Tag Archives: European Space Agency

European Space Agency (ESA)

Guiana Space Centre – Operations

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.

CSG operations

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…

Guiana Space Centre – Actors

A launch is the result of teamwork that brings together skilled personnel from multiple organizations.

CSG actors

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…

Watch Galileo launch-4 live

The seventh and eighth Galileo satellites are scheduled for launch tomorrow, March 27, at 21:46:18 GMT (22:46:18 CET) atop a Soyuz ST-B rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Streaming starts at 21:26 GMT (22:26 CET) at the European Space Agency website.

The first three stages of the Soyuz rocket will take the Galileo satellites and their Fregat upper stage into low orbit. Then the reignitable Fregat, as much a spacecraft as a rocket stage, will take over the task of hauling the satellites higher through a pair of burns. The satellites will be released in opposite directions by their dispenser once they reach their set 22,522 kilometer-altitude orbit 3 hours, 47 minutes, 57 seconds after launch. Read more…

Sixth Galileo satellite in corrected orbit

The sixth Galileo satellite has now entered its corrected target orbit, which will allow detailed testing to assess the performance of its navigation payload.

Launched with the fifth Galileo last August, its initial elongated orbit saw it travelling as high as 25900 km above Earth and down to a low point of 13713 km, confusing the Earth sensor used to point its navigation antennas at the ground. Read more…