Tag: Arianespace
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France to privatize its Arianespace shares
Artist’s concept of the Ariane 6 rocket with four solid rocket boosters. Credit: ESA–D. Ducros, 2014 The French government has signaled its intention to sell its stake in Arianespace, a major step in consolidating the European launcher industry under the control of a joint venture formed by Airbus and rocket engine manufacturer Safran. The move…
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DirecTV satellites blast off on Ariane 5 rocket
An Ariane 5 rocket fired into space from a tropical spaceport in French Guiana on Wednesday, successfully delivering two television broadcast satellites into high-altitude orbits for DirecTV and Sky Mexico. Crowned with the DirecTV 15 and Sky Mexico 1 communications satellites, the 18-story rocket lit its Vulcain 2 main engine, passed a final preflight health…
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Live coverage: Ariane 5 launches for DirecTV
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of an Ariane 5 rocket with the DirecTV and Sky Mexico 1 communications satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
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Ariane 5 ready to pull double duty for DirecTV
The Ariane 5 rocket loaded with DirecTV and Sky Mexico 1 rolled to the launch pad in French Guiana on Tuesday. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin Two satellites equipped to broadcast television programming to millions of homes across the United States and Latin America are braced for launch from French…
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Photos: Ariane 5 rolled out to jungle launch pad
Technicians transferred an Ariane 5 rocket loaded with two DirecTV broadcasting satellites to a launch pad in French Guiana on Tuesday, one day before the European launcher is set for liftoff. The DirecTV 15 and Sky Mexico 1 satellites are fastened to the top of the Ariane 5, which is scheduled to fire its Vulcan…
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Arabsat contracts go to Lockheed Martin, Arianespace and SpaceX
Artist’s concept of the Lockheed Martin-built Arabsat 6A and HellasSat 4/SaudiGeoSat 1 satellites. Credit: Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin will build two communications satellites for Saudi Arabia’s Arabsat, and Arianespace and SpaceX will launch the commercial relay platforms under contracts valued at $650 million announced Wednesday. Riyadh-based Arabsat said in a press release that it had…
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Photos: Telecom satellites blast off from the jungle
Look back on Sunday’s launch of an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s jungle spaceport in French Guiana with two communications satellites for a commercial Norwegian telecom operator and Franco-Italian military authorities. The 18-story Ariane 5 rocket blasted off at 2000 GMT (4 p.m. EDT; 5 p.m. local time) from the Guiana Space Center with the…
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Ariane 5 sends Thor 7 and Sicral 2 satellites into orbit
The Ariane 5 rocket blasts off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 2000 GMT (4 p.m. EDT; 5 p.m. local time). Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin Blasting into space atop an Ariane 5 launcher, two communications satellites started missions Sunday to beam broadband services to ships, airplanes and offshore oil rigs…
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Commercial Ariane 5 flight rescheduled for Sunday
The 179-foot-tall Ariane 5 rocket rolled to the launch pad Thursday, but had to return to the Guiana Space Center’s final assembly building for repairs. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Optique Video du CSG – G. Barbaste Arianespace plans to launch an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana on Sunday after fixing a disconnected helium vent line…
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Live coverage: Two satellites lift off aboard Ariane 5
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of an Ariane 5 rocket with the Thor 7 and Sicral 2 communications satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.