INITIAL CHECKOUT BEGINS FOR ASTRA 3B

Payload preparations are underway for Ariane 5’s year-opening flight, with the first-arrived payload now undergoing initial checkout at Europe’s Spaceport. This upcoming flight will orbit ASTRA 3B along with another satellite produced by EADS Astrium, COMSATBw-2 – initiating Arianespace’s busy schedule of seven Ariane 5 missions in 2010.