Thor 7 to lauch on 16th april - Not good ?

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s giant Thor-7 satellite is being shipped from its Space Systems/Loral production facility in the next few days and flown to the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. There it will go through final testing, and fuelling, ahead of a launch by an Arianespace rocket.

Thor-7 was designed with up to 25 simultaneously active Ka-band spot beams and a steerable beam for flexibility in meeting changing market requirements. Its Ku-band payload includes 11 transponders, which will enable expanded services in the region as well as back-up to ensure uninterrupted service.

“The satellite built by SSL will deliver a very bandwidth efficient and flexible service for major shipping routes and recreational vessels,” said Morten Tengs, VP/CEO of Telenor Satellite Broadcasting. “With the launch of Thor-7, our growth satellite, we look forward to further extending our position in the market and expanding our European coverage.”

Thor-7 is a multi-mission satellite equipped with Telenor’s first high performance Ka-band payload, designed to serve the maritime market. The HTS Ka-band payload on Thor-7, designed specifically for the mobility VSAT market, will provide cost-effective solutions and offer high powered coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. The satellite also has a Ku-band payload for broadcast and television services in Central and Eastern Europe.

When launched, Thor-7 will be positioned at 1 degree West longitude and is designed to provide service for 15 years or more.

This may spell trouble for us that enjoy 1w if they decide to narrow that spot beam and move some of the more popular tp's over to this new bird

Both payloads for Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 flight are mated to the launch vehicle

April 8, 2015 – Ariane Flight VA222

The heavy-lift Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s April 15 mission is now complete following integration of its dual-satellite payload – consisting of THOR 7 and Sicral 2 – at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

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Ariane 5’s upper payload section – composed of THOR 7 and its payload fairing – is raised inside the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building for installation atop the launcher.

Encapsulated in an ogive-shaped protective payload fairing, THOR 7 was lowered into place yesterday over its Sicral 2 co-passenger – which had been installed atop Ariane 5’s core section during preceding activity.

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This integration milestone – achieved at the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building for Ariane 5 – clears the way for a new phase that includes the launch readiness review on April 13, which is to be followed by Ariane 5’s rollout to the ELA-3 launch zone the next day.

Designated Flight VA222, liftoff is scheduled during a 1-hr., 54-min. launch window opening on April 15 at 4:43 p.m. local time in French Guiana, with the two spacecraft to be deployed on a mission lasting approximately 34 minutes.

As the upper payload in Ariane 5’s arrangement, THOR 7 – which was built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) for operation by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting – will be released first in the flight sequence.

This relay platform is equipped with Telenor’s initial high-performance Ka-band payload, designed to serve the maritime sector – offering cost-effective solutions and high-powered coverage over the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. THOR 7 also has a Ku-band payload for broadcast and television services in Central and Eastern Europe.

Sicral 2 – a military telecommunications satellite designed to provide strategic and tactical telecommunications links for French and Italian military forces, as well as reserve capacity for other NATO nations – is to be deployed from the launcher’s lower passenger position, with its separation to follow that of THOR 7.

The spacecraft will be lofted in the framework of a turnkey contract that the Italian Defense Ministry and the French DGA armament agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) have with Thales Alenia Space Italy. Telespazio, among other things, is responsible for the launch service.
http://www.arianespace.com/news-mission-update/2015/1277.asp

Test feed on Eutelsat 7A @ 7 east
11108 H 4937 HD S2
feed id= CSG Kourou

This feed was active for over an hour no signal now but it will come back just before the launch when the 2 launch feeds on 0.8 west will also become active:-

Thor-5 11357 H 24500 7/8 DVB-S/MPEG-4/HD
Thor-6 11919 V 28000 7/8 DVB-S/MPEG-4 HD

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Interesting...

During the preparations for the roll-out of the launcher for flight VA222, an anomaly occurred on a fluid connector between the cryogenic upper stage and the launch table.
As a result, Arianespace has decided to postpone the launch initially scheduled for April 15, 2015, in order to replace this part and perform the subsequent verifications.

The launch vehicle and its THOR 7 and SICRAL 2 satellite payloads are maintained in fully safe conditions and in stand-by mode.

The new launch date targeted will be announced very soon.