Tag: Arianespace
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ESA completes swan song of its Vega rocket with Sentinel-2C launch
Sentinel-2 in the Vega launch tower. Image: ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE/Optique vidéo du CSG–T. Leduc Update 10:52 p.m. EDT: Arianespace confirmed successful deployment of the Sentinel-2C spacecraft. The European Space Agency (ESA) completed its transition to its Vega-C rocket with the final launch of its first-generation Vega rocket. The mission, dubbed VV24, carried an Earth-imaging satellite to a…
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Europe’s first Ariane 6 flight achieved most of its goals, but ended prematurely
The first European Ariane 6 rocket fired off its launch pad at the edge of the Amazon rainforest and climbed into orbit Tuesday, an inaugural flight a decade in the making that restored Europe’s ability to put its own large satellites into space. The debut of the Ariane 6 rocket came almost exactly one year…
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Ariane 6 successfully launches on maiden flight from French Guiana
Europe’s new heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, has successfully launched on its maiden flight. Liftoff occurred one hour into a four-hour launch window on Tuesday, July 9, at 19:00 UTC. Ariane 6 launched from the Ensemble de Lancement Ariane-4 (ELA-4) launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The payload for this mission…
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Europe’s long-delayed flagship rocket is about to launch for the first time
Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket is finally ready to fly, four years late but vital as ever for European governments backing the more than $4 billion project. Set for liftoff from French Guiana, the new rocket will be Europe’s flagship launcher for the next decade, providing rides to space for European science probes, navigation satellites, and…
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Launch Roundup: SpaceX flies more customer payloads and Ariane 6 debuts
As many as four SpaceX Falcon 9 missions and the long-delayed inaugural flight of Ariane 6 make up the roster for this week’s launch schedule. The four SpaceX missions will be split evenly between Starlink and two payloads for other customers. At least one of the SpaceX missions is likely to be affected by the…
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European Space Agency launches inaugural Ariane 6 rocket, encounters upper stage issue
Europe’s new rocket Ariane 6 powered Europe into space taking with it a varied selection of experiments, satellites, payload deployers and reentry demonstrations that represent thousands across Europe, from students to industry and experienced space actors. Image: M. Pédoussaut/ESA Update 7:30 p.m. EDT: An anomaly with the Auxiliary Propulsion Unit on the rocket’s upper stage…
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A new era: Ariane 6 maiden launch campaign gets underway
On July 5, 2023, the Ariane 5 launch vehicle took flight for the last time, thus ending a storied 27-year career for what was Europe’s first heavy-lift rocket. Nearly ten months later, Arianespace is back at the launchpad with its new and advanced heavy-lift workhorse: the Ariane 6. For the first time, the central core…
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ArianeGroup prepares to ship Ariane 6 maiden flight rocket to Kourou
The combined Ariane 6 launcher task force, consisting of ESA, CNES, and ArianeGroup, has reported on the progress of Ariane 6, the steps to launch, and the beginning of stage shipments to the launch site. The Canopée ship, which Ariane and ESA use to transport the massive rocket, will collect the first and second stages…
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ESA sets launch date for Ariane 6 for summer of 2024
The long-awaited maiden flight of Ariane 6 is scheduled to take place between June 15 and July 31, 2024, European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher announced at a press conference on Thursday. This followed a successful hot-fire test of the Vulcain 2.1 core stage engine of the new European launcher on its launch…
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ESA Director General: Ariane 6 aiming for summer 2024 debut
The Ariane 6 rocket photographed at dusk in French Guiana. During a briefing on Thursday, Nov. 30, ESA officials discussed a summer timeframe for the first launch of the rocket. Image: ESA Lengthy delays for the debut of Europe’s future flagship rocket may have an end in sight. During a briefing with press on Thursday,…