H0 |
Main Engine Ignition |
The Ariane 5 rocket's first stage Vulcain 2 main engine ignites and undergoes a thorough health check on the launch pad. |
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H0+00:07.3 |
Launch |
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. |
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H0+00:12.6 |
Start Pitch Maneuver |
The Ariane 5 rocket begins to pitch over after rising vertically from the ELA-3 launch pad. |
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H0+00:17 |
Start Roll Maneuver |
The Ariane 5 rocket starts its roll maneuver to head east away from the Guiana Space Center. |
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H0+00:48 |
Mach 1 |
The Ariane 5 rocket surpasses the speed of dound at an altitude of more than 21,000 feet. |
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H0+02:21 |
Booster Separation |
The solid rocket boosters exhaust their propellant and are jettisoned from the Ariane 5's first stage. |
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H0+03:08 |
Jettison Payload Fairing |
The two halves of the Ariane 5's payload fairing are jettisoned once the
rocket leaves the thick lower atmosphere. |
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H0+08:59 |
Main Stage Shutdown |
The cryogenic first stage's Vulcain 2 main engine shuts down. |
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H0+09:05 |
Stage Separation |
Explosive bolts fire to separate the Ariane 5's first and second stages. |
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H0+09:09 |
Upper Stage Ignition 1 |
The upper stage's HM7B engine, burning cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, ignites to push the Arabsat 5C and SES 2 satellites toward geosynchronous transfer orbit. |
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H0+25:02 |
Upper Stage Shutdown |
The upper stage's HM7B engine shuts down after reaching an oval-shaped transfer orbit stretching from a low point of 155 miles to a high point of 22,236 miles. |
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H0+27:21 |
Arabsat 5C Separation |
The Arabsat 5C communications satellite is released from the upper position in the Ariane 5 rocket's payload stack. |
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H0+34:38 |
Upper Stage Shutdown 2 |
The Sylda dual-payload adapter is jettisoned, exposing the SES 2 satellite for separation. |
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H0+35:53 |
SES 2 Separation |
The SES 2 communications satellite is released from the Ariane 5 launcher, completing the rocket's 60th flight. |
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