Tag: Galileo
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Two new satellites join Europe’s fledgling navigation network
A Soyuz rocket lifts off from French Guiana at 2146 GMT (5:46 p.m. EDT; 6:46 p.m. local time) Friday. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin A Soyuz rocket soared into orbit after firing off a launch pad in the Amazon jungle Friday, deploying two satellites nearly 15,000 miles above Earth…
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Managers confident ahead of critical launch for Galileo navigation system
Artist’s concept of two Galileo satellites launching aboard a Soyuz rocket. Credit: ESA–J. Huart, 2014 Confident in technical and procedural fixes implemented since a botched launch in August left two Galileo satellites in the wrong orbit, officials in charge of the European navigation system say Friday’s liftoff of two identical spacecraft on a Soyuz rocket…
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Arianespace Soyuz ST-B conducts launch of Galileo duo
An Arianespace Soyuz ST-B has successfully launched another pair of Galileo satellites from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Friday. The lofting of the FM03 and FM04 satellites took place on schedule at 21:46 UTC, as Europe’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) constellation continues construction in orbit. Galileo Launch: Following the launch of four satellites Galileo In-Orbit…
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Photos: Galileo navigation satellites added to Soyuz rocket
Twin satellites for Europe’s Galileo navigation system were raised on top of a Russian-made Soyuz rocket late Tuesday and installed for Friday’s launch from French Guiana to expand the growing network of spacecraft nearly 15,000 miles above Earth. Stacked side-by-side inside the Soyuz rocket’s nose cone, the payloads were rolled out of a clean room…
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Photos: Soyuz rocket transferred to jungle launch pad
Russian technicians rolled a Soyuz rocket from its integration hangar to the launch pad in French Guiana on Tuesday morning, positioning the booster to receive two Galileo navigation satellites ahead of liftoff Friday. The three-stage rocket made the 2,300-foot trip on rail tracks riding a specialized transporter-erector system. The journey began Tuesday after sunrise, and…
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Soyuz launch double-header set for Friday
A Soyuz rocket is prepared for launch March 27 from French Guiana. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin Russian launch crews on two continents are putting the final touches on a pair of Soyuz rockets scheduled to blast off less than two hours apart Friday — one carrying a three-man…
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Arianespace on pace for one launch per month in 2015
The cryogenic core stage for the first Ariane 5 launch of 2015 was installed on its mobile launch platform Nov. 20. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Baudon Last week’s successful launch of a Vega rocket with a European re-entry technology demonstrator marked the first of at least 11 flights planned…
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Galileo launch failure blamed on frozen Fregat fuel line
Artist’s concept of a Fregat upper stage during launch with two Galileo navigation satellites. Photo credit: Arianespace TV/Spaceflight Now A design flaw in a Russian Fregat upper stage was responsible for the botched orbital injection of two European Galileo navigation satellites in August, officials said Wednesday, causing hydrazine fuel to freeze inside the rocket’s maneuvering…
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Arianespace Soyuz ST-B in troubling Galileo launch
An Arianespace Soyuz ST-B launched two Galileo satellites from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Friday. However, the lofting of the two FOC-M1 (FM01 and FM02) satellites – which took place at 12:27 UTC – did not result in a correct orbital injection. Controllers are now looking into their options to save the satellites. Galileo…
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Arianespace Soyuz ST-B in debut launch from CSG with two Galileo IOVs
Arianespace have launched, at the second attempt, their debut Soyuz ST-B from the European Spaceport “Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG)” in Kourou, French Guiana, following a scrub during Thursday’s tanking. The launch – was on schedule at 10:30am GMT on Friday – lofting two European “Galileo” navigation satellites into orbit from the specially built launch site.…