Communications
Italy's first operational communications satellite was launched 15 January 1991 by an Ariane-44L H10 booster. Developed by a contractor team led by Alenia Spazio, Italsat carries ten active transponders plus five spares for 30/20 GHz and 50/40 GHz links with a capacity of 12,000 telephone circuits.
Orbital Attempt
#3,600
ASA Mission
#40
Pad Launch
#16
Location Launch
#50
Designator
1991-003
Jan 15, 1991, 11:10 PM
1 update
The Ariane 4 was an expendable space launch system, developed by the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was manufactured by ArianeGroup and marketed by Arianespace. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 until the final flight on 15 February 2003, it attained 113 successful launches out of 116 total launches.
Length
58.7 m
Diameter
3.8 m
Launch Mass
484 t
Thrust
5,395 kN
LEO Capacity
10,200 kg
GTO Capacity
4,950 kg
Reusable
No
Maiden Flight
1989
Fastest Turnaround
18d 21h
Total Launches
40
Successful
39
Failed
1
Consecutive Success
37
Maiden flight: Jun 5, 1989
Arianespace SA is a multinational company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane programme. Their vehicles launch exclusively from French Guiana in South America.
Founded
1980
Administrator
CEO: David Cavaillolès
Total Launches
326
Successful
311
Failed
15
Pending
29
Consecutive Success
14
The Guiana Space Centre is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Kourou is located at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its equatorial location and open sea to the east.
Timezone
America/Cayenne
Local Launch Time
Jan 15, 1991, 8:10 PM
Total Launches
333
Total Landings
0
Coordinates
5.1690, -52.6903