Ariane 5 mock-up

Ariane 5 is a European expendable launch system designed to deliver satellites into geostationary transfer orbit and to send payloads to Low Earth orbit. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1194x1910, 627 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ariane 5 Cité de lespace Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1194x1910, 627 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ariane 5 Cité de lespace Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... An expendable launch system or expendable launch vehicle, ELV, is a single-use launch vehicle usually used to launch a payload into space. ... A geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a Hohmann transfer orbit around the Earth between a low Earth orbit (LEO) and a geostationary orbit (GEO). ... A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit in which objects such as satellites are below intermediate circular orbit (ICO) and far below geostationary orbit, but typically around 350 - 1400 km above the Earths surface. ...

It is manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency (ESA) with EADS Astrium Space Transportation as prime contractor, leading a consortium of sub-contractors. The rocket is operated and marketed by Arianespace as part of the Ariane programme. EADS Astrium Space Transportation builds the rockets in Europe and Arianespace launches them from a space port at Kourou in French Guiana. The European Space Agency (ESA), established in 1975, is an inter-governmental organization dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member states. ... EADS Astrium Space Transportation was formed in June 2003 from the Space Infrastructure division of Astrium (whose core was originally ERNO) and the EADS Launch Vehicles division (formerly Aerospatiales Space division). ... Founded in 1980, Arianespace SA undertakes the production, operation and marketing of the Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 rocket launchers as part of the Ariane programme. ... The Ariane Family The name Ariane refers to a series of a civilian European expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. ... EADS Astrium Space Transportation was formed in June 2003 from the Space Infrastructure division of Astrium (whose core was originally ERNO) and the EADS Launch Vehicles division (formerly Aerospatiales Space division). ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Founded in 1980, Arianespace SA undertakes the production, operation and marketing of the Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 rocket launchers as part of the Ariane programme. ... The Guiana Space Centre (French: Centre Spatial Guyanais) is a French/European spaceport near Kourou in French Guiana. ... Kourou is a town and commune in French Guiana. ...

It succeeded Ariane 4, but does not derive from it directly. Its development took 10 years and cost €7 billion. The ESA originally designed Ariane 5 to launch the manned mini shuttle Hermes, and thus intended it to be "human rated" from the beginning. After the ESA cancelled Hermes, the rocket became a purely commercial launcher. Ariane 42P rocket with the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite (Kourou, August 10, 1992) (NASA) Ariane 4 was an expendable launch system, designed by the European Space Agency and manufactured and marketed by its subsidiary Arianespace. ... ISO 4217 Code EUR User(s) European Union; eurozone: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain; outside eurozone: Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Montenegro, Kosovo, French Guiana, Réunion, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte. ... Artists impression of the Hermes Shuttle A cutaway view of the Hermes Shuttle Hermes was a proposed mini-shuttle designed by the European Space Agency which was superficially similar to the US X-20. ...

Two satellites can be mounted using a Sylda carrier. Three main satellites are possible depending on size. Up to eight secondary payloads, usually small experiment packages or minisatellites, can be carried with an ASAP (Ariane Structure for Auxiliary Payloads) platform.

Components

Vulcain engine

Ariane 5’s cryogenic H158 main stage (H173 for Ariane 5 ECA) is called the EPC (Étage Principal Cryotechnique/Cryogenic First Stage). It consists of a large tank 30.5 metres high with two compartments, one for 130 tonnes of liquid oxygen and one for 25 tonnes of liquid hydrogen, and a Vulcain engine at the base with thrust of 115 tonnes-force (1.13 meganewtons). This part of the first stage weighs about 15 tonnes when empty. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1688x2872, 471 KB) Description : Moteur Vulcain de fusée Ariane V Place : Musée des Sciences et des Techniques de la Villette, Paris, France Date : Juillet 2006 Auteur : Pline Photo personnelle File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1688x2872, 471 KB) Description : Moteur Vulcain de fusée Ariane V Place : Musée des Sciences et des Techniques de la Villette, Paris, France Date : Juillet 2006 Auteur : Pline Photo personnelle File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link... Cryogenics is a branch of physics (or engineering) that studies the production of very low temperatures (below –150 °C, –238 °F or 123 K) and the behavior of materials at those temperatures. ... A tonne or metric ton (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. ... Image from Dr Warwick Hillier see http://www. ... A tonne or metric ton (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. ... LH2 is an acronym used in the aerospace industry, which stands for Liquid Hydrogen. ... The Vulcain engine in a museum. ... The deprecated unit kilogram-force (kgf) or kilopond (kp) is the force exerted by one kilogram of mass in standard Earth gravity (defined as exactly 9. ... In physics, the newton (symbol: N) is the SI unit of force, named after Sir Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics. ...

Attached to the sides are two solid propellant boosters, P238 (P241 for Ariane 5 ECA), each weighing about 277 tonnes full. Each delivers a thrust of about 630 tonnes-force (6.2 MN). These boosters can be recovered with parachutes, like the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters. They may have been retrieved for examination on early missions, but are not reused. The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) is the rocket that provides 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. ...

The second stage is on top of the main stage and below the payload. The Ariane 5G uses the EPS (Étage à Propergols Stockables/Storable Propellant Stage), which is fueled by monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetroxide, where the Ariane 5 ECA uses the ESC (Étage Supérieur Cryotechnique/Cryogenic Upper Stage), which is fueled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The payload and all upper stages are covered at launch by the fairing, which splits off once sufficient altitude has been reached. Monomethylhydrazine (MMH) is a volatile hydrazine with the chemical formula CH3N2H3. ... Nitrogen tetroxide (or Dinitrogen tetroxide) (N2O4) is a hypergolic propellant often used in combination with a hydrazine-based rocket fuel. ...

Variants

The ATV will be delivered into orbit by an Ariane 5 rocket

The original version is dubbed Ariane 5G (Generic) with a launch mass of 737 tonnes. Its payload capability to Geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) was initially specified as 5970 kg, but was increased after the qualification flights to 6200 kg. Image File history File linksMetadata Atv. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Atv. ... A geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a Hohmann transfer orbit around the Earth between a low Earth orbit (LEO) and a geostationary orbit (GEO). ...

The Ariane 5G+ had an improved second stage, with a GTO capacity of 6950 kg for a single payload. It flew three times in 2004.

It was replaced in 2005 by the Ariane 5GS, with the same solid boosters as the Ariane 5 ECA and a modified first Stage with a Vulcain 1B engine. It can carry a single Payload of 6100 kg

The Ariane 5 ECA has a GTO launch capacity of 10,000 kg for dual payloads or 10,500 kg for a single payload. This variant uses a new Vulcain 2 first-stage engine, and an ESC-A second stage, powered by an HM-7B engine, weighing 2100 kg and carrying 14,000 kg of cryogenic propellant. The second stage was previously used as the third stage of Ariane 4; in ECA use, the tanks are modified to shorten stage length. The revised Vulcain has a longer, more efficient nozzle with more efficient flow cycle and denser propellant ratio. The new ratio demanded length modifications to the first-stage tanks. Also, the solid booster casings have been lightened with new welds, and packed with more propellant. The ESC-A cryogenic second stage does not improve the performance to Low Earth orbit compared to Ariane 5G, and for this reason the Ariane 5 ECA will not be used to launch the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). A remote camera captures a close-up view of a Space Shuttle Main Engine during a test firing at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi Spacecraft propulsion is used to change the velocity of spacecraft and artificial satellites, or in short, to provide delta-v. ... A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit in which objects such as satellites are below intermediate circular orbit (ICO) and far below geostationary orbit, but typically around 350 - 1400 km above the Earths surface. ... ISS ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle (ESA) The Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV is a European Space Agency spacecraft designed to supply the International Space Station with propellant, water, air, payload experiments and the like. ...

Comparable rockets: Delta IV - Atlas V - Chang Zheng 5 - Angara - Proton - Falcon 9 It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Delta IV launches. ... It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Atlas V launches. ... Designed and developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), Long March 5 (LM-5, CZ-5, or Chang Zheng 5) is Chinas next generation space launch vehicle family, which would include a range of classes of launch vehicles for different missions. ... The Angara rocket is a planned space-launch vehicle, designed to place heavy payloads into orbit. ... The Proton (Прото́н) rocket (formal designation: UR-500, also known as D-1/ D-1e or SL-12/SL-13) is a Russian unmanned space vehicle design, first launched in 1965. ... The Falcon 9 is an EELV class launch vehicle to be built by SpaceX. Three variants are proposed and, if built, will provide payloads of between 8,700 kg and 24,750 kg to low Earth orbit, and between 3,100 kg and 9,650 kg to Geostationary transfer orbit. ...

Future developments

Ariane 5 ES ATV has been designed for launching the Automated Transfer Vehicle. It consists of the improved Vulcain 2-powered first stage and the upper stage from the Ariane 5G, and can put up to 21,000 kg in LEO. ISS ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle (ESA) The Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV is a European Space Agency spacecraft designed to supply the International Space Station with propellant, water, air, payload experiments and the like. ... A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit in which objects such as satellites are below intermediate circular orbit (ICO) and far below geostationary orbit, but typically around 350 - 1400 km above the Earths surface. ...

Ariane 5 ECB development hold

Ariane 5 ECB was planned to have an ESC-B upper stage using a new Vinci expander cycle type engine. The GTO capacity was to increase to 12,000 kg, but ECB was put on hold due to budget cuts. At an ESA conference (December 2005) in Berlin there was no decision to restart or cancel the program, meaning it is currently on hold. The Vinci engine, which is designed to power the Ariane 5 ECB upper stage, is still being developed, though at a lower pace. Consequently, a restart of the ESC-B program is not impossible at the ESA conference in 2008. The uncertainty regarding the Ariane 5 ECB creates a major commercial weakness for Ariane 5: lacking a reignitable cryogenic engine, unlike all its competitors, it is unable to deliver payloads directly to geostationary orbit. Vinci upper stage engine, with nozzle extension deployed Vinci is a european cryogenic rocket engine currently under development at EADS SPACE Transportation. ... Expander rocket engine (closed cycle). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with geosynchronous orbit. ...

Launch history

Comparison of Ariane 5 to Proton and Soyuz rockets

Although marred by failures of the first rockets of each model, the Ariane 5 continues the tradition of the Ariane 4, which during the time of its operation was the most reliable commercial rocket available (only three of its 104 launches failed). Image File history File links Rocket_comparison. ... Image File history File links Rocket_comparison. ... The Proton (Прото́н) rocket (formal designation: UR-500, also known as D-1/ D-1e or SL-12/SL-13) is a Russian unmanned space vehicle design, first launched in 1965. ... Soyuz rocket on launch pad. ... Ariane 42P rocket with the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite (Kourou, August 10, 1992) (NASA) Ariane 4 was an expendable launch system, designed by the European Space Agency and manufactured and marketed by its subsidiary Arianespace. ...

Ariane 5's first test flight (Ariane 5 Flight 501) on 4 June 1996 failed, with the rocket self-destructing 37 seconds after launch because of a malfunction in the control software, which was arguably one of the most expensive computer bugs in history. A data conversion from 64-bit floating point to 16-bit signed integer value had caused a processor trap (operand error). The floating point number had a value too large to be represented by a 16-bit signed integer. Efficiency considerations had led to the disabling of the software handler (in Ada code) for this trap, although other conversions of comparable variables in the code remained protected. Flight 501, which took place on on June 4, 1996, was the first test flight of the Ariane 5 expendable launch system. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... A computer bug is an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program that prevents it from working as intended, or produces an incorrect result. ... A bit (binary digit) refers to a digit in the binary numeral system, which consists of base 2 digits (ie. ... A floating-point number is a digital representation for a number in a certain subset of the rational numbers, and is often used to approximate an arbitrary real number on a computer. ... Signedness is a property of an integer number used by a compiler to indicate if variables of a numeric type are capable of storing both positive and negative numbers, or just positive. ... The integers are commonly denoted by the above symbol. ... Ada is a structured, statically typed imperative computer programming language designed by a team led by Jean Ichbiah of CII Honeywell Bull under contract by the US Navy during 1977–1983. ...

The second test flight, L502 on 30 October 1997 was a partial failure. The Vulcain nozzle caused a roll problem, leading to premature shutdown of the core stage. The upper stage operated successfully but could not reach the intended orbit. October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A subsequent test flight on 21 October 1998 proved successful and the first commercial launch occurred on 10 December 1999 with the launch of the XMM-Newton X-ray observatory satellite. October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... This article is about XMM-Newton. ...

Another partial failure occurred on 12 July 2001, with the delivery of two satellites into an incorrect orbit, at only half the height of the intended GTO. The ESA Artemis telecommunications satellite was able to reach its intended orbit on 31 January 2003, through the use of its experimental ion propulsion system. July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2001. ... U.S. military MILSTAR communications satellite A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purposes of telecommunications using radio at microwave frequencies. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An ion engine test An ion thruster is a type of spacecraft propulsion that uses beams of ions for propulsion. ...

The next launch did not occur until 1 March 2002, when the Envisat environmental satellite successfully reached an orbit 800 km above the Earth in the 11th launch. At 8111 kg, it was the heaviest single payload to date. March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Envisat (Environmental Satellite) satellite is an Earth-observing satellite built by the European Space Agency. ... Earth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar to reconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc. ...

The first launch of the ECA variant on 11 December 2002 ended in failure when a main booster problem caused the rocket to veer off-course, forcing its self-destruction three minutes into the flight. Its payload of two communications satellites (Stentor and Hot Bird 7), valued at about EUR 630 million, was lost in the ocean. The fault was determined to have been caused by a leak in coolant pipes allowing the nozzle to overheat. After this failure, Arianespace SA delayed the expected January 2003 launch for the Rosetta mission to 26 February 2004, but this was again delayed to early March 2004 due to a minor fault in the foam that protects the cryogenic tanks on the Ariane 5. December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Hot Bird or Hotbird is the common name of a family of satellites operated by Eutelsat, located at 13°E over the Equator (orbital position) and with a transmitting footprint over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. ... Conceptual drawing of the Rosetta orbiter and Philae lander Rosetta is a European Space Agency-led unmanned space mission launched in 2004 intended to study the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 27 September 2003 the last Ariane 5 G boosted three satellites (including the first European lunar probe, SMART-1), in Flight 162. On 18 July 2004 an Ariane 5 G+ boosted what was at the time the heaviest telecommunication satellite ever, Anik F2, weighing almost 6,000 kg. September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... SMART-1. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Anik satellites are geostationary communications satellites launched by Telesat Canada for television in Canada. ...

The first successful launch of the Ariane 5 ECA took place on 12 February 2005. The payload consisted of the XTAR-EUR military communications satellite, a 'SLOSHSAT' small scientific satellite and a MaqSat B2 payload simulator. The launch had been originally scheduled for October 2004, but additional testing and the military requiring a launch at that time (of an Helios 2A observation satellite) delayed the attempt. February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Helios 2A is a French military observation satellite which was launched on December 18, 2004 by an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana. ...

On 11 August 2005, the first Ariane 5GS (featuring the Ariane 5 ECA's improved solid motors) boosted Thaïcom-4/iPStar-1, the heaviest telecommunications satellite to date at 6505 kg [1], into orbit. August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 13 October 2005, the second Ariane 5GS boosted a dual payload to orbit. This consisted of Syracuse 3A, a French military satellite, and Galaxy 15 for PanAmSat. October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Founded in 1984 by Rene Anselmo, PanAmSat Corporation (NYSE: PA) was a satellite service provider headquartered in Wilton, Connecticut. ...

On 16 November 2005, the third Ariane 5 ECA launch (the second successful ECA launch) took place. It carried a dual payload consisting of Spaceway-F2 for DirecTV and Telkom-2 for PT Telekomunikasi of Indonesia. This was the rocket's heaviest dual payload to date, at more than 8000 kg. November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A standard DirecTV satellite dish with 1 LNB on a roof DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service based in El Segundo, California, USA, that transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States and Latin America except for Mexico. ...

On 21 December 2005, the third Ariane 5GS boosted another dual payload to orbit. This payload consisted of INSAT 4A for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and MSG-2 for the European organization Eumetsat. December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 11 March 2006, the fourth Ariane 5 ECA launch boosted another dual payload to orbit. This payload consisted of Hot Bird 7A for Eutelsat (a replacement for the Hot Bird 7 satellite lost in the first Ariane 5 ECA launch), and SPAINSAT, a Spanish government telecommunications satellite for HISDESAT. March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

On 27 May 2006, an Ariane 5 ECA rocket set a new commercial payload lifting record of 8.2 tonnes. The dual-payload consisted of the Thaicom 5 and Satmex 6 satellites. [2] May 27 is the 147th day (148th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 218 days remaining. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

On 11 August the JCSat 10 and Syracuse 3B comsats were launched by an Arian 5 ECA. August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT) began operations with its headquarters in Washington, DC, in 1963. ...

On 13 October the DirecTV-9S and Optus D1 comsats were launched, along with the LDREX-2 technology demonstration satellite.^[1] October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of the satellites operated by Optus, an Australian telecommunications company. ... The Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT) began operations with its headquarters in Washington, DC, in 1963. ...

On 8 December 2006 the WildBlue-1 and AMC-18 were placed into orbit by the Ariane 5 ECA version, making the launch the fifth Ariane 5 ECA launch in 2006. December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Ariane 5 flights

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC - see below for explanation) is a high-precision atomic time standard. ... Flight 501, which took place on on June 4, 1996, was the first test flight of the Ariane 5 expendable launch system. ... Cluster satellite FM2 The Cluster mission is an European Space Agency (ESA) unmanned space mission mission to study the Earths magnetosphere using four identical spacecraft flying in a tetrahedral formation. ... The Advanced Reentry Demonstrator (ARD) was a suborbital reentry test flown on the third Ariane 5 flight. ... This article is about XMM-Newton. ... Image taken by INSAT 2-E Shown here is a GSLV launch vehicle, one of the main launch vehicles for INSAT satellites. ... AO-40 is the on-orbit name designation of an Amateur Radio satellite (AMSAT) of the OSCAR series; formerly known as Phase 3D. The Project Manager was Peter Guelzow (Amateur Radio call sign DB2OS) of AMSAT Germany (AMSAT-DL). ... Astra 2D is one of a group of satellites operated by SES Astra, located at 28. ... Eurobird 1 is a Eutelsat operated satellite, used for digital television. ... This is a list of the satellites operated by Optus, an Australian telecommunications company. ... SMART-1. ... Conceptual drawing of the Rosetta orbiter and Philae lander Rosetta is a European Space Agency-led unmanned space mission launched in 2004 intended to study the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. ... The Anik satellites are geostationary communications satellites launched by Telesat Canada for television in Canada. ... PARASOL is a French built Earth observing research satellite. ... Image taken by INSAT 2-E Shown here is a GSLV launch vehicle, one of the main launch vehicles for INSAT satellites. ... EUMETSAT is an intergovernmental organisation created through an international convention agreed by 19 European Member States: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. ... Hot Bird or Hotbird is the common name of a family of satellites operated by Eutelsat, located at 13°E over the Equator (orbital position) and with a transmitting footprint over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. ... This is a list of the satellites operated by Optus, an Australian telecommunications company. ... WildBlue Communications, Inc. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Upcoming flights

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC - see below for explanation) is a high-precision atomic time standard. ... ISS ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle (ESA) The Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV is a European Space Agency spacecraft designed to supply the International Space Station with propellant, water, air, payload experiments and the like. ...

References

The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• ESA description of the Ariane 5
• Ariane 5 technical notes, available as PDF from http://www.arianespace.com/site/documents/document_sub_index.html
• (English) Arianespace: Ariane 5
• (English) Actually Launch on Arianespace Homepage
• (English) The last and the next Launch
• BBC News report on the (delayed) successful launch of the Ariane 5 ECA flight on November 16, 2005.
• Vinci Engine development
• Watch an Ariane 5 launch (webcast begins 20 mins before launch).