Tag: European Space Agency
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Jupiter looms large in spectacular Hubble image
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this view of Jupiter and its icy moon Europa on Aug. 25. Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M. H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley) and the OPAL team The Hubble Space Telescope turned toward Jupiter last month, capturing colorful views of the giant planet and…
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Hints of life renew interest in Venus, and a private mission could lead the way
A synthesized false color image of Venus, using 283-nm and 365-nm band images taken by the Venus Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) on Japan’s Akatsuki orbiter. Credit: JAXA / ISAS / Akatsuki Project Team The announcement Monday of the discovery of phosphine gas in the clouds of Venus — an indicator of possible life — has raised…
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Stunning imagery highlights weekend Ariane 5 launch
Video credit: CNES Views from an airliner, close-up high-speed launch pad cameras, and photographers around the Guiana Space Center in the jungle of South America show the twilight launch of a European Ariane 5 rocket Saturday with three commercial satellites heading for orbits more than 22,000 miles over the equator. The Ariane 5 rocket…
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Debuting upgrades, Ariane 5 rocket deploys three U.S.-built satellites in orbit
An Ariane 5 rocket takes off Saturday from the Guiana Space Center in South America. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin An Ariane 5 rocket delivered a robotic space tug and a pair of commercial communications satellites into orbit Saturday following a fiery blastoff from French Guiana, debuting new upgrades…
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Live coverage: Ariane 5 rocket launches three satellites from French Guiana
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of an Ariane 5 rocket with the Galaxy 30 and BSAT-4b communications satellites, and Northrop Grumman’s second Mission Extension Vehicle for satellite servicing. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter. Arianespace’s live video webcast will begin approximately 15 minutes…
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Ariane 5 rocket returns to launch pad for liftoff with commercial satellites
Ground crews transferred an Ariane 5 rocket back to its launch pad Thursday after resolving a technical concern associated with the vehicle’s main stage liquid hydrogen tank. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – J. Durrenberger Loaded with three commercial satellites, a European Ariane 5 rocket returned to its launch pad in French…
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Ariane 5 rocket returning to hangar for sensor swap
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated with new launch date of Aug. 14. An Ariane 5 rocket stands at the ELA-3 launch zone at the Guiana Space Center. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – J. Durrenberger Arianespace is returning an Ariane 5 rocket — loaded with three U.S.-built satellites — back to its final assembly building…
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Live coverage: Ariane 5 launch scrubbed by sensor problem
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of an Ariane 5 rocket with the Galaxy 30 and BSAT-4b communications satellites, and Northrop Grumman’s second Mission Extension Vehicle for satellite servicing. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter. Arianespace’s live video webcast will begin approximately 15 minutes…
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Ariane 5 to test modified fairing for JWST, hardware for new range safety system
The payload shroud containing three commercial satellites on top of the Ariane 5 rocket for launch Friday includes modifications needed for the launch in late 2021 of the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Baudon Engineers plan to test small modifications to a payload shroud on a…
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First images from Solar Orbiter mission bring sun into sharper focus
The first images from the European-built Solar Orbiter mission are the closest ever taken of the sun, revealing previously unseen mini-flares nicknamed “campfires” that may offer hints about what makes the solar corona, or outer atmosphere, hotter than the sun’s surface. The European Space Agency-led Solar Orbiter mission, built and launched in partnership with…