The Ariane 5 for Arianespace's first heavy-lift mission of 2007 is now on the launch pad at Europe's Spaceport, clearing the way for tomorrow evening's liftoff with a dual-satellite payload that will serve India and the United Kingdom.

Rollout of the Ariane 5 occurred this afternoon when the vehicle left the Final Assembly Building for its 2.8-km. transfer to the ELA-3 launch zone.

The Ariane 5's liftoff is scheduled during a 33-minute launch window that opens at 7:25 p.m. local time in French Guiana.

Passengers for this flight are India's INSAT 4B, which will provide television and telecommunication relay services over India, and the Skynet 5A secure relay platform for the British Ministry of Defence.

Payload lift performance for the Ariane 5 mission is 8,700 kg., of which 7,785 kg. is the combined mass of INSAT 4B and Skynet 5A. The remaining weight includes payload adapters for the satellites, as well as Ariane 5's multiple deployment system - which enables the launcher to perform its trademark dual-spacecraft launches.

INSAT 4B was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation and is the second INSAT 4-series relay platform to be launched by Ariane 5. Equipped with 12 Ku-band transponders and 12 C-band transponders, it follows the INSAT 4A payload that was orbited by Arianespace in December 2005.