Ariane 6 • CSO-3

An Ariane 6 rocket managed by Arianespace launched the Composite Spatiale Optique-3 (CSO-3) satellite on the second flight in the Ariane 6 program. This was an Ariane 62 configuration, meaning there were two solid rocket motors on the vehicle. It sent the CSO-3 satellite into a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at an altitude of about 800 km (497.1 mi). The CSO-3 is a military Earth imaging satellite for the French defense procurement agency, DGA., and is expected to operate for at least 10 years. Delayed from Feb. 26. Scrubbed on March 3 due to ground systems issue. Watch live.