Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
22:09:00
Thursday February 12, 2009
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Its launch has been featured in National Geographic Channel's programme World's Toughest Fixes. Flight V187.
Spirale is a French government programme to develop an early warning system that will use infrared satellite imagery to detect the flights of ballistic missiles during their boost phase, just after launch. SPIRALE is an acronym that stands for "Système Préparatoire Infra-Rouge pour l’ALErte", literally "infrared preparatory system for alert". The demonstrator system includes two 120 kilograms (260 lb) microsatellites and an alert and monitoring ground segment.
Geostationary Transfer Orbit
2 Payloads
240 kilograms
Eutelsat 33E, previously known as Hot Bird 10, Atlantic Bird 4A, Eutelsat 3B, and Nilesat 104, Hot Bird 13D is a French communications satellite. Operated by Eutelsat, it provides direct-to-home broadcasting services from geostationary orbit as part of Eutelsat's Hot Bird constellation at a longitude of 13 degrees east.
Geostationary Transfer Orbit
1 Payload
4,892 kilograms
NSS-9 is a communications satellite owned by SES WORLD SKIES. It is an all-C-band satellite intended as a replacement for NSS-5 and has three beams with 44 active C-band transponders.
Geostationary Transfer Orbit
1 Payload
2,230 kilograms
Manufacturer
ESAPrice
$200.00 million
Rocket
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 53m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 21,000 kg
GTO: 10,500 kg
Liftoff Thrust
15,120 Kilonewtons
Fairing
Diameter: 5.4m
Height: 17m
Stages
2
Strap-ons
2
43rd
Mission
1st
Mission of 2009
175th
Mission
1st
Mission of 2009
8th
Orbital launch attempt