Europe’s begins its mission to Mercury with Ariane 5

BepiColombo, Europe’s first mission to the planet Mercury (in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), is launched by Ariane 5 as the 23rd major scientific mission lofted by Arianespace since its creation. After a seven-year journey covering nearly nine billion kilometers, BepiColombo will arrive at Solar System’s smallest and least-explored planet.

The final Ariane 5 order

Arianespace and its ArianeGroup parent company announce an order for the final 10 Ariane 5 launch vehicles, representing a total value of more than one billion euros for the European space industry. This order’s size aligns with production of the next-generation Ariane 6 version.

Ariane 5 lift record & first all-electric propulsion satellite

The Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher sets a new performance record on Flight VA237, carrying a total payload of 10,865 kg. to a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and besting its previous record by more than 100 kg. The net liftoff mass for the two satellites lofted was 9,969 kg. The successful launch, the 79th one in a row for the Ariane 5, successfully delivered the ViaSat-2 and EUTELSAT 172B telecommunications satellites to GTO; the EUTELSAT 172B is the first all-electric propulsion satellite to be delivered by an Ariane 5.

74 success in a row!

Ariane 5 completes its 74th successful mission in a row, equaling a performance record set by the predecessor Ariane 4. This milestone Ariane 5 mission, designated Flight VA231, orbits the Sky Muster™ II satellite for Australian operator nbn (National Broadband Network) and the GSAT-18 satellite for the Indian space agency ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).

Ariane 5 payload lift record

The Ariane 5 ECA sets a payload lift record to geostationary transfer orbit, lofting a total mass of 10,730 kg. This mission carries two satellites for operators in the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region: EchoStar XVIII for the operator DISH Network L.L.C; and BRIsat for the Indonesian bank PT. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk.

Launch success

The heavy-lift Ariane 5 workhorse orbits a record payload on Flight VA219, successfully placing the European Space Agency’s final Automated Transfer Vehicle – with a mass of more than 20 metric tons at liftoff – into a circular orbit. This launch also marks the 60th consecutive “mission accomplished” for Ariane 5 since 2003.

Another Ariane 5 batch

Arianespace signs the contract for 18 additional Ariane 5 ECA launchers with Astrium, following an agreement concluded earlier in the year for long-lead items on these vehicles. This latest batch will be available for missions starting in 2017.

Ariane 5 orbits the first satellite for Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company – EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1 – which is co-operated with Eutelsat Communications and joins the India’s GSAT-7 on the 57th consecutive successful mission for this heavy-lift workhorse.

In lofting the fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle, Ariane 5 orbits its heaviest payload – delivering a total lift performance of 20,252 kg. to low Earth orbit.

Arianespace’s busy year

Arianespace’s seventh and final Ariane 5 flight of 2012 deploys the Skynet 5D and Mexsat Bicentenario satellites into orbit. Lifting off from the Spaceport in French Guiana, this mission marks Ariane 5's 53rd consecutive success.

300+ primary passengers

With the JCSAT-13 and VINASAT-2 payloads orbited by Ariane 5 on Flight VA206, Arianespace surpasses its 300th mark for the total number of primary satellite passengers launched from French Guiana. This overall total does not include some 50 additional auxiliary or secondary payloads lofted on Arianespace flights.

Launcher family milestone

Parallel flight preparations are underway for the first time with all three members of Arianespace’s full launcher family operating from French Guiana – consisting of the heavy-lift Ariane 5, medium Soyuz and lightweight Vega. This activity at the Spaceport includes build-up of the Ariane 5 that will orbit Europe’s third Automated Transfer Vehicle in early 2012 for servicing of the International Space Station.

New heavyweight record

Ariane 5 sets a new heavyweight record, delivering a total lift performance of 10,050 kg. to geostationary transfer orbit while lofting satellites for two new Arianespace customers: Al Yah Satellite Communications Company’s Yahsat Y1A spacecraft; and Intelsat New Dawn, which was built for a joint venture of Intelsat and Convergence Partners.

Ariane 5 logs its 40th consecutive success, orbiting INTELSAT 17 for the international satellite operator Intelsat and HYLAS 1 for the European operator Avanti Communications in a mission from the Spaceport.

Ariane 5 at 50

The 50th Ariane 5 is launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana with a mixed civilian and military telecommunications satellite payload – SES ASTRA's ASTRA 3B and Germany's COMSATBw-2.