VA250 – Spaceflight Now

Launch of 250th Ariane rocket marks new era for Inmarsat broadband fleet

November 26, 2019 Stephen Clark

Egypt’s first military communications satellite and a powerhouse spacecraft to beam Internet signals to airline passengers and maritime vessels across Europe and the Middle East rocketed into orbit Tuesday on the 250th flight of an Ariane launcher.

Live coverage: Ariane 5 rocket launches with satellites for Egypt and Inmarsat

November 22, 2019 Stephen Clark

After a four-day delay due to a ground power supply anomaly and unfavorable weather, an Ariane 5 rocket lifted off at 4:23 p.m. EST (2123 GMT) Tuesday to send into orbit a hush-hush communications satellite for the Egyptian military and a spacecraft to expand the capacity of Inmarsat’s mobile Internet service.

Egyptian satellite, ESA science probe share plane ride to launch base

October 16, 2019 Stephen Clark

A European-built communications satellite, manufactured in secret for the Egyptian government, joined a European Space Agency exoplanet observatory aboard a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo plane for a trans-Atlantic flight Wednesday to begin final launch preparations in French Guiana.