Tag: Arianespace
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Photos: Ariane 5 lights up the night in French Guiana
An Ariane 5 rocket ignited its hydrogen-fueled Vulcain 2 main engine and two solid rocket boosters to send two Intelsat communications satellite into orbit this week, casting a brilliant glow across its launch base carved from the jungle of French Guiana. The European launcher blasted off atop 2.9 million pounds of thrust at 2216 GMT…
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Launch timeline for the Ariane 5 rocket’s 87th flight
An Ariane 5 rocket will fire into the sky from French Guiana just after sunset Wednesday and deliver nearly 12 tons of payload to an orbit reaching 22,000 miles up less than a half-hour later. The nearly 180-foot-tall (55-meter) launcher will blast off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 2155 GMT (5:55 p.m. EDT; 6:55 p.m.…
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Live coverage: Ariane 5 blasts off with two Intelsat satellites
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of an Ariane 5 rocket with the Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 36 communications satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
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Intelsat celebrates double success with Ariane 5 launch
The Ariane 5 rocket ignited its Vulcain 2 main engine at 2216:01 GMT (6:16:01 p.m. EDT), then fired its two solid rocket boosters seven seconds later to soar away from the ELA-3 launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana. ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG Two U.S.-built Intelsat communications satellites destined for different missions fired…
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Ariane 5 go for launch with all-American payload
The Intelsat 33e satellite is seen during launch preparations in French Guiana. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin Launch managers in French Guiana on Monday approved plans to loft two U.S.-built communications for Intelsat aboard an Ariane 5 rocket Wednesday. The launch readiness review Monday gave the “go” for launch…
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Photos: A drive around the Ariane 5 launch pad
Take a trip around the perimeter of the Ariane 5 rocket’s launch zone in Kourou, French Guiana, where two Intelsat communications satellites are poised for liftoff Wednesday at 2155 GMT (5:55 p.m. EDT; 6:55 p.m. local time). The ELA-3 launch zone at the French-run Guiana Space Center is nestled in a wilderness near the northern…
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Photos: Ariane 5 hitched to tug for rollout to the launch pad
A day before blastoff with two Intelsat communications satellites, an Ariane 5 rocket rolled into position on its launch pad in French Guiana on Tuesday behind a 540-horsepower Titan truck, and these close-up snapshots show technicians preparing for the journey. The 180-foot-tall (55-meter) launcher emerged from its final assembly building at French-run Guiana Space Center…
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Photos: European rocket treks to launch pad with U.S. satellites
Two U.S.-built commercial communications satellites moved to their last stop on Earth on Tuesday, when an Ariane 5 rocket rolled out to a launch pad at the edge of the Amazon jungle on the eve of liftoff. The 180-foot-tall (55-meter) launcher emerged from its final assembly building at French-run Guiana Space Center around 10:30 a.m.…
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Ariane 5 receives payloads for launch next week
The Ariane 5 rocket’s 17.7-foot-diamter (5.4 meter) nose cone encloses the Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 36 satellites in the upper and lower positions. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin Two U.S.-built Intelsat communications satellites have hitched on to an Ariane 5 rocket for launch from French Guiana next week, the…
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Ariane 6 rocket holding to schedule for 2020 maiden flight
Artist’s illustration of the Ariane 64 rocket version, with four solid rocket boosters. Credit: ESA–David Ducros, 2016 Europe’s top rocket contractor is pressing ahead with development of the Ariane 6 rocket, a versatile launcher with half the cost of Europe’s current Ariane 5 booster, keeping the new vehicle on track for its 2020 debut. The…