Tag: European Commission
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Photos: Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich encapsulated for launch
The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite — named for the former head of NASA’s Earth science division who died of cancer earlier this year — is affixed to the top of the 229-foot-tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 rocket awaiting liftoff from the Central Coast of California at 12:17:08 p.m. EST (9:17:08 a.m. PST; 1717:08 GMT) Saturday. The…
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Live coverage: SpaceX launches oceanography satellite from California
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The mission will launch the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich oceanography satellite for NASA, the European Space Agency, the European Commission, Eumetsat, and NOAA. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter.…
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International satellite launches to extend measurements of sea level rise
A Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base with the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich oceanography satellite. Credit: SpaceX A European-built satellite with the unusual shape of a house launched into orbit Saturday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Central Coast, carrying a sophisticated radar altimeter to measure rising sea levels on…
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ICEYE releases first sub-meter radar imagery from a microsatellite
ICEYE radar satellite imagery that has been acquired and processed at 0.5-meter ground sample distance, featuring a port container terminal near Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Credit: ICEYE ICEYE, a Finnish company that builds and operates a growing fleet of commercial Earth-observing spacecraft, has released the first radar image from a microsatellite with a resolution of less…
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Experimental British satellite tests harpoon in orbit
A British satellite released from the International Space Station last year has successfully demonstrated a harpoon that could be used on future missions to clean up space debris, officials announced Friday. The harpoon fired out of the RemoveDebris spacecraft Feb. 8, striking a target plate extended from the satellite on a 4.9-foot (1.5-meter) boom. The…
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Photos: Ariane 5 blasts off with Galileo satellites
Look back on last week’s blastoff of an Ariane 5 rocket from the edge of the Amazon jungle in French Guiana carrying four Galileo navigation satellites into orbit. The rare morning Ariane 5 launch occurred at 8:25:01 a.m. French Guiana time Wednesday, July 25 (1125:01 GMT; 7:25:01 a.m. EDT). The flight marked the final launch…
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Video: Ariane 5 takes off from French Guiana
Video credit: Arianespace Watch a replay of the liftoff of an Ariane 5 rocket Wednesday from the Guiana Space Center, a spaceport carved from the edge of the Amazon rainforest. The launcher carried four Galileo navigation satellites into orbit. The 155-foot-tall (47-meter) Ariane ES rocket lifted off from the ELA-3 launch pad at 1125 GMT…
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Successful Ariane 5 launch fills out European navigation fleet
An Ariane 5 rocket lifted off at 1125 GMT (7:25 a.m. EDT; 8:25 a.m. French Guiana time) from the Guiana Space Center in South America. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – Service Optique The final flight of a discontinued version of Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket added four more spacecraft to Europe’s Galileo…
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Ariane 5 rocket, Galileo satellites on launch pad in French Guiana
An Ariane 5 rocket nears its launch pad Monday in French Guiana. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Baudon Ground crews in French Guiana on Monday transferred an Ariane 5 rocket to its launch pad, moving the vehicle into position for liftoff Wednesday with four European Galileo navigation satellites on the…
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Photos: Ariane 5 rocket rolls to launch with four Galileo satellites
An Ariane 5 rocket emerged from its vertical assembly building Monday and rolled along dual rail tracks for a 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) journey to its launch pad at the Guiana Space Center on the northern coastline of South America, moving into position for blastoff Wednesday with four Galileo navigation satellites. The midday rollout Monday was powered…