Vega • Optsat 3000 & Venus Launch Thread (Liftoff!)

[Ultimate Steve]

Welcome to last-minute launch thread #4 (since I started counting)!

Today, Arianespace will launch a Vega rocket which will hopefully carry two satellites into orbit.

Quote

Launch time: 0158:33 GMT on 2nd (9:58:33 p.m. EDT on 1st)
Launch site: ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana

 

An Arianespace Vega rocket, designated VV10, will launch with the Optsat 3000 high-resolution reconnaissance satellite for the Italian military and the French-Israeli Venus environmental satellite to monitor the health of vegetation and test an experimental plasma thruster system in orbit. [June 29]

Stream link: http://www.arianespace.com/mission/vega-flight-vv10/

Have a great time watching!

Edited August 2, 2017 by Ultimate Steve

[Green Baron]

Thanks.

ESA launches are just so ... unpretentious :-)

 

[Ultimate Steve]

Probably the livestream:

http://www.arianespace.com/mission/vega-flight-vv10/

[Firemetal]

I'm here! Actually never seen a Vega live before.

Fire

[Ultimate Steve]

Just now, Firemetal said:

I'm here! Actually never seen a Vega live before.

Fire

Same here! This will be a first for me!

[Ultimate Steve]

Four minutes to go!

[XB-70A]

Here too, for the second Vega live launch. Just 4 minutes to see the huge P80 kicking!

[insert_name]

Liftoff

[XB-70A]

Wow, mach 1 only 31 seconds after the liftoff.

[insert_name]

Successful stage separation

Faring separation and 3rd stage ignition

3rd stage separation

4th stage ignition