Ariane 5 – Spaceflight Now

Ariane 5 rocket launches two geostationary communications satellites

July 30, 2021

A European Ariane 5 rocket launched from French Guiana Friday, succeeding on its first flight in nearly a year to deploy a pair of geostationary communications satellites for commercial operators in Brazil and France.

Live coverage: Ariane 5 rocket launches from French Guiana

July 30, 2021

An Ariane 5 rocket launched at 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) from Kourou, French Guiana, on the first mission for Europe’s heavy-lift launcher in nearly a year. The rocket successfully deployed two large communications satellites for Embratel and Eutelsat.

Delta 4-Heavy launches U.S. spy satellite after months of delays

December 11, 2020

Running more than three months late, a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket took off Thursday and carried a U.S. government spy satellite into an orbit thousands of miles above Earth in the first mission from the newly-renamed Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

JWST completes tests to simulate rigors of launch

October 7, 2020

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.

Stunning imagery highlights weekend Ariane 5 launch

August 18, 2020

Views from an airliner, close-up high-speed launch pad cameras, and photographers around the Guiana Space Center in the jungle of South America show the twilight launch of a European Ariane 5 rocket Saturday with three commercial satellites heading for orbits more than 22,000 miles over the equator.

Debuting upgrades, Ariane 5 rocket deploys three U.S.-built satellites in orbit

August 15, 2020

An Ariane 5 rocket delivered a robotic space tug and a pair of commercial communications satellites into orbit Saturday following a fiery blastoff from French Guiana, debuting new upgrades in Arianespace’s first mission since temporarily suspending launch operations earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Live coverage: Ariane 5 rocket launches three satellites from French Guiana

August 15, 2020

Two weeks after a sensor problem forced a delay, an Ariane 5 rocket blasted off at 6:04 p.m. EDT (2204 GMT) Saturday from French Guiana with two commercial communications satellites to cover the United States and Japan, and a Northrop Grumman-built robotic satellite servicing mission designed to link up with another spacecraft in geostationary orbit.

Ariane 5 rocket returns to launch pad for liftoff with commercial satellites

August 13, 2020

Loaded with three commercial satellites, a European Ariane 5 rocket returned to its launch pad in French Guiana Thursday after a two-week launch delay to resolve a technical issue that forced an abort to a countdown July 31. Arianespace says the mission has been rescheduled for launch Saturday due to unfavorable upper level winds in the forecast for Friday.

Ariane 5 rocket returning to hangar for sensor swap

August 1, 2020

Arianespace is returning an Ariane 5 rocket — loaded with three U.S.-built satellites — back to its final assembly building in French Guiana to replace a suspect sensor on the vehicle that prompted officials to cancel a launch attempt Friday. Arianespace said Monday that the swap will delay the launch until around Aug. 14.

Live coverage: Ariane 5 launch scrubbed by sensor problem

July 31, 2020

Arianespace’s third Ariane 5 launch of the year was set liftoff Friday from Kourou, French Guiana, but an issue with a sensor on the rocket’s first stage liquid hydrogen tank caused officials to scrub the launch attempt. The Ariane 5 is poised to carry three U.S.-built commercial satellites into orbit, while testing a few rocket upgrades, including a modified fairing needed for the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope next year.