Tag: Guiana Space Center
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Environmental satellite with ‘color vision’ lands in French Guiana
The Sentinel 2A spacecraft is seen during a solar array deployment test in early April at a test facility operated by IABG in Munich, Germany. Credit: ESA/M. Pedoussaut Wrapped inside a protective shipping container, Europe’s Sentinel 2A land imaging satellite flew from Germany to French Guiana this week aboard an Antonov transport plane to prepare…
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Ariane 5 launch postponed by faulty connector
File photo of an Ariane 5 rocket and its cryogenic umbilical arms. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Video du CSG Arianespace has postponed this week’s launch of an Ariane 5 rocket with two European communications satellites to replace a faulty fluid connector between the launcher and its mobile launch platform, officials said Tuesday. The tandem satellite delivery mission…
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Look back at Friday’s Soyuz launch from the Amazon
Two satellites for Europe’s Galileo navigation network lifted off at sunset Friday aboard a Soyuz rocket from a tropical launch pad at the edge of South America’s Amazon rainforest. The 15-story Soyuz rocket fired its kerosene-fueled engines and vaulted away from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana at 6:46 p.m. local time (2146 GMT;…
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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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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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Fire in the hole! Vega fires away from jungle spaceport
A solid-fueled Vega launcher zipped away from its launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana, with Europe’s IXV mission Wednesday, boosting a miniature lifting body spacecraft on a globe-spanning test flight to validate technologies for future space transportation systems. The fourth flight of the European Vega rocket — and its first in full daylight — blasted…