Ariane 5 ECA Launch: August 29, 2013

[Mr Shifty]

This is the ESA's heaviest launch vehicle. Can carry nearly as much to orbit as the Delta IV Heavy that launched yesterday, and has significantly more thrust than that rocket at liftoff: 13.7 MN vs. the DIV-H's 9.4MN. The rocket will be launched from the ESA's Guiana Space Center at Kourou in French Guiana, which is near the equator for equatorial GTO launches. Payload is two communications satellites: one Eutelsat for European commercial and government use and one GSAT, first military communications satellite for India, which will be used by the Indian Navy to communicate with their ships. Liftoff is scheduled for 2030-2120 GMT (1:30-2:20PM PST). You can watch the proceedings here:http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ariane/va215/status.html

• Launch video:
  
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Edited August 29, 2013 by Mr Shifty

[Mr Shifty]

More info about the launch, including a link to livestream by Arianespace: http://www.spaceflight101.com/ariane-5-va-215-launch-updates.html

[sal_vager]

I like how they used smaller tanks under the orange tanks to stop their engines overheating

[Sir_Tramalot]

T-:00:05:00

[Kryten]

Three minutes.

[Mr Shifty]

Livestream is here:http://www.arianespace.tv/

[Mr Shifty]

Liftoff!! You can see how the extra thrust compared to Delta-IV Heavy makes it leap off the launch pad. Much more smoke than DIV-H too, because of the SRBs. And such nice shots of booster and fairing sep from the rocket mounted camera.

[Sir_Tramalot]

Wow! I have subscribed to them so I get an email when there is a livestream on!

[Francesco]

it seems to me that on Ariane 5 payload separation happens earlier than in other launch vehicles:

also, the flight profile seems to be different, with a very steep initial climb.

can someone confirm this?

[Mr Shifty]

Watching the launch and subsequent video coverage about the payloads really brings home the international nature of space services in the 21st century. It's a French launch site, using other European launch and mission controllers, launching two satellites, one of which is a joint European, U.S., and Qatari operation, and the other of which is Indian.

[Bioman222]

Looks like they just seperated the black shroud.

[Bioman222]

There goes G-SAT 7!

[Motokid600]

Any vids of the launch lying around yet?

[Kerbal01]

Damn!, I just missed it!

[Mr Shifty]

Here's video of the launch:

[Kerbal01]

Heaviest payload, and it still accelerated really fast.

[Giggleplex777]

There should be a Falcon 9 1.1 launch on September 2.

[Mr Shifty]

There should be a Falcon 9 1.1 launch on September 2.

The Cassiope launch was originally scheduled for September 5, but it's been pushed back to September 10th. Next global launch is a Zenit rocket from Baikonur on Saturday. Then late at night on September 6th, NASA's LADEE probe will launch using a Minotaur rocket. Then the Falcon 9 1.1 launch on September 10th. Somewhere in there Japan may retry their Epsilon launch that got scrubbed a couple days ago. Check out this site for a launch list.

[NGTOne]

Playing KSP, you become a little... well, blase about spacecraft launches. Seeing one for real (even if only as a video) kind of makes you appreciate the magnitude of the technological achievement required to get anything, let alone satellites that heavy (or even heavier stuff) into orbit of our planet... and don't get me started on Curiosity or the various probes we have out there.

Awesome stuff all around.

[AmpsterMan]

Playing KSP, you become a little... well, blase about spacecraft launches. Seeing one for real (even if only as a video) kind of makes you appreciate the magnitude of the technological achievement required to get anything, let alone satellites that heavy (or even heavier stuff) into orbit of our planet... and don't get me started on Curiosity or the various probes we have out there.

Awesome stuff all around.

The Funny thing is that as a player of KSP I have probably seen more rocket launches than 95 percent of the Human race, and yet it only makes me appreciate them more!

[Scotius]

Yup. Thanks to countless hours at KSP we can appreciate real launches even more. It feels good to know what is happening at any given moment and why. And Ariane is just beautiful - prettiest rocket so far