List of Ariane launches |
---|
1979–1989 · 1990–1999 · 2000–2009 · 2010–2019 · 2020–2029 |
This is a list of launches performed or scheduled to be performed by Ariane carrier rockets between 2010 and 2019. Since 2004, only the Ariane 5 is in service, operating in the ECA and ES configurations. The last Ariane 5 ES flew in 2018. The ECA version has flown until 2023 and will soon complete the transition to the Ariane 6. [1]
Source: Arianespace Press Kits [2]
2010 | ||||||||
Flight № | Date Time (UTC) | Rocket type Serial № | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
V-194 | 21 May 2010 22:01 | Ariane 5 ECA 551 | Guiana ELA-3 | Astra 3B COMSATBw-2 | 9,116 kg | GTO | SES MilSat Services | Success |
V-195 | 26 June 2010 21:41 | Ariane 5 ECA 552 | Guiana ELA-3 | Arabsat-5A Chollian | 8,393 kg | GTO | Arabsat KARI | Success |
V-196 | 4 August 2010 20:59 | Ariane 5 ECA 554 | Guiana ELA-3 | Nilesat-201 RASCOM-QAF 1R | 7,085 kg | GTO | Nilesat RASCOM | Success |
V-197 | 28 October 2010 21:51 | Ariane 5 ECA 555 | Guiana ELA-3 | Eutelsat W3B BSAT-3b | 8,263 kg | GTO | Eutelsat B-SAT | Success |
Eutelsat W3B suffered leak in the propulsion system shortly after launch and was declared total loss. [3] BSAT-3b, however, is operating normally. | ||||||||
V-198 | 26 November 2010 18:39 | Ariane 5 ECA 556 | Guiana ELA-3 | Intelsat 17 HYLAS-1 | 8,867 kg | GTO | Intelsat Avanti Communications | Success |
V-199 | 29 December 2010 21:27 | Ariane 5 ECA 557 | Guiana ELA-3 | Koreasat 6 Hispasat-1E | 9,259 kg | GTO | KT Corporation Hispasat | Success |
2011 | ||||||||
Flight № | Date Time (UTC) | Rocket type Serial № | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch outcome |
V-200 | 16 February 2011 21:50 | Ariane 5 ES 544 | Guiana ELA-3 | Johannes Kepler ATV | 20,050 kg | LEO | ESA | Success |
VA-201 | 22 April 2011 21:37 | Ariane 5 ECA 558 | Guiana ELA-3 | Yahsat 1A New Dawn | 10,064 kg | GTO | AlYahsat Intelsat | Success |
Launch was scrubbed from 30 March due to Vulcain main engine gimbal malfunction that caused launch abort in the last seconds before liftoff. [4] | ||||||||
VA-202 | 20 May 2011 20:38 | Ariane 5 ECA 559 | Guiana ELA-3 | ST-2 GSAT-8 | 9,013 kg | GTO | Singapore Telecom ISRO | Success |
VA-203 | 6 August 2011 22:52 | Ariane 5 ECA 560 | Guiana ELA-3 | Astra 1N BSAT-3c JCSAT-110R | 9,095 kg | GTO | SES B-SAT | Success |
VA-204 | 21 September 2011 21:38 | Ariane 5 ECA 561 | Guiana ELA-3 | Arabsat-5C SES-2 | 8,974 kg | GTO | Arabsat SES | Success |
2012 | ||||||||
Flight № | Date Time (UTC) | Rocket type Serial № | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch outcome |
VA-205 | 23 March 2012 04:34 | Ariane 5 ES 553 | Guiana ELA-3 | Edoardo Amaldi ATV | 20,060 kg | LEO | ESA | Success |
VA-206 | 15 May 2012 22:13 | Ariane 5 ECA 562 | Guiana ELA-3 | JCSAT-13 Vinasat-2 | 8,381 kg | GTO | JSAT VNPT | Success |
VA-207 | 5 July 2012 21:36 | Ariane 5 ECA 563 | Guiana ELA-3 | EchoStar XVII MSG-3 | 9,647 kg | GTO | EchoStar EUMETSAT | Success |
VA-208 | 2 August 2012 20:54 | Ariane 5 ECA 564 | Guiana ELA-3 | Intelsat 20 HYLAS 2 | 10,182 kg | GTO | Intelsat Avanti Communications | Success |
VA-209 | 28 September 2012 21:18 | Ariane 5 ECA 565 | Guiana ELA-3 | Astra 2F GSAT-10 | 10,211 kg | GTO | SES ISRO | Success |
VA-210 | 10 November 2012 21:05 | Ariane 5 ECA 566 | Guiana ELA-3 | Eutelsat 21B Star One C3 | 9,216 kg | GTO | Eutelsat Star One | Success |
VA-211 | 19 December 2012 21:49 | Ariane 5 ECA 567 | Guiana ELA-3 | Skynet 5D MEXSAT-3 | 8,637 kg | GTO | Astrium MEXSAT | Success |
2013 | ||||||||
Flight № | Date Time (UTC) | Rocket type Serial № | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch outcome |
VA-212 | 7 February 2013 21:36 | Ariane 5 ECA 568 | Guiana ELA-3 | Amazonas-3 Azerspace-1/Africasat-1a | 10,350 kg | GTO | Hispasat Azercosmos [5] | Success |
VA-213 | 5 June 2013 21:52 | Ariane 5 ES 592 | Guiana ELA-3 | Albert Einstein ATV | 20,252 kg | LEO | ESA | Success |
VA-214 | 25 July 2013 19:54 | Ariane 5 ECA 569 | Guiana ELA-3 | Alphasat I-XL INSAT-3D | 9,760 kg | GTO | Inmarsat ISRO | Success |
VA-215 | 29 August 2013 20:30 | Ariane 5 ECA 570 | Guiana ELA-3 | Eutelsat 25B/Es'hail 1 GSAT-7 | 9,790 kg | GTO | Eutelsat ISRO | Success |
2014 | ||||||||
Flight № | Date Time (UTC) | Rocket type Serial № | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch outcome |
VA-217 | 6 February 2014 21:30 | Ariane 5 ECA 572 | Guiana ELA-3 | ABS-2 Athena-Fidus | 10,214 kg | GTO | DIRISI | Success |
VA-216 | 22 March 2014 22:04 | Ariane 5 ECA 571 | Guiana ELA-3 | Astra 5B Amazonas 4A | 9,579 kg | GTO | SES Hispasat | Success |
VA-219 | 29 July 2014 23:47 | Ariane 5 ES 593 | Guiana ELA-3 | Georges Lemaître ATV | 20,293 kg | LEO | ESA | Success |
VA-218 | 11 September 2014 22:05 | Ariane 5 ECA 573 | Guiana ELA-3 | MEASAT 3b Optus 10 | 10,088 kg | GTO | MEASAT Satellite Systems Optus | Success |
VA-220 | 16 October 2014 21:43 | Ariane 5 ECA 574 | Guiana ELA-3 | Intelsat 30 ARSAT-1 | 10,060 kg | GTO | Intelsat AR-SAT | Success |
VA-221 | 6 December 2014 20:40 | Ariane 5 ECA 575 | Guiana ELA-3 | DirecTV-14 GSAT-16 | 10,210 kg | GTO | DirecTV ISRO | Success |
2015 | ||||||||
Flight № | Date Time (UTC) | Rocket type Serial № | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch outcome |
VA-222 | 26 April 2015 20:00 | Ariane 5 ECA 576 | Guiana ELA-3 | Thor 7 SICRAL-2 | 9,852 kg | GTO | British Satellite Broadcasting French Armed Forces | Success |
VA-223 | 27 May 2015 21:16 | Ariane 5 ECA 577 | Guiana ELA-3 | DirecTV-15 Sky Mexico 1 | 9,960 kg | GTO | DirecTV Sky México | Success |
VA-224 | 15 July 2015 21:42 | Ariane 5 ECA 578 | Guiana ELA-3 | Star One C4 MSG-4 | 8,587 kg | GTO | Star One EUMETSAT | Success |
VA-225 | 20 August 2015 20:34 | Ariane 5 ECA 579 | Guiana ELA-3 | Eutelsat 8 West B Intelsat 34 | 9,922 kg | GTO | Eutelsat Intelsat | Success |
VA-226 | 30 September 2015 20:30 | Ariane 5 ECA 580 | Guiana ELA-3 | NBN Co 1A ARSAT-2 | 10,203 kg | GTO | National Broadband Network ARSAT | Success |
VA-227 | 10 November 2015 21:34 | Ariane 5 ECA 581 | Guiana ELA-3 | Arabsat 6B GSAT-15 | 9,810 kg | GTO | Arabsat ISRO | Success |
2016 | ||||||||
Flight № | Date Time (UTC) | Rocket type Serial № | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch outcome |
VA-228 | 27 January 2016, 23:20 | Ariane 5 ECA 583 | Guiana ELA-3 | Intelsat 29e | 6,700 kg | GTO | Intelsat | Success |
VA-229 | 9 March 2016, 05:20 | Ariane 5 ECA 582 | Guiana ELA-3 | Eutelsat 65 West A | 6,707 kg | GTO | Eutelsat | Success |
VA-230 | 18 June 2016, 21:38 | Ariane 5 ECA 584 | Guiana ELA-3 | EchoStar 18 BRISat | 10,730 kg | GTO | EchoStar Bank Rakyat Indonesia | Success |
This mission carried the first satellite owned by a financial institution. [6] | ||||||||
VA-232 | 24 August 2016, 22:16 | Ariane 5 ECA 586 | Guiana ELA-3 | Intelsat 33e Intelsat 36 | 10,735 kg | GTO | Intelsat | Success |
Intelsat 33e's LEROS apogee engine, which supposed to perform orbit raising, failed soon after its successful launch, forcing to use the experimentation of low-thrust reaction control system which extended the commissioning time 3 months longer than expected. [7] Later, it suffered other thruster problems which cut its operational life time for about 3.5 years. [8] | ||||||||
VA-231 | 5 October 2016 20:30 | Ariane 5 ECA 585 | Guiana ELA-3 | NBN Co 1B GSAT-18 | 10,663 kg | GTO | National Broadband Network INSAT | Success |
VA-233 | 17 November 2016 13:06 | Ariane 5 ES 594 | Guiana ELA-3 | Galileo FOC-M6 (satellites FM-7, 12, 13, 14) | 3,290 kg | MEO | ESA | Success |
VA-234 | 21 December 2016 20:30 | Ariane 5 ECA 587 | Guiana ELA-3 | Star One D1 JCSAT-15 | 10,722 kg | GTO | Star One SKY Perfect JSAT Group | Success |
2017 | ||||||||
Flight № | Date Time (UTC) | Rocket type Serial № | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch outcome |
VA-235 | 14 February 2017 21:39 | Ariane 5 ECA 588 | Guiana ELA-3 | Intelsat 32e / SkyBrasil-1 Telkom 3S | 10,485 kg | GTO | Intelsat, DirecTV Latin America Telkom Indonesia | Success |
This mission carried the first Intelsat EpicNG satellite based on the Eurostar E3000 platform, while other Intelsat EpicNG satellites were based on BSS-702MP platform. [9] | ||||||||
VA-236 | 4 May 2017 21:50 | Ariane 5 ECA 589 | Guiana ELA-3 | Koreasat 7 SGDC-1 | 10,289 kg | GTO | KT Corporation SGDC | Success |
The launch was delayed from March 2017 due to transportation to the launch site being restricted by a blockade erected by striking workers. [10] | ||||||||
VA-237 | 1 June 2017 23:45 | Ariane 5 ECA 590 | Guiana ELA-3 | ViaSat 2 Eutelsat 172B | 10,865 kg | GTO | ViaSat Eutelsat | Success |
Heaviest and most expensive commercial payload ever put into orbit, [11] valued at approximately $800 million (~$1 billion including the rocket). [12] ViaSat-2 suffered antenna glitch, which cut about 15% of its intended throughput. [13] | ||||||||
VA-238 | 28 June 2017 21:15 | Ariane 5 ECA 591 | Guiana ELA-3 | EuropaSat Hellas Sat 3 GSAT-17 | 10,177 kg | GTO | Hellas Sat INSAT | Success |
VA-239 | 29 September 2017 21:56 | Ariane 5 ECA 5100 | Guiana ELA-3 | Intelsat 37e BSAT-4a | 10,838 kg | GTO | Intelsat B-SAT | Success |
Launch was scrubbed from 5 September due to electrical fault in one of the solid rocket boosters that caused launch abort in the last seconds before liftoff. [14] | ||||||||
VA-240 | 12 December 2017, 18:36 | Ariane 5 ES 595 | Guiana ELA-3 | Galileo FOC-M7 (satellites FM-15, 16, 17, 18) | 3,282 kg | MEO | ESA | Success |
The four satellites were accommodated inside the medium version of the upper stage fairing. [15] The satellites, numbered SAT 19-20-21-22 and built by OHB System in Bremen, Germany, for the European Commission's Galileo programme under the supervision of the ESA, had a mass at liftoff of about 715 kilograms (1,576 lb) each, that is a total of approximately 2,860 kilograms (6,310 lb). [15] The mission was planned to last 4 hours, 40 minutes and 52 seconds, placing the two pairs of satellites into their medium Earth orbit, at an altitude of about 22,922 kilometres (14,243 mi) and an inclination of about 57 degrees. [15] | ||||||||
2018 | ||||||||
Flight № | Date Time (UTC) | Rocket type Serial № | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch outcome |
VA-241 | 25 January 2018 22:20 | Ariane 5 ECA 5101 | Guiana ELA-3 | SES-14 with GOLD Al Yah 3 | 9,123 kg | Super-GTO | SES, NASA AlYahsat | Partial failure |
Telemetry from the launch vehicle was lost after 9 minutes 30 seconds into the flight, after rocket trajectory went off course due to invalid inertial units' azimuth value. [16] Satellites later found to have separated from the upper stage and entered an incorrect orbit with large inclination deviations. [17] [18] However, they were able to reach the planned orbit with small loss of on board propellant for SES-14 and still expected to meet the designed life time, [19] but with significant loss on Al Yah 3 (up to 50% of its intended operational life). [20] [21] | ||||||||
VA-242 | 5 April 2018 21:34 | Ariane 5 ECA 5102 | Guiana ELA-3 | Superbird-8 / DSN-1 HYLAS-4 | 10,260 kg | GTO | Japanese Ministry of Defense, SKY Perfect JSAT Group Avanti Communications | Success |
Return-to-flight mission after VA-241 mishap in 25 January, and the first Arianespace launch following the mishap. [22] The launcher was carrying the DSN-1/Superbird-8 and HYLAS-4 geostationary satellites. The satellites were accommodated together on the SYLDA adapter inside the long version of the upper stage fairing. [23] The mission was planned to last 33 minutes and 56 seconds, placing both satellites into a geostationary transfer orbit, with an apogee of about 35,786 kilometres (22,236 mi) and a perigee of about 250 kilometres (160 mi), at an inclination of about 3 degrees. [23] Superbird-8 was in the upper position. It had a mass at liftoff of about 5,348 kilograms (11,790 lb). [23] The satellite was supposed to launch in mid-2016, but due to overpressurization within the container during shipping to the launch site that caused significant damage, the satellite was returned to the manufacturer for repair work and additional testing, delaying the launch for almost two years. [24] HYLAS-4 was in the lower position. It had a mass at liftoff of approximately 4,050 kilograms (8,930 lb). [23] | ||||||||
VA-243 | 25 September 2018 22:38 | Ariane 5 ECA 5103 | Guiana ELA-3 | Horizons-3e Azerspace-2 / Intelsat 38 | 10,827 kg | GTO | Intelsat, SKY Perfect JSAT Group Azercosmos | Success |
Hundredth Ariane 5 mission. [25] Flight VA-243 was delayed from 25 May due to issues with GSAT-11, which was eventually replaced by Horizons-3e. [26] The satellites were accommodated inside the long version of the upper stage fairing on the SYLDA adapter. [27] Horizons-3e had a liftoff mass of about 6,441 kilograms (14,200 lb) and was operated from the 169° East position. It was Boeing's 56th, Intelsat's 60th and SKY Perfect JSAT's 20th spacecraft to be launched by Arianespace. [27] [28] Azerspace-2, also known as Intelsat 38, had a liftoff mass of about 3,500 kilograms (7,700 lb). [27] Azerbaijan’s second geostationary satellite would expand Azerspace-1's capacity while replacing Intelsat 12 from the 45° East position. It was SSL's 65th and Intelsat's 61st spacecraft to be launched by Arianespace. [28] The mission was planned to last 42 minutes and 17 seconds, placing both the satellites into geostationary transfer orbits with a perigee altitude of about 250 kilometres (160 mi) and apogee of 35,726 kilometres (22,199 mi) and an inclination of about 6 degrees. [27] [29] | ||||||||
VA-244 | 25 July 2018 11:25 | Ariane 5 ES 596 | Guiana ELA-3 | Galileo FOC-M8 (satellites FM-19, 20, 21, 22) | 2,952 kg | MEO | ESA | Success |
Final flight of Ariane 5ES. The satellites were accommodated inside the medium version of the upper stage fairing. [30] They were built by OHB System in Bremen, Germany, for the European Commission's Galileo programme under the supervision of the ESA. [30] They were assigned to the constellation's orbital plane B to provide additional coverage and performance to the now complete initial constellation composed of 24 operational satellites plus two in-orbit spares, all of which having been put into orbit by Arianespace. The satellites, numbered 23, 24, 25 and 26, are named after children who won the European Commission's Galileo drawing competition: Tara, Samuel, Anna and Ellen, respectively. The mission was planned to last 3 hours, 56 minutes and 54 seconds, placing the two pairs of satellites into their medium Earth orbit, at an altitude of about 22,922 kilometres (14,243 mi) (corresponding to a semi-major axis of 29,300 kilometres (18,200 mi), 300 kilometres (190 mi) below Galileo operational orbit) and an inclination of about 56 degrees. [30] [31] | ||||||||
VA-245 | 20 October 2018 01:45 | Ariane 5 ECA 5105 | Guiana ELA-3 | BepiColombo | 4,081 kg | Heliocentric | ESA JAXA | Success |
VA-246 | 4 December 2018 20:37 | Ariane 5 ECA 5104 | Guiana ELA-3 | GSAT-11 GEO-KOMPSAT-2A | 9,362 kg | GTO | ISRO KARI | Success |
2019 | ||||||||
Flight № | Date Time (UTC) | Rocket type Serial № | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customers | Launch outcome |
VA-247 | 5 February 2019 21:01 | Ariane 5 ECA 5106 | Guiana ELA-3 | GSAT-31 Hellas Sat 4 / SaudiGeoSat 1 [32] | 9,031 kg | GTO | ISRO Hellas Sat | Success [33] |
It was the 103rd launch of Ariane 5, the 1st in 2019, and the 306th Arianespace mission. [34] [35] The payloads of the flight were adapted together onto the SYLDA adapter inside the long version of the upper stage fairing. [34] The total payload mass was approximately 10,018 kilograms (22,086 lb), including the adapters. [35] The launch placed both satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbits with perigee altitudes of about 250 kilometres (160 mi) and apogee altitudes of approximately 35,786 kilometres (22,236 mi) at inclinations of about 3°. [34] Hellas Sat 4 was in the upper position, inside the SYLDA adapter. The telecommunication satellite had a liftoff mass of approximately 6,495 kilograms (14,319 lb) and was developed by Lockheed Martin Space in its facilities in Denver, Colorado and Sunnyvale, California for KACST and Hellas Sat. [34] It was designed to operate for 15 to 23 years from the 39° East orbital position, providing telecommunications services to Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East with its Ku- and Ka-band payloads. It is Lockheed Martin's 46th spacecraft orbited by Arianespace. [34] GSAT-31 was in the lower position. The telecommunication satellite had a liftoff mass of 2,536 kilograms (5,591 lb). It was designed and manufactured by ISRO to operate for more than 15 years from the 48° East orbital position, providing telecommunications services with Ku-band coverage. It is ISRO's 22nd spacecraft orbited by Arianespace. [34] | ||||||||
VA-248 | 20 June 2019 21:43 | Ariane 5 ECA 5107 | Guiana ELA-3 | AT&T T-16 Eutelsat 7C | 10,594 kg | GTO | AT&T Eutelsat | Success |
American telecommunications company AT&T and European satellite operator Eutelsat were the customers for Ariane flight VA248. [36] The flight launched two geostationary satellites. [37] [38] AT&T commissioned the launch of its AT&T T-16 communications satellite, originally ordered by satellite television provider DirecTV as the next satellite in its existing fleet prior to the acquisition of the company in 2015. [36] [39] [lower-alpha 1] [42] Eutelsat commissioned the launch of its Eutelsat 7C communications satellite, which provides 49 Ku band transponders for Sub-Saharan African digital television stations and capacity for several hundred channels in the region. [43] [44] The satellite also has optical communication capabilities for use by government services in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, with a steerable beam capable of reaching areas visible to the satellite in its geostationary orbit above Africa. [45] Eutelsat 7C was manufactured by Maxar Technologies and its design, intended for a lifespan of 15 years, is based on the SSL 1300 satellite bus. [46] Weighing 3,400 kilograms (7,500 pounds), the satellite uses electric propulsion for orbit maintenance, which reduces the satellite's launch mass. [46] [47] Eutelsat 7C arrived at the Guiana Space Center on 31 May. [48] AT&T T-16 and Eutelsat 7C were the 601st and 602nd satellites launched by Arianespace. [49] The rocket's boosters and EPC first stage were expended in under nine minutes, while the ESC-A upper stage's HM7B engines burned for 16 minutes; [50] the EPC first stage intentionally crashed in the Gulf of Guinea, off the west coast of Africa. [50] Following the conclusion of the burn, AT&T T-16 separated from the ESC-A at 22:11 UTC, 28 minutes after the start of the flight, followed by the Eutelsat 7C's separation six minutes later, at 22:17 UTC. [38] [47] The flight lasted 34 minutes, [38] and placed the satellites into a geostationary transfer orbit from which they will eventually be placed into geostationary orbit through their own propulsion. [49] Eutelsat 7C was placed at 7° east, a position which allowed the satellite to serve its intended markets in Africa, Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. [51] [45] Eutelsat 7C continued in-orbit testing until the end of 2019, after which it became fully operational. [52] </ref> Ariane flight VA248 was the 104th launch of an Ariane 5 launch vehicle, and the 71st launch of its ECA variant. [49] [53] It was also the fifth launch conducted by Arianespace in 2019. [53] | ||||||||
VA-249 | 6 August 2019 19:30 | Ariane 5 ECA+ 5108 | Guiana ELA-3 | Intelsat 39 EDRS-C / HYLAS-3 | 9,786 kg | GTO | Intelsat ESA / Airbus DS / Avanti | Success |
First flight of ECA+ variant. [54] | ||||||||
VA-250 | 26 November 2019 21:23 [55] | Ariane 5 ECA 5109 | Guiana ELA-3 | Inmarsat-5 F5 (GX5) [56] [57] TIBA-1 [58] | 9,607 kg | GTO | Inmarsat Government of Egypt | Success [59] |
Ariane 5 is a retired European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It was used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), low Earth orbit (LEO) or further into space. The launch vehicle had a streak of 82 consecutive successful launches between 9 April 2003 and 12 December 2017. Since 2014, Ariane 6, a direct successor system, is in development.
Vega is an expendable small-lift launch vehicle operated by Arianespace, produced by Avio, and jointly developed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Development began in 1998 and the first launch took place from the Guiana Space Centre on 13 February 2012. It is the 8th most launched small lift launch vehicle in history. The final flight of the rocket is scheduled for September 2024, after which the vehicle will be replaced by the improved Vega C, already in use.
ELA-3 is a launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. Currently inactive, the complex was first used in June 1996 in support of the now retired Ariane 5 rocket. ELA-3 is 21 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi) in size.
ProtoStar Ltd was a private company incorporated in Bermuda, with U.S. operations based in San Francisco, California and Asian operations based in Singapore. ProtoStar intended to operate an initial fleet of three geostationary satellites. Two satellites were acquired and launched. ProtoStar's anchor customer, Dish TV India Limited, is the largest direct-to-home television operator in India.
The DirecTV satellite fleet is a group of communications satellites located at various geostationary orbits that DirecTV uses for their satellite television service and HughesNet internet service. The "DirecTV" prefix in their names has been changed to "T".
Eutelsat 4A, previously Eurobird 4A and Eutelsat W1 is a French communications satellite which is operated by Eutelsat. It was constructed by Astrium is based on the Eurostar-2000+ satellite bus. Its launch was contracted by Arianespace, using an Ariane 4 44P-3 carrier rocket. The launch occurred on 6 September 2000, at 22:33 UTC from ELA-2 at the Guiana Space Centre.
Eutelsat 113 West A, formerly Satmex-6, is a geostationary communications satellite which is operated by Eutelsat. Originally built for Mexico's Satmex, it was launched in 2006. The satellite was acquired by Eutelsat in its 2014 merger with Satmex, and renamed Eutelsat 113 West A in May. It is used to provide communications services to the Americas, Hawaii and the Caribbean.
The year 2012 saw a number of significant events in spaceflight. In May and October, the first Commercial Orbital Transportation Services resupply missions took place, during which the SpaceX Dragon became the first private spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station (ISS). In June, China launched the crewed Shenzhou 9 orbital mission, and North Korea achieved its first successful orbital launch in December. 2012 also saw China's first successful asteroid exploration mission, and the landing of NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars. The Vega and Unha-3 rockets made their maiden flights in 2012, while the Proton-K made its last.
Hot Bird 7 was a communications satellite that was lost in a launch failure in 2002. Intended for operation by Eutelsat, it was to have provided direct-to-home broadcasting services from geostationary orbit as part of Eutelsat's Hot Bird constellation at a longitude of 13° East. Hot Bird 7 was intended to replace the Hot Bird 3 satellite, which had been launched in 1997.
Several new rockets and spaceports began operations in 2016.
This article documents notable spaceflight events during the year 2019.
Notable spaceflight activities in 2017 included the maiden orbital flight of India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III on 5 June and the first suborbital test of Rocket Lab's Electron rocket, inaugurating the Mahia spaceport in New Zealand. The rocket is named for its innovative Rutherford engine which feeds propellants via battery-powered electric motors instead of the usual gas generator and turbopumps.
This article documents notable spaceflight events during the year 2018. For the first time since 1990, more than 100 orbital launches were performed globally.
Eutelsat 21B, previously known as Eutelsat W6A, is a French communications satellite. Operated by Eutelsat, it provides direct to home broadcasting services from geostationary orbit at a longitude of 21.5 degrees east. It replaced the Eutelsat 21A spacecraft which was launched in 1999.
Intelsat 33e, also known as IS-33e, is a high throughput (HTS) geostationary communications satellite operated by Intelsat and designed and manufactured by Boeing Space Systems on the BSS 702MP satellite bus. It is the second satellite of the EpicNG service, and covers Europe, Africa and most of Asia from the 60° East longitude, where it replaced Intelsat 904. Australia habe national geo sat.. It has a mixed C-band, Ku-band and Ka-band payload with all bands featuring wide and C- and Ku- also featuring spot beams.
Intelsat 36, also known as IS-36, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by Intelsat and designed and manufactured by Space Systems/Loral on the SSL 1300 satellite bus. It covers Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia from the 68.5° East longitude, providing media and content distribution with the South Africa MultiChoice company as anchor customer. It has a mixed C-band and Ku-band.
TV-SAT 2 or TVSAT-2 was a West German communications satellite which was to have been operated by Deutsche Bundespost. It was intended to be used to provide television broadcast services to Europe. It was constructed by Aérospatiale, based on the Spacebus 300 satellite bus, and carried five Ku-band transponders. At launch it had a mass of 2,144 kg (4,727 lb), and an expected operational lifespan of eight years.
AT&T closed its $49 billion acquisition of satellite television provider DirecTV on Friday, after the Federal Communications Commission ratified the deal.
AT&T says that the merger makes the company the largest provider of pay television services in the world with 26 million US subscribers.
The company said it will serve more than 26 million U.S. customers and more than 19 million in Latin America, making it the world's biggest pay-TV company.
EUTELSAT 7C is based on the SSL 1300 platform [...] It will exclusively use electric propulsion for orbit raising as well as station keeping and will provide service for a minimum of 15 years. All-electric satellites provide efficient solutions for satellite operators by reducing launch mass while retaining payload performance.
Plus+9 minutes, 15 seconds. The main cryogenic stage's Vulcain engine has cut off and the spent stage has separated. It will fall back into the atmosphere into the Atlantic Ocean in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa. [...] This upper stage engine is about seven minutes into a planned 16-minute burn. [...] Plus+25 minutes, 20 seconds. The rocket's second stage shut down as scheduled.