Discussion: Anik F2 Launched On Ariane 5

[Fraser]

SUMMARY: The world's largest commercial communications satellite, Telstar's Anik F2, was launched atop an Ariane 5G rocket today. The rocket lifted off from the European Spaceport in Kourou at 0044 UTC (8:44 pm EDT July 17), and carried the 5,950 kg (13,118 lb) satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. Once it reaches its final orbit at 111.1 degrees West, the Anik F2 will provide data and broadcast services to all of North America.

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[Ron Miyakawa]

Quite an achievement. Congratulations to Telesat and Boeing and the many unsung heros making this happen. Ali Shoamanish, one of the architects of the system as well as Shawn Malach who conceived the payload, designed it and tested it. Can't quite pop the champagne cork until aquisition, deployment, and in orbit test.

[Fraser]

It's nice to have another Canadian bird in the sky. :-)

[StarLab]

Forget about nationalities - more for the continent. Hooray!

[Guest]

where's the video ? some of those lift-offs are great B)
is the 5G rocket a common type to be used by european ?

[spac er]

good news, nice to see such good international effort from United States, Canada and Europe paying off get getting things done, this should help future satellite launches and make leading communications in the future

[Guest]

the world's largest commercial satellite ever launched
ANIK F2 weighed over 5.9 metric tonnes
(13,000 lb) at launch and was built by Boeing Space Systems as part of its new 702 satellite series. It blasted off from the ESA launch centre in Kourou, French Guiana