Don\u2019t miss riveting slow-motion video of Thursday\u2019s blastoff of four European navigation satellite satellites captured by high-speed cameras at the Ariane 5 rocket\u2019s jungle launch pad, plus dramatic up-close snapshots showing the launcher\u2019s climb into the sky on 2.9 million pounds of ground-shaking thrust.<\/p>\n
The 165-foot-tall (50-meter) rocket took off at 1306 GMT (8:06 a.m. EST; 10:06 a.m. French Guiana time) Thursday topped with four Galileo global positioning satellites for Europe\u2019s space-based navigation network.<\/p>\n
The latest Galileo satellites launched \u2014 the 15th through the 18th in the fleet \u2014 push the navigation system closer to global service, an achievement expected some time in 2018. The Galileo program needs 24 operational satellites to offer fully independent positioning and timing services on par with the U.S. military\u2019s GPS satellites.<\/p>\n
The Ariane 5\u2019s launch Thursday was a rare morning flight for Europe\u2019s heavy-lift rocket, and the rocket\u2019s 75th straight success dating back to 2003. It was the 89th Ariane 5 flight overall, and the sixth this year. The launch was also the ninth Arianespace flight of 2016, a record which includes two Soyuz launches from French Guiana and one Vega mission.<\/p>\n
The Ariane 5 launcher\u2019s Vulcain 2 main engine, burning a mix of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, fired up on the launch pad about seven seconds before liftoff. Once the core engine was measured at full power, the Ariane 5\u2019s two solid rocket boosters ignited to propel the launcher into the skies over the equatorial spaceport.<\/p>\n
The upper stage delivered the four Galileo satellites to a circular orbit around 14,200 miles (22,900 kilometers) above Earth less than four hours after liftoff.<\/p>\n