News Archive / Tagged: Kourou

• Soyuz ST-B launches from French Guiana with Europe’s Metop-C weather satellite

  Tomasz NowakowskiNovember 6th, 2018

  Arianespace made use of a Russian-built Soyuz ST-B rocket to launch the Metop-C spacecraft into a polar orbit for EUMETSAT.

• 4 Galileo navigation satellites sent aloft by Ariane 5

  Heather SmithJuly 25th, 2018

  After a nearly four-month-long mission gap, Arianespace launched an Ariane 5 ES rocket from its South American spaceport in French Guiana to send four Galileo navigation satellites into orbit for Europe’s global navigation satellite system.

• ESA’s LISA Pathfinder mission delayed

  Joe LatrellDecember 1st, 2015

  ESA has delayed their VV06 launch campaign for the flight of the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft. The Vega rocket to be used for the mission has developed an issue requiring engineering analysis before the launch can move forward. Launch had been slated for Dec. 2 at 21:00 GFT - it is unclear when the flight might occur.

• Ariane 5 rocket lifts off with two communications satellites

  Tomasz NowakowskiAugust 20th, 2015

  Arianespace successfully sent two communications satellites into space on Thursday, Aug. 20, using the company’s Ariane 5 heavy launcher. Liftoff occurred at 4:34 p.m. EDT (5:34 local time; 20:34 GMT) from the Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA 3) in Kourou, French Guiana. It delivered the EUTELSAT 8 West B and Intelsat 34 comsats into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).

• Arianespace successfully launches Star One C4 and MSG-4 satellites

  Tomasz NowakowskiJuly 15th, 2015

  On Wednesday, July 15, Arianespace successfully launched a Brazilian communications satellite Star One C4 and a European weather satellite MSG-4 into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). The satellites were lifted off at 6:42 p.m. local time (5:42 p.m. EDT; 21:42 GMT) from the Kourou Spaceport located in Kourou, French Guiana, using the company’s powerful Ariane […]

• Vega rocket readied for launch of Sentinel-2A Earth observation satellite

  Tomasz NowakowskiJune 21st, 2015

  An Arianespace Vega launch vehicle is slated to send the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Sentinel-2A Earth-observing satellite aloft at 9:52 p.m. EDT on June 22 (01:52 GMT on 23 June) from ESA’s spaceport located in Kourou, French Guiana. The preparations for the flight, which was previously scheduled to take place on June 12, are in full swing […]

• Ariane 5 rocket successfully launches DirecTV-15 and Sky Mexico-1 communications satellites

  Tomasz NowakowskiMay 27th, 2015

  An Ariane 5 rocket successfully launched two communications satellites on Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at 6:16 p.m. local time (5:16 p.m. EST) from Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA 3) at the Spaceport located in Kourou, French Guiana. This marked the 223rd Arianespace mission to date and was designated Ariane Flight VA223. The booster delivered […]

• Arianespace set to launch DirecTV-15 and Sky Mexico-1 communications satellites

  Tomasz NowakowskiMay 25th, 2015

  Arianespace is ready to launch two communications satellites into orbit on Wednesday, May 27, 2015, from Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA 3) at the Spaceport located in Kourou, French Guiana. The flight is currently scheduled to take place between 6:16 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. local time (5:16 p.m. – 6:40 p.m. EST).

• Two for two! Flight of Galileo navigational satellites marks dual launches of Soyuz booster

  Jason RhianMarch 27th, 2015

  It’s not every day that two rockets take to the sky. Even rarer is the flight of two of the same family of boosters during that same time frame. Today was just such a day for the Soyuz rocket. In fact, a mere two hours and four minutes after a NASA astronaut and two Russian […]

• Next ESA Galileo satellites undergo fit checks in preparation for late March launch

  Jason RhianFebruary 19th, 2015

  The European Space Agency (ESA ) is preparing the third and fourth Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC ) satellites for a planned March 27 launch atop a Soyuz-2 booster. The next two Galileo navigation spacecraft have recently undergone what is known as a “fit check” with the mission’s dual-payload dispenser in French Guiana. Once the full […]

• Launch of ESA’s first ‘Space Plane’ – postponed

  Tomasz NowakowskiOctober 28th, 2014

  The launch of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle), ESA’s first-ever “space plane” has been postponed to give scientists time to fine tune the mission’s flight plan. At present, there is no established revised launch date, a new one is expected soon.

• ESA’s heaviest spacecraft – Arianespace’s ATV-5 – set to launch to ISS

  Rae Botsford EndJuly 28th, 2014

  Arianespace, on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA ), is planning to send up its fifth, and final, Automated Transfer Vehicle, ATV-5, to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday evening at precisely 8:44:03 p.m. GFT (23:44:03 GMT, 7:44:03 p.m. EDT) from Guiana Space Centre ELA-3 located in Kourou, French Guiana.

• Four O3b satellites successfully launched atop Arianespace Souyz ST-B

  SpaceFlight InsiderJuly 10th, 2014

  At 2:55 PM (18:55 GMT) today, four O3b satellites lifted off from the Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana atop an Arianespace Soyuz ST-B. The mission delivered a new installation of O3b Networks’ space-based constellation of satellites designed to supply internet services and telecommunications with a fiber-optic network. 

• Arianspace launches Vega rocket, sending DZZ-HR spacecraft to orbit

  Jason RhianApril 29th, 2014

  The jungles surrounding the Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana trembled as one of Arianespace’s Vega boosters roared to fiery life and sent the Republic of Kazakhstan’s DZZ-HR spacecraft to orbit at 9:35:15 p.m. EDT (01:35:15 a.m GMT). Tonight’s launch attempt marked the second time that the launch team had worked to get the Vega off […]

• Launch of DZZ-HR delayed due to umbilical issues with Vega booster – UPDATE

  Jason RhianApril 29th, 2014

  The launch of an Arianespace Vega rocket, which had been scheduled to take place on Monday, April 28 (Tuesday, April 29 in Europe) at 9:35 p.m. EDT, 1:35 GMT has been scrubbed due to an issue with the rocket’s umbilical systems. Vega’s launch site is the spaceport located in Kourou, French Guiana. Tonight’s launch would have […]