Spaceflight Now Home



The Mission




Rocket: Ariane 5 ES
Payload: ATV 1
Date: March 8/9, 2008
Time: 11:03 p.m. EST
(0403 GMT on 9th)
Site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana

Mission Status Center

Our ATV preview

Our program story

Countdown timeline

Launch timeline

Mission timeline

ATV video coverage

Ariane archive



NewsAlert



Sign up for our NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed direct to your desktop.

Enter your e-mail address:

Privacy note: your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose.



Flight 181: Ariane 5/ATV Launch Timeline
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 5, 2008;
Updated March 7 with upper stage deorbiting time

NOTE: GMT is +5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

H0 Main Engine Ignition
0403:04 GMT - The Ariane 5 rocket's first stage Vulcain 2 main engine ignites and undergoes a thorough health check on the launch pad.
H0+00:07 Launch
0403:11 GMT - Producing about 2.6 million pounds of thrust, the Ariane 5 rocket's two solid rocket boosters ignite to lift the launcher into the sky.
H0+00:13 Start Pitch Maneuver
0403:17 GMT - The Ariane 5 rocket begins to pitch over after rising vertically from the ELA-3 launch pad.
H0+00:17 Start Roll Maneuver
0403:21 GMT - The Ariane 5 rocket starts its roll maneuver to head northeast away from the Guiana Space Center.
H0+02:19 Booster Separation
0405:23 GMT - The solid rocket boosters exhaust their propellant and are jettisoned from the Ariane 5's first stage at an altitude of about 41 miles.
H0+03:29 Jettison Payload Fairing
0406:33 GMT - The two halves of the Ariane 5's payload fairing are jettisoned once the rocket leaves the thick lower atmosphere.
H0+08:55 Main Stage Shutdown
0411:59 GMT - The cryogenic first stage's Vulcain 2 main engine shuts down.
H0+09:01 Stage Separation
0412:05 GMT - Explosive bolts fire to separate the Ariane 5's first and second stages.
H0+09:08 Upper Stage Ignition 1
0412:12 GMT - The upper stage's Aestus engine, burning hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide storable propellants, ignites to continue the push toward orbit.
H0+17:13 Upper Stage Shutdown 1
0420:17 GMT - The upper stage's Aestus engine shuts down after reaching a preliminary parking orbit stretching from about 85 miles to 162 miles in altitude.
H0+62:10 Upper Stage Ignition 2
0505:14 GMT - Flying over southeast coast of Australia, the Aestus engine ignites for a second time to deliver the Automated Transfer Vehicle to its injection orbit.
H0+62:40 Upper Stage Shutdown 2
0505:44 GMT - The powered portion of the Ariane 5's mission ends when the Aestus engine cuts off, arriving in a 162-mile-high circular orbit with an inclination of 51.6 degrees.
H0+66:39 ATV Separation
0509:43 GMT - The Automated Transfer Vehicle is deployed from the Ariane 5's upper stage.
H0+144:27 Upper Stage Deorbiting
0627:31 GMT - The Ariane 5 upper stage fires for a third time to guide the spent rocket body toward a destructive re-entry over the Pacific Ocean. The engine burn should last about 16 seconds.

Data Source: Arianespace and EADS

John Glenn Mission Patch

Free shipping to U.S. addresses!

The historic first orbital flight by an American is marked by this commemorative patch for John Glenn and Friendship 7.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Final Shuttle Mission Patch

Free shipping to U.S. addresses!

The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is available in our store. Get this piece of history!
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Celebrate the shuttle program

Free shipping to U.S. addresses!

This special commemorative patch marks the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. Available in our store!
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Anniversary Shuttle Patch

Free shipping to U.S. addresses!

This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Mercury anniversary

Free shipping to U.S. addresses!


Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE

Fallen Heroes Patch Collection
The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.
 U.S. STORE
 WORLDWIDE STORE
MISSION STATUS CENTER

INDEX | PLUS | NEWS ARCHIVE | LAUNCH SCHEDULE
ASTRONOMY NOW | STORE

ADVERTISE

© 2012 Spaceflight Now Inc.