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+00:17.1 |
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+00:48.4 |
Mach 1 |
At an altitude of 6,640 meters, or about 21,785 feet, the Ariane 5 launcher passes the speed of sound. |
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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. At this point in the flight, Ariane 5 is traveling at about 2.01 kilometers per second, or about 4,500 mph. |
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H0+03:23 |
Jettison Payload Fairing |
The two halves of the Ariane 5's 5.4-meter, or 17.7-foot, diameter payload fairing are jettisoned once the rocket leaves the thick lower atmosphere at an altitude of 111 kilometers, or 69 miles. |
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H0+08:56 |
Main Stage Shutdown |
The cryogenic first stage's Vulcain 2 main engine shuts down. |
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H0+09:02 |
Stage Separation |
Explosive bolts fire to separate the Ariane 5's first and second stages. |
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H0+09:06 |
Upper Stage Ignition |
The upper stage's HM7B engine, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, ignites to propel the Measat 3b and Optus 10 satellites to orbit. |
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H0+25:11 |
Upper Stage Shutdown 1 |
The upper stage's HM7B engine shuts down after reaching an orbit with a low point of 249.8 kilometers (155.2 miles), a high point of 35,786 kilometers (22,236 miles) and an inclination of 6 degrees. |
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H0+26:54 |
Measat 3b Separation |
The Ariane 5 rocket deploys the Measat 3b communications satellite from the dual-payload composite's upper berth. |
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H0+28:41 |
Sylda 5 Separation |
The Sylda 5 dual-payload adapter is jettisoned to expose the Optus 10 satellite for separation. |
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H0+34:26 |
Optus 10 Separation |
The Ariane 5 rocket deploys the Optus 10 communications satellite. |
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