1998-063A
Ariane mission V113 was launched on 1998 Oct 28 from the ELA 2 (Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 2) at the Centre Spatial Guyanais (Kourou, Guyane francaise, South America). V113 was an Ariane 44L model with four strap-on PAL liquid boosters. 18 minutes after launch the LOX/LH2 third stage delivered the two satellite payloads to geostationary transfer orbit.
The upper payload was the first WorldSpace satellite, Afristar. Afristar will broadcast digital radio over Africa and the Middle East. The satellite is a Matra Marconi Space (Toulouse) Eurostar 2000+, using a Marquardt R-4D apogee engine. Prime contractor for the combined satellite and comms payload is Alcatel. Dry mass of Afristar is 1205 kg; it carries 1534 kg of propellant at launch.
Prime contractor was Alcatel Espace, who subcontracted to Matra MMS/Toulous for the Eurostar 2000+ bus. The new spacecraft was 2739 kg at launch, 1705 kg BOL, 1216 kg dry and would be launched by Ariane in 1998. Size is 1.7 x 2.6 x 3.0 m with 28 m span. Afristar was carried on V113 in the top position above GE5. Position was 21E.
A payload interface unit on Afristar malfunctioned, and a TWTA failed, during early testing, causing problems for the project.
In 2008 WorldSpace was rebranded as `1worldspace'. In 2010 the assets were sold to another Noah Samara company, Yamzi.
On 1 Mar 2017 Afristar was sold on to Silkwave Africa LLC (FCC license transfer was 10 Jan 2017), and in Sep 2017 that company was being sold to CMMB Vision.
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| Afristar |
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| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|
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| 1998 Oct 28 | 2215 | Launch by Ariane 44L V113 | CSG ELA2 |
| | | T+2:30 PAL sep |
| | | T+3:32 St 1 sep |
| | | T+3:35 St 2 burn |
| | | T+4:26 Fairing 01 sep |
| | | T+5:43 St 2 sep |
| | | T+5:48 St 3 burn |
| | 2233 | T+18:42 St 3 cutoff |
| | 2235 | T+20:21 Afristar sep |
| | 2236 | T+21:31 SMS sep |
| | 2238 | T+23:30 GE-5 sep |
| | | T+28:36 V113 mission complete |
| | | T+2h:20 Afristar deploy panels |
| 1998 Oct 28 | | | 630.24 199 x 35744 x 6.5 |
| 1998 Oct 30 | 1130? | LAM-1, apogee 4 |
| 1998 Oct 30 | | | 776.55 7489 x 35726 x 2.9 |
| 1998 Oct 31 | 1313? | LAM-2 |
| 1998 Oct 31 | | | 1437.14 35778 x 35835 x 0.0 GEO 50.0W+0.27W |
| 1998 Nov 3 | | | 1430.31 35604 x 35742 x 0.1 GEO 13.6E+1.4E |
| 1998 Nov 19 | | | 1436.05 35768 x 35802 x 0.0 GEO 21.0E |
| 1999 May 11 | | | 1436.11 35769 x 35804 x 0.0 GEO 21.0E |
| 1999 Nov 6 | | | 1436.03 35766 x 35803 x 0.0 GEO 21.1E |
| 2006 Aug 3 | | | 1436.09 35771 x 35801 x 0.0 GEO 21.0E |
| 2010 Jan | | Sold to Silkwave |
| 2010 Sep 24 | | | 1436.09 35769 x 35803 x 0.0 GEO 21.0E |
| 2017 Oct 7 | | | 1436.14 35770 x 35805 x 3.5 GEO 21.0E |
