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A.P.P. Arianespace Maiaspace Nucletudes Pyroalliance Sodern
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Ariane 5 celebrates its 100th launch

Launching Ariane

25.09.2018

During its 100th launch, Ariane 5 placed in orbit 2 telecommunications satellites weighing a total of 9,940 kg In 22 years of service, Ariane 5 has launched more than 170 satellites to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) as well as the Rosetta probe, fiveedtransfer vehicles (ATV) to resupply the International Space Station (ISS), and 12 satellites for the European Galileo navigation service More than 260,000 people throughout Europe took part in this summer’s #withariane social media campaign To download video “Proud to work on Ariane 5”:  https://arianegroup.preprod.sweetpunk.io/en/photo-video/100th-launch-employee-version/

For its 100th launch – its fourth of 2018 – Ariane 5 lifted off from the European spaceport in Kourou (French Guiana) and placed the two telecommunications satellites Horizons 3e and Azerspace-2/Intelsat38 in GTO.

The performance of this Ariane 5 ECA was 9,940 kg net total mass for the two satellites and 10,827 kg gross mass (including the ACU – payload adaptors, the SYLDA – Ariane dual launch system, and the LVA 3936 – Launch Vehicle Adaptor). Since 2016, the net performance gain for Ariane 5 has increased by 150 kg.

As well as the 170 telecommunications satellites placed in geostationary transfer orbit over the past 22 years, Ariane 5 has also launched payloads to numerous different orbits:

  • the second flight of the recoverable ARD capsule;
  • the XMM, Herschel and Planck telescopes;
  • the Rosetta probe;
  • the ENVISAT Earth observation satellite;
  • two HELIOS remote-sensing satellites;
  • five ATV automated freighters to resupply the International Space Station
  • and, more recently, 12 navigation satellites for Europe’s Galileo constellation. 

In celebration of this 100th launch, more than 7,000 people around Europe virtually launched Ariane 5 themselves on social media. This successful joint campaign by ArianeGroup, Arianespace, CNES and ESA was launched on July 25 to raise awareness about Ariane 5 among the people of Europe. Finally, the various ArianeGroup sites in France (notably in Kourou) and in Germany, celebrated this 100th launch by sharing memories and future ambitions with their 9,000 employees and all their partners.

As the industrial lead contractor for development and operation of the Ariane 5 and Ariane 6 launchers, ArianeGroup coordinates an industrial network of more than 600 companies in 13 European countries, including more than 350 Small and Medium Enterprises. ArianeGroup oversees all the industrial activities, from the performance improvements and studies necessary for Ariane 5 up to its production, the provision of data or software specific to each mission, without forgetting marketing activities via Arianespace. This chain includes equipment and structures, engines manufacturing, integration of the various stages and finally launcher integration in French Guiana.