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Mission Update
March 9, 2010
Satellite preparations for Arianespace’s year-opening mission ENTER final phase
The ASTRA 3B satellite has begun its integration with launch hardware for Ariane 5’s March 24 mission.
During activity inside the Spaceport’s S5 payload integration building, the spacecraft was installed atop a two-piece adapter unit that will serve as the satellite’s interface with Ariane 5.
Read our Mission Update for more information.
Press Release
March 1, 2010
OverHorizon selects Arianespace to ORBIT OHO-1
Arianespace has signed a contract for the launch of OverHorizon's OHO-1 satellite. To be built jointly by Orbital Sciences Corporation and Thales Alenia Space using the Star 2.3 platform, this spacecraft will be lofted by an Ariane 5 in mid-2010.
See the official press release for more information.
Feature Story
February 25, 2010
Contract signed for W3B’s launch by Ariane 5
Eutelsat's W3B telecommunications satellite is now on the fast track for launch in late 2010, reinforcing Arianespace’s ability to accommodate customer mission timing needs.
This spacecraft will provide Eutelsat with significant new capacity for broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband services.
Read the Feature Story for additional information.
Press Release
February 11, 2010
French-Italian Athena-Fidus satellite to be launched by Arianespace
Arianespace has been selected to orbit the Athena-Fidus satellite within the scope of a contract signed by Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio and the French and Italian space agencies, CNES and ASI.
An Ariane 5 or Soyuz vehicle is scheduled to launch this spacecraft – which will weigh about 3,000 kg. - from the Spaceport in French Guiana during the second half of 2013.
See the press release for more details.
Press Release
January 28, 2010
SUPPORT CONTRACT IS SIGNED FOR VEGA'S FIRST LAUNCH CAMPAIGN
Arianespace and the European Space Agency have signed a contract defining Arianespace’s support services for the qualification campaign and combined testing of the lightweight Vega launcher. This testing will be conducted at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana starting in April, in preparation for Vega’s service entry toward the end of 2010.
For additional information, read the press release.
Mission Update
December 18, 2009
Arianespace wraps up another successful year of operations
Ariane 5 delivered the French Helios 2B military observation satellite into Sun-synchronous polar orbit this afternoon on Arianespace’s seventh mission of 2009.
Today’s flight from Europe’s Spaceport marked the 35th consecutive success for Ariane 5 during seven years of operation, reinforcing its role as the heavy-lift vehicle of reference for the world’s commercial launch services sector.
- See our Mission Update and the official Press Release for more information on this flight.
- Read the recap of Ariane 5’s 35 back-to-back successful launches in our Feature story.
High-resolution photos of Ariane 5’s December 18 launch with Helios 2B.
Photo credit: ©2009 ESA-CNES-Arianespace/Photo Optique Vidéo CSG
Arianespace’s December 18 daytime mission with Helios 2B was the company’s seventh flight in 2009 and the 35th success in a row for its workhorse launch vehicle. |
Arianespace’s December 18 launch of Ariane 5 marked a milestone for this heavy-lift workhorse – 35 consecutive on-target missions during seven years of operation. |
Ariane 5 lifts off from the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone on its seventh mission of 2009, which successfully lofted the French military observation satellite Helios 2B. |
Feature Story
December 3, 2009
ARIANESPACE MARKS 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARIANE’S FIRST FLIGHT
Thirty years of launch services excellence with the Ariane launcher family was celebrated by Arianespace at the company’s annual holiday gathering in Washington, D.C. During a speech to guests, Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall recalled the maiden flight of Ariane 1 on Christmas Eve 1979, and underscored the importance of launch services maturity and continuity in today’s competitive marketplace.
Read the Feature Story for additional information.
Feature Story
December 3, 2009
ARIANESPACE MARKS 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARIANE’S FIRST FLIGHT
Thirty years of launch services excellence with the Ariane launcher family was celebrated by Arianespace at the company’s annual holiday gathering in Washington, D.C. During a speech to guests, Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall recalled the maiden flight of Ariane 1 on Christmas Eve 1979, and underscored the importance of launch services maturity and continuity in today’s competitive marketplace.
Read the Feature Story for additional information.
Launcher Family Milestone
November 25, 2009
THE FIRST DELIVERY OF SOYUZ LAUNCHERS TO FRENCH GUIANA IS COMPLETED
All elements of the initial two Soyuz vehicles shipped to the Spaceport have now been brought ashore and are on French Guiana soil. This completes a three-day unloading process from the MN Colibri transport ship, with the last of some 50 containers now being moved in road convoys from the dock near Kourou to the Spaceport. The MN Colibri arrived in French Guiana on November 23, completing a transatlantic crossing from St. Petersburg, Russia that began on November 7.
Our photo report captures the unloading process for this historic cargo.
High-resolution photos of the first two Soyuz launchers’
arrival and unloading in French Guiana (November 23-25, 2009)
Photo credit: ©2009 ESA-CNES-Arianespace/Photo Optique Vidéo CSG
The Soyuz 2-1a launchers were transported from Russia by the MN Colibri roll-on/roll-off cargo ship, which docked on schedule November 23 at
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Containers with the stages for Arianespace’s first
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The Soyuz launchers’ two Fregat upper stages leave Pariacabo port in a road convoy to the Spaceport, where the Russian-built medium-lift workhorse vehicle will enter service with Arianespace next year.
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A functional model of the Soyuz launcher’s Fregat
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Soyuz at the Spaceport
November 12, 2009
SOYUZ' MOBILE LAUNCH GANTRY TAKES SHAPE AT THE SPACEPORT
Preparations for the introduction of Arianespace's Soyuz missions from French Guiana have entered a new phase with assembly startup for the launcher's mobile service gantry at the Spaceport. The 52-meter-tall gantry will be one of the main differences from Soyuz' other launch sites at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia.
For additional information, see our Soyuz at the Spaceport story.
Mission Update
October 29, 2009
Arianespace maintains robust 2009 mission pace with another successful Ariane 5 launch
Arianespace completed its sixth mission of 2009 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana today, keeping up the busiest calendar year of launch activity for Ariane 5 since its commercial introduction in 1999. The flight orbited a new customer’s satellite, THOR 6 for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting AS, along with SES WORLD SKIES’ NSS-12 – which is the 32nd spacecraft from the SES group of companies that has been entrusted for an Ariane launch.
Our Mission Update and the official Press Release for more information on this flight.
High-resolution photos of Ariane 5’s October 29 launch with NSS-12 and THOR 6
Photo credit: ©2009 ESA-CNES-Arianespace/Photo Optique Vidéo CSG
Ariane 5 ascends from the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone during an October 29 daytime liftoff with its dual satellite payload of THOR 6 for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting AS and SES WORLD SKIES’ NSS-12.
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Arianespace marks a 34th consecutive mission success for its heavy-lift workhorse on October 29 as Ariane 5 orbits the NSS-12 and THOR 6 satellites from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
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