Ariane 5 delivers record payload into orbit
A generic Ariane 5 launcher has set a new record for the heaviest telecommunications satellite ever to be placed into geostationary orbit, the European Space Agency (ESA) has announced. On the morning of 11 August, the Ariane 5G launcher lifted off from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana carrying the THAICOM 4 (IPSTAR) satellite in its payload. The satellite had a launch mass of almost 6,500 kilos, beating the previous record for the heaviest telecoms satellite to be placed in orbit held by the Anik F2 satellite, which was also carried on board an Ariane 5 launcher. Ariane 5's latest mission had to be delayed during its two-hour launch window in order to verify telemetry readings from the craft's mobile launch table, but the countdown subsequently resumed and the launch proceeded without any further problems. From its current orbit, the THAICOM 4 satellite - owned by Shin Satellite Plc - will provide businesses and consumers throughout Asia, Australia and New Zealand with various levels of Internet access services. The satellite has a data throughput capacity of over 45 gigabytes per second, and is the fourth Shin Satellite to be launched by an Ariane vehicle.