First Ariane 5 launch of 2022 is a success, supporting two loyal clients of Arianespace: MEASAT(Malaysia) and NSIL (India)

• The Ariane 5, operated by Arianespace, has successfully placed two telecommunications satellites into geostationary orbit: MEASAT-3d for the Malaysian operator MEASAT, and GSAT-24 built by the Indian Space Agency ISRO on behalf of NSIL.
• Carrying out its first mission of the year, and the 113th overall, Ariane 5 once again demonstrates its exceptional reliability.
• Mission VA257 will improve broadband coverage in the Asia-Pacific region and represents another commercial success for Ariane 5 in the Asia-Pacific market.

MEASAT-3d, to be co-located with MEASAT-3a and MEASAT-3b in the 91.5°E orbital slot, is a multi-mission telecommunications satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space. It will significantly enhance broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps per user in areas with limited or no terrestrial network throughout Malaysia, while continuing to provide redundancy and additional capacity for video distribution in HD, 4K, and ultimately 8K in the Asia-Pacific region.

MEASAT-3d will also carry an extremely innovative payload on behalf of the Korean operator KTSAT. Conceived by Airbus Defense and Space, it will be used by the Korean Augmentation System (KASS), a project of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport led by KARI, the Korean Space Agency, to significantly improve air traffic control in South Korea.

GSAT-24 is a Ku-band 4-ton class communications satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) that will provide high-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services across India. It will be the first “Demand Driven” communications satellite mission undertaken by NSIL.

The Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher is an ESA program carried out in cooperation between public institutions and industry across 12 European partner states.

ArianeGroup is the lead contractor for the development and production of Ariane 5, and is responsible for campaign operations and preparation of the launch vehicle up to lift-off. ArianGroup hands over a “ready to fly” rocket to its subsidiary Arianespace, which sells the Ariane 5 and operates it from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. During launch campaigns, Arianespace works closely with CNES, who is the design authority for the Ariane 5 and controls the satellite preparation facilities at the CSG.

After this launch, four Ariane 5 vehicles remain before the Ariane 6 takes up the baton, supporting Europe’s institutional missions, while meeting the growing needs of the commercial market.

 Press Contacts :

ARIANESPACE

Cyrielle Bouju
Tél. : +33 6 32 65 97 48
c.bouju@arianespace.com

ARIANEGROUP

Astrid Emerit
Tél. : +33 6 86 65 45 02
astrid.emerit@ariane.group

Camille Sohier
Tél. : +33 6 49 00 90 75
camille.sohier@ariane.group