Arianespace announced Feb. 16 that preparations for the upcoming heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECA mission are entering their final phase as the launch vehicle and its dual satellite payload of Spainsat and Hot Bird 7A are prepared for liftoff from Kourou, French Guiana Feb. 21. The launch window will open at 5:13 p.m. and close at 6:23 p.m. EST.

Eutelsat‘s Hot Bird 7A, built by Alcatel Space, will carry 38 Ku-band transponders to provide television and radio programming distribution services from its orbital slot at 13º East.

The Space Systems/Loral-built X-band Spainsat satellite will be located at an orbital slot of 30º West. The spacecraft will be operated by Spain’s Hisdesat for the Spanish Defense Ministry and be used for government telecommunications. A portion of its capacity will also be booked by XTAR — a joint venture satellite communications company created by Hisdesat and Loral Space & Communications — to serve the needs of other government customers.