FINAL PAYLOAD INTEGRATION IS UNDERWAY FOR ARIANESPACE’S FIFTH MISSION OF 2009

The Amazonas 2 satellite has been encapsulated inside Ariane 5’s ogive-shaped payload fairing in preparation for the heavy-lift vehicle’s launch later this month. This spacecraft – which will provide the Spanish-based HISPASAT telecommunications operator with relay capacity over the Americas – will ride on the dual-payload flight with the German military satellite COMSATBw-1.