Commercial satellite operators figure well up the list of upcoming launches from French Guiana. Arianespace on December 19th launched the massive Gaia space telescope, and the next launch is being prepared for January 23rd 2014.

That flight (the 217th) will orbit two telecommunications satellites: ABS-2 for Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) as well as the ATHENA-FIDUS craft for Telespazio, for the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and Agenzia Spaziale Italiana and which will be used for French and Italian military and governmental agencies.

February 19th 2014 will see Flight 216 an SES satellite (Astra 5B) placed into orbit. The second passenger on the flight is Amazonas 4A for Hispasat of Spain.

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Categories: Articles, DTH/Satellite