While Ariane 5 will take off again on Friday evening, after a year without a flight, the executive chairman of Arianespace was the guest of Europe evening.
He returned to the importance of this launch, which will propel Quantum, the first "flexible" reprogrammable satellite into orbit, some 35,000 km from Earth.
INTERVIEW
It's the big day for Quantum.
The first "flexible" commercial satellite that can be reprogrammed into orbit, will be launched Friday evening from Kourou, Guyana, by an Ariane 5 rocket. Guest from Europe evening, Stéphane Israël, the executive chairman of Arianespace, explained more in details the stakes of such a launch.
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"A very international Ariane"
It will be almost a year since the Ariane 5 rocket took off, hence the great hurry for all the players involved in the launch.
"Launches are always the result of a lot of complicated operations," explains Stéphane Israël, referring to the involvement of thousands of engineers in France, and throughout Europe.
Before 6 p.m., it will therefore be necessary to ensure the last three parameters: that the rocket is ready, that the satellites are ready, and that the weather allows take-off.
"We will control all that and we hope, at 6 pm, Ariane will be able to soar into the skies of Guyana".
Take a look at what is going to happen tonight!
Our passengers: ️Star One D2 and ️EUTELSAT QUANTUM.
️See you in a few hours!
pic.twitter.com/uF5RXbY7SB
- Arianespace (@Arianespace) July 30, 2021
On the occasion of this launch, "Ariane will do what she has been doing with excellence for years", explains Stéphane Israël.
The rocket will indeed place two telecommunications satellites.
"As Ariane is very powerful, when she launches, she launches for two different clients", explains the executive chairman of Arianespace.
In fact, alongside the Quantum satellite, built by Airbus with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA), Ariane will also launch a satellite built by the Americans on behalf of a Brazilian customer.
"It is therefore a very international Ariane" which will rise above Kourou.
Quantum, reconfigurable from the ground
The European satellite on board is an event in itself. Particularly intelligent and versatile, Quantum "can be reconfigured from the ground thanks to a certain number of innovations", explains Stéphane Israël, referring to an active antenna and a configurable software, which will make it possible to change the nature and the destination of the mission from the ground . "If at some point there is a crisis or a natural disaster and we need to have access to telecommunications in this theater of operations, we will be able, from the ground, to change the satellite's mission. . "