Firing off the launch pad with more than a half-million pounds of thrust, a Vega rocket soared into space Monday night from French Guiana with Europe’s Sentinel 2B environmental satellite.
The 98-foot-tall (30-meter), four-stage rocket, powered by Italian and Ukrainian propulsion, took off at 10:49:24 p.m. local time in French Guiana (0149:24 GMT; 8:49:24 p.m. EST). Less than an hour later, the Vega launcher released Sentinel 2B into its planned orbit nearly 500 miles (800 kilometers) above Earth.
Read our full story for details on the Vega rocket’s ninth mission.
The images of posted below show the Vega rocket on the launch pad during retraction of the mobile gantry a few hours before flight, followed by the booster’s late-night blastoff.
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. PironCredit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. PironCredit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. PironCredit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. PironCredit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – OVCredit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – OVCredit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. MartinCredit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. MartinCredit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2017
An Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle placed Brazil’s Amazonia 1 satellite into orbit Sunday to begin a mission monitoring deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, then released 18 smaller spacecraft at a lower altitude, marking a successful start to India’s 2021 launch schedule that could see as many as seven orbital-class rocket missions.
The fully-assembled James Webb Space Telescope has completed testing in Southern California to verify the $10 billion mission can withstand the sound and shaking it will see during launch scheduled late next year on a European Ariane 5 rocket.
Sunday’s flight of the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California was scrubbed due to a wildfire burning south of the pad. The launch delay allows crews to remain in place to battle the blaze. The lack of Range availability this week means the next launch try won’t come until Sept. 26.
