Tag: European Commission
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Europe’s satellite navigation fleet gets big boost from Ariane 5 rocket
Europe’s Galileo navigation program turned to the workhorse Ariane 5 rocket for a heavy lift Thursday, delivering four new satellites to orbit on the launcher’s 75th successful flight in a row and pushing the growing fleet closer to global coverage. The four satellites, built in Germany with navigation payloads from Britain, arrived in an orbit…
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Live coverage: Ariane 5 lifts off on its first Galileo launch
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of an Ariane 5 rocket with four Galileo navigation satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
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Photos: Ariane 5 on its jungle launch pad with navigation payloads
Take a walk around the Ariane 5 launch pad in French Guiana after the 16-story rocket arrived at the complex for liftoff Thursday with four European Galileo navigation satellites. Read our launch preview for more information on the mission. Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2016 Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2016 Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2016 Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2016…
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Photos: Ariane 5’s trek to the launch pad for Galileo launch
An Ariane 5 rocket rolled out to its tropical launch pad in French Guiana this week leading up to Thursday’s launch of four Galileo navigation satellites for the European Commission. The 165-foot-tall (50-meter) rocket make the 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) trip to the ELA-3 launch zone Tuesday mounted on a mobile launch platform. Four satellites for Europe’s…
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Europe’s navigation network turns to Ariane 5 for heavy-lifting
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin Four satellites fastened to the top of an Ariane 5 rocket will grow Europe’s space-based Galileo navigation network Thursday morning with a launch from the South American jungle. The spacecraft will ride a specially-modified Ariane 5 launcher to an orbital perch more than 14,000…
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Galileo navigation satellites mounted atop Ariane 5 for launch next week
The Ariane 5’s payload fairing (top) is lowered over the four Galileo satellites already fastened to their carrier module on the Ariane 5 upper stage. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – JM Guillon An Ariane 5 launcher uniquely modified to loft four of Europe’s Galileo navigation satellites on one flight has received…
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Images from European satellite reveal possible impact with space junk
The picture shows Sentinel 1A’s solar array before and after the impact of a millimeter-size particle on the second panel. The damaged area has a diameter of about 40 centimeters (16 inches), which is consistent on this structure with the impact of a fragment of less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) in size. Credit: ESA…
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Photos: Soyuz dashes away from French Guiana launch pad
A Russian Soyuz rocket topped with two European Galileo navigation satellites soared into orbit before dawn Tuesday, vaulting through low clouds hanging over its jungle launch base in French Guiana. The 46-meter (151-foot-tall) rocket lifted off at 5:48 a.m. French Guiana time (0848 GMT; 4:48 a.m. EDT), adding the 13th and 14th satellites to Europe’s…
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Soyuz launch adds two more satellites to Galileo navigation fleet
A Soyuz rocket blasted off at 0848 GMT (4:48 a.m. EDT; 5:48 a.m. French Guiana time) Tuesday from the European-run spaceport in French Guiana. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron Two more Galileo satellites successfully catapulted into space from the French Guiana jungle aboard a Soyuz rocket Tuesday, putting Europe’s…
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Live coverage: Soyuz rocket lifts off with new Galileo satellites
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Soyuz rocket from French Guiana with two Galileo navigation satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.