* Astronomy

The COMSATBw-1 satellite will  be deployed 33 minutes after launch.

The 5,500-kg. Amazonas 2 is based on EADS Astriums Eurostar E3000 spacecraft bus, and will be operated by Spains HISPASAT from a final orbital slot of 61 deg. West.  This satellite will provide relay capacity over the Americas, with a coverage area extending from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.
It is based on EADS Astriums Eurostar E3000 spacecraft bus, and has been designed for a useful lifetime of 15 years.

COMSATBw-1 has a liftoff mass of approximately 2,500 kg. and will play an important role in the German Bundeswehrs (German Armed Forces) concept for network-centric operations.  It is to serve as the backbone of a strategic command infrastructure and interface for the Bundeswehrs tactical arms, handling secure information - including voice, fax, data, video and multimedia applications - for use by units on deployed missions.

The two satellites had a combined payload weight of 8,000 kg.

Launch

L minus 5 minutes

L minus 1 hour