Tag: Ariane 5
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Ariane 5 launches Intelsat 37e & BSAT-4a at second attempt
Arianespace conducted the fifth Ariane 5 launch of the year with the lofting of the Intelsat 37e & BSAT-4a satellites from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on Friday. The attempt came after the rocket aborted on the pad due to an electrical issue with a booster post-main engine ignition. The abort stopped the boosters from…
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Arianespace procures first batch of upgraded Vega-C rockets, preps for last Ariane 5 order
This artist’s illustration shows the lineup of European rockets currently flying or scheduled to debut in the next few years. From left to right: Vega, Vega-C, Ariane 5 ECA, Ariane 62 and Ariane 64. Credit: ESA–David Ducros, Jacky Huart, 2016 Arianespace has split its third order of Vega rockets from Italy’s Avio between old and…
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Six firm launch contracts booked with Arianespace
Artist’s illustration of the Ariane 62 rocket. Credit: ESA–David Ducros, 2016 Arianespace has received its first two confirmed launch contracts for Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket, and the company recently announced four more launch bookings to loft communications and weather satellites into orbit aboard Ariane 5 and Soyuz boosters from French Guiana. Two Ariane 6…
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Electrical problem prompted Ariane 5 countdown abort
A European Ariane 5 rocket sits on its launch pad in French Guiana ahead of an aborted countdown Tuesday. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron An electrical problem on one of the Ariane 5 rocket’s two solid rocket boosters led to an on-pad launch abort Tuesday, likely delaying liftoff with…
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Launch timeline for Ariane 5’s flight with Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a
An Ariane 5 rocket will fire into the sky from French Guiana just after sunset Tuesday and deliver two payloads to orbit for Intelsat, one of the world’s largest commercial satellite operators, and Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. of Japan. The nearly 180-foot-tall (55-meter) launcher will blast off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 2151 GMT (5:51…
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Live coverage: Ariane 5 launch aborted
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of an Ariane 5 rocket with the Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a communications satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter. Arianespace’s live video stream begins at approximately 2136 GMT (5:36 p.m. EDT).
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Photos: Ariane 5 rolls to launch pad
These photos show Monday’s rollout of an Ariane 5 rocket on a 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) journey to its launch pad at the Guiana Space Center in South America. Towed along dual rail tracks behind a diesel-powered Titan tug, the Ariane 5 and its mobile launch platform were transferred from the spaceport’s final assembly building to the…
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Last-second launch abort grounds two U.S.-built communications satellites
Exhaust from the Ariane 5’s Vulcain 2 main engine erupts from the flame trench at the ELA-3 launch pad at the Guiana Space Center, as birds scatter from the sound generated at ignition. Credit: Arianespace An Ariane 5 countdown in French Guiana was aborted Tuesday with the European-made rocket’s main engine already running, postponing the…
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Video: Ariane 5 countdown halted after engine start
Video credit: Arianespace Liftoff of an Ariane 5 rocket from a tropical launch pad in South America was halted moments after its main engine ignited Tuesday in a rare last-second abort for the heavy-lift launcher. The Ariane 5 was counting down to liftoff at 2151 GMT (5:51 p.m. EDT; 6:51 p.m. French Guiana time), but…
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Satellite duo arrive in Kourou ahead of September Ariane 5 launch
Two spacecraft have completed their journeys to their Kourou launch site ahead of launching together on a September Ariane 5 mission. The BSAT-4a satellite has joined Intelsat 37e for their final processing flow ahead of meeting up atop the Arianespace rocket for a dual launch in early September. Ariane 5 Launch Preps: Arianespace is targeting…