ArianeGroup Chief Executive André-Hubert Roussel has said the Ariane family of rocket launchers would be fully reusable starting by the end of this decade. His comments follow on from French Economics Minister Bruno Le Maire who has been highly critical of the Arianespace’s current use of non-reusable rockets, including the giant Ariane 5 and smaller […]
The launch of SES-17 has been delayed. Arianespace says investigations are ongoing in order to identify a new launch date from its Kourou spaceport. The Ariane 5 launch vehicle and spacecraft SES-17 and fellow passenger SYRACUSE 4A are in stable and safe conditions on the launch pad, says Arianespace. SYRACUSE-4A is a military satellite for […]
A major event took place in French Guiana when the launch complex for the upcoming Ariane 6 rockets was inaugurated. Dubbed ELA-4, the massive facility cost well over its budgeted €600 million. The project is also some eight years late. The project was managed by the French national space agency CNES. The site is now […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) has given its approval on Europe’s exploitation of the new Ariane 6 rocket as well as the smaller Vega-C launcher. A meeting on September 6th saw approval given for a roadmap for new and innovative space transportation solutions for the next decade and a framework for associated short cycle demonstrations. […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) is to invest about €90 million to the Ariane Group in order to develop a new engine for the Ariane 6 rocket, itself coming to the end of its design stage. The plan is for the new engine (dubbed Astris) to perform a ‘kick’ stage, and mounted as an addition […]
Recent launches of the giant Ariane 5 rocket have suffered excess vibration, causing severe delays to the rocket’s launch manifest. The problem with fairing vibrations has also affected launches made by the US’s United Launch Alliance and its Atlas 5 rockets. The vibrations occur prior to the separation of the rocket’s crucial fairings prior to […]
An Ariane 5 rocket successfully launched three satellites into geostationary transfer orbit on August 15th. The rocket lifted off from French Guiana at 6.04pm Eastern time – after a 34-minute delay for weather to clear – and over the next 47 minutes deployed its three passengers. Arianespace’s CEO Stéphane Israël said this was the heaviest […]
Arianespace has delayed its planned launch of 3 satellites on a single Ariane-5 rocket on August 14th, blaming bad weather. Arianespace says it is hoping that the weather conditions will have eased by August 15th. Timings are: Between 5:33 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. Washington, D.C. time, Between 6:33 p.m. and 7:20 p.m. Kourou, French Guiana […]
Arianespace has confirmed that it will launch three satellites on a single Ariane-5 rocket on August 14th, subject to the usual weather conditions. Arianespace says its Flight VA253 – which will utilise an increased-lift Ariane 5 version – is a go for launch following an additional Launch Readiness Review (LRR) performed in French Guiana. This […]
Arianespace plans on returning to its launch schedule on August 14th by taking 3 important satellites into orbit. Its former planned launch was scrubbed because of problems with a main cryogenic stage sensor which has been replaced. As this is written there is a possibility that the launch could take place on August 13th. “The […]