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Atlantic Bird 1 was launched by Ariane 5 flight 513, on 28 August 2002. Flight 513's other payload, accommodated in the lower compartment of the Sylda dual payload carrier, was the MSG 1 weather satellite, the first of the Meteosat Second Generation series for European Meteorological Satellite, or Eumetsat. Both satellites were injected into a highly elliptical geostationary transfer orbit with a perigee, of 579.3 kilometers, and an apogee of 35,929 kilometers, at an inclination of 5.49 degrees. Atlantic Bird 1 was the first to separate, followed a few minutes later by the deployment of the MSG 1 weather satellite. Atlantic Bird 1 propelled itself into a circular orbit 22,300 miles high over a few weeks, where a testing and checkout period commenced before the satellite was declared ready for service in early October. Its operational slot is at 12.5 degrees West above the equator and the Atlantic Ocean. Atlantic Bird 1, built by Alenia Spazio of the Finmeccanica group, is designed for telecommunications, image transmission and Internet services. With a launch mass of 2700 kg, Atlantic Bird 1 carries 24 Ku-band transponders, and provides coverage of Europe and the east coast of the United States. Its design life is 15 years and Atlantic Bird 1 will join the EUTELSAT fleet, making it the 18th satellite launched for the operator by Arianespace. Atlantic Bird 1, like its sister craft Atlantic Bird 2, is dedicated to the memory of Guglielmo Marconi who made the first transatlantic radio transmissions 100 years ago. Atlantic Bird 1 will join Atlantic Bird 2, and the subsequent Atlantic Bird 3, and other craft used by Eutelsat to link the Americas with Europe and parts of Africa and the Middle East. The so-called Atlantic gate program will now use up to three dedicated spacecraft and several others to relay television broadcasts, audio programs, and networking, Internet, and multimedia solutions from continent to continent. Atlantic Bird 1 was originally scheduled to be launched by the Chinese Long March launcher, but problems with export licenses forced the change in launchers.
Astrium Lampoldshausen Team
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