Check out photos of Europe’s Ariane 5 launcher in the starting blocks at its tropical spaceport awaiting liftoff with two commercial television relay stations.
The launch from French Guiana is set for Thursday at 2010 GMT (4:10 p.m. EDT) carrying satellites into orbit for Eutelsat and Intelsat. It will be the 81st flight of an Ariane 5 rocket dating back to 1996.
Photo credit: Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Optique Video du CSG – P. PironPhoto credit: Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Optique Video du CSG – P. PironPhoto credit: Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Optique Video du CSG – P. PironPhoto credit: Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Optique Video du CSG – P. PironPhoto credit: Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Optique Video du CSG – P. PironPhoto credit: Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron
A European Ariane 5 rocket is scheduled for blastoff Tuesday from a jungle launch pad in South America with two geostationary telecom payloads — one owned by a Saudi Arabian operator and built in Colorado by Lockheed Martin, and another for India’s space agency.
Europe’s next-generation launcher family has moved a step closer to reality with the signature of nearly $3.8 billion in contracts for development of the Ariane 6 rocket and an upgraded version of the lightweight Vega booster.
Five satellites rode a Soyuz booster into orbit Monday from French Guiana, and these spectacular photos from Europe’s tropical spaceport show the legendary rocket’s fiery departure from the edge of the lush Amazon jungle.
