Ariane 5 completes seven launches in 2012

This evening, an Ariane 5 launcher lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place two telecom satellites, Skynet-5D and Mexsat Bicentenario, into their planned transfer orbits. Liftoff of flight VA211, the 67th Ariane 5 mission, came at 21:49 GMT (22:49 CET; 18:49 French Guiana). The target injection orbit had a perigee altitude of 249.7 km, an apogee altitude at injection of 35 977 km and an inclination of 2°. The satellites were accurately injected into their geostationary transfer orbits about xx minutes and xx minutes after liftoff, respectively. Skynet-5D will be positioned in geostationary above the equator at 25°E. Built by Astrium satellites for the operator Astrium Services, it provides secure tele services to the British Ministry of Defence, NATO and countries that already use the Skynet family of military satellites. Mexsat Bicentenario is the fifth Mexican satellite to be launched by Ariane.