NSS-12 & Thor-6

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

20:00:00

Thursday October 29, 2009

Mission Details

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Launch Notes

Flight V193.

Thor-6

Wiki

Thor 6 has 36 Ku band transponders. It provides direct-to-home television broadcasting services from an orbital location of 0.8°W. It replaced Thor 3.

Geostationary Transfer Orbit

1 Payload

3,049 kilograms

NSS-12

Wiki

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) announced in May 2007 that it has been awarded a contract to manufacture a new spacecraft for, SES NEW SKIES, a subsidiary of SES Global. NSS-12 will be used to enable communications services for telecommunications providers, broadcasters, corporations, and governments in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, and other parts of Asia. NSS-12 is the first satellite contract that SES NEW SKIES has awarded to SS/L. The spacecraft is a state-of-the-art, hybrid C- and Ku-band satellite that will be located at 57º East Longitude over the Indian Ocean Region. Based on SS/L's highly reliable and space-proven SSL-1300 spacecraft, it will be equipped with 40 C-band and 48 Ku-band active high-power transponders (36 MHz equivalents) to help maintain and increase the capability of the company's worldwide satellite communications network.

Geostationary Transfer Orbit

1 Payload

5,623 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Ariane 5 ECA

Active 2002 to 2023

European Space Agency logo

Manufacturer

ESA

Price

$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

Launch Site

ELA-3

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Fastest Turnaround

24 days 3 hours

Stats

Ariane 5


48th

Mission

6th

Mission of 2009

European Space Agency


180th

Mission

6th

Mission of 2009

2009


61st

Orbital launch attempt