Bolloré Logistics and Antonov Airlines teamed up once again to safely transport Airbus Defence and Space’s new ANASIS-II satellite to its SpaceX launch pad in Florida’s Cape Canaveral. The feat marked the end of an era, as this is set to be the last Airbus Defence and Space satellite to be launched.
The valuable cargo flew from the Airbus DS facility in Toulouse, France to the Cape Canaveral Kennedy Space Centre, USA in one of Antonov’s seven 124-100 aircraft. Once at the destination the satellite was safely passed on to the SpaceX teams for the next stage.
The operation gave Bolloré and Antonov Airlines the opportunity to trial a new lightweight, low profile loading equipment specially designed and manufactured by Antonov Company to transport large satellite containers in the future. Once loaded, the container used to deliver ANASIS-II measured 11 metres in length and weighed a whopping 18 tonnes. Including launch equipment, it was part of an overall payload of 36 tonnes.
“The successful and smooth performance of this flight was the result of well-coordinated teamwork between all parties involved,” Andriy Blagovisniy, Antonov Airlines’ Commercial Director commented. “We thank our valued partner Bolloré Logistics for trusting Antonov Airlines with such responsible air transportation, which continues our long-term cooperation.”
Yorann Marc, Aerospace Project Department Manager for Bolloré Logistics in Toulouse, which organized the shipment on behalf of Airbus Defence and Space, thanked the teams at Bolloré. He added, “Once again Antonov Airlines demonstrated its high technical level and we are always confident in their capacity to move safely our most sensitive cargo in due time. Bolloré Logistics is proud to have reliable partners like Antonov Airlines for common successful highly specific transportations.”
Built by Airbus Defence and Space, Army/Navy/Air Force Satellite Information System 2 or ANASIS-II for short, is South Korea’s first dedicated military communications satellite and was launched by SpaceX on Monday July 20th 2020. SpaceX is an aerospace manufacturer and space transportation service founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable to colonisation of Mars. The satellite’s launch was SpaceX’s first geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) launch of 2020.
