Earth-imaging and scientific payloads arrive for Ariancespace mission

Earth-imaging and scientific payloads have arrived in French Guiana, both designed for Ariancespace’s Vega mission in November.

The spacecraft were delivered by a chartered Antonov AN-124 cargo jetliner that touched down at Cayenne’s Félix Eboué Airport. They were then transported by road to the Spaceport, where processing is now underway in separate clean room areas of the S5 payload processing facility.

According to Arianspace, the Vega’s mission with these satellites is designated Flight VV17 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system.

The two satellites include SEOSAT-Ingenio, Spain’s optical observation satellite, and Taranis.

SEOSAT-Ingenio

Arianespace’s launch services contract for the SEOSAT-Ingenio satellite was signed with the European Space Agency for Spain’s Center for Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI). The satellite features optical technology, developed primarily by the Spanish space industry with Airbus in Spain as the prime contractor. Its liftoff mass will be approximately 840 kg.

High-resolution imagery from SEOSAT-Ingenio is to be used for civil and military purposes in such applications as security, land management, natural resources, border surveillance, agriculture and natural disaster crisis management, Arianspace said. The satellite is owned by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology, with the CDTI leading the spacecraft project by delegation and also assuming its cost.

Spain’s SEOSAT-Ingenio (left) is readied for the startup of its checkout process in the Spaceport’s S5 payload preparation facility, which will begin after the external wrapping is removed. The French Taranis scientific satellite (right) undergoes an initial inspection in another of the S5 clean room areas. (Photos: Arianspace)

Taranis

Taranis, or Tool for the Analysis of RAdiation from lightNIng and Sprites, is named after the god of thunder in Celtic mythology. It will study impulsive transfers of energy between the Earth’s atmosphere and the space environment that occur above thunderstorms.

Funded by the French CNES space agency, this satellite will have a liftoff mass in the 200-kg. category and is to provide data on the transient luminous events that have been observed in the past 30 years, particularly such phenomena that are called sprites, jets and elves.

According to Arianspace, both SEOSAT-Ingenio and Taranis will operate in similar orbits at an altitude of approximately 700 km. In ride-sharing this launch on Arianespace’s light-lift Vega launcher, the two spacecraft will be deployed by a VESPA payload dispenser, produced by Airbus in Spain for Avio.