On tonight’s launch from the Guiana Space Center, Arianespace will orbit the two latest Galileo satellites. Carried out on behalf of the European Commission, under a European Space Agency (ESA) contract, this launch will orbit the ninth and tenth Galileo FOC satellites.
While waiting for the launch enjoy these pics from the European Space Centre thanks to CNES.
Galileo 9 & 10 arrival – Container openning
Satellite fuelling (I)
Satellite fuelling (II)
Following liftoff from the Guiana Space Center, the powered phase of the lower three Soyuz stages will last about nine minutes. The third stage of the launcher will then be separated from the upper composite, comprising the Fregat upper stage and the Galileo satellites 9 & 10. The three lower stages and the fairing will fall back into the sea.
After a first burn, the upper composite is spun up during a ballistic phase lasting about 3 hours and 15 minutes. Then, Fregat will ignite its own engine to bring the upper composite to a transfert orbit above the Earth. At a pre-determined point of this orbit, Fregat will ignite a second burn lasting 4 minutes to reach the circular orbit of separation.
At the end of the mission, the Fregat upper stage will be passivated. The Galileo satellites will then lower their altitude in order to reach their operational orbit.
Next we present a couple of recent videos taken in the European Space Centre in Kourou (French Guiana), where the Galileo 9 & 10 Soyuz VS12 launch campaign is explained by Jean-Claude Chiarini (ESA Mission Director) and Thierry Wilmart (Arianespace Mission Director).
Galileo satellites 9 and 10 are scheduled to lift off at 02:08 GMT (04:08 CEST) on 11 September from Europe’s Spaceport.
The two European Galileo navigation satellites for Arianespace’s next mission from French Guiana have been fueled at the Spaceport, readying them for integration with their Soyuz launcher.
These spacecraft were “topped off” during activity this week at the Spaceport’s S3B payload preparation facility, further advancing preparations for the September 10 mission, which is designated Flight VS12 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system, signifying the 12th liftoff of the medium-lift Soyuz vehicle from French Guiana. Read more…
Many months of sustained effort goes into each and every Galileo launch, shown in this sequence of pictures selected from the four Galileo launches so far. The navigation payloads for each satellite are manufactured at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd in the UK, which are then integrated to their satellite platforms at OHB in Germany. Next comes the rigorous test campaign to ensure the satellites can operate as planned in space, which takes place at ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre in the Netherlands.
The four-stage Soyuz ST-B launcher which deploys each pair of Galileo satellites into medium-Earth orbit is constructed in Russia, then sailed from St. Petersburg to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Once the Galileo satellites have passed testing they are transported by air to French Guiana, so the proper launch campaign can begin. The first three stages of the Soyuz are assembled horizontally, then raised vertically onto the launch pad. Read more…
Ariane operations began in 1979 with the Ariane 1 version. Since then, more than 220 Ariane flights have been performed from the Spaceport, where the Ariane 5 now operates as Arianespace’s workhorse heavy-lift launch vehicle.
Arianespace’s launcher family was expanded in 2011 with the introduction of its medium-lift Soyuz at French Guiana, and joined in early 2012 by the lightweight Vega. Read more…
A launch is the result of teamwork that brings together skilled personnel from multiple organizations.
Arianespace
As the commercial operator of the Ariane, Soyuz and Vega launch systems at French Guiana, Arianespace is responsible for placing its customers’ satellite payloads into orbit. It markets launch services, acquires the launch vehicles, prepares the missions and handles all relations with customers – with the dual goals of being a leader in commercial space transportation and guaranteeing Europe’s independent access to space. At the Spaceport in French Guiana, Arianespace manages the industrial team that integrates and prepares for launch, and the company oversees the satellite campaign from the spacecraft’s arrival through its injection into orbit. Read more…