by SES Americom. It was launched on December 8, 2006, from Kourou aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle and is situated at 105° west longitude, providing coverage of North America with twenty-four C band transponders of 12-18 watts each. Future users in May 2007 include The CW Television Network, NASA TV, and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, among other services.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 2,081.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Location

ELA-3, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Stats

2006

57th orbital launch attempt

Arianespace

162nd mission
5th mission of 2006
155th successful mission
18th consecutive successful mission

Ariane 5

30th mission
5th mission of 2006
26th successful mission
16th consecutive successful mission