Europe’s working rocket has flown for the last time.
The mighty Ariane 5 launched today (July 5) for the latest mission in its legendary career, which began way back in 1996 and now includes 117 orbital liftoffs.
Today’s mission began at 18:00 EDT (2200 GMT), when Ariane 5 launched from Europe’s Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana. After approximately 2.5 minutes of flight, the 31.6-metre-high vehicle’s solid-fuel thrusters separated from the core stage, whose single engine continued to burn, carrying the mission’s two satellites skyward.
The central stage shut down about nine minutes after liftoff and the upper stage separated and began to burn. After about 30 minutes of flight time, the first satellite, called Heinrich-Hertz, was released into a geostationary transfer orbit above the Earth. About three minutes later, the second payload, known as the Syracuse 4B, followed suit.
“Ariane 5 has completed its job perfectly,” said Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace, the France-based company that operated the rocket, during today’s launch webcast shortly after the second deployment. “He’s truly a legendary pitcher now.”
Related: Top 10 Ariane 5 Rocket Launches of All Time
Heinrich-Hertz is an experimental communications satellite that will test new hardware and serve as a test platform for university and public sector scientific and technical experiments.
Its mission will be managed by the German space agency, known by its acronym DLR. Heinrich-Hertz is the first German satellite dedicated to such technology demonstration and communications research.
Syracuse 4B joins its predecessor, Syracuse 4A, launched in 2021. The pair were built for the French government by Airbus Defense and Space and are replacing the Syracuse 3A and 3B satellites as military communications relays.
Both Heinrich-Hertz and Syracuse 4B are headed for geostationary orbit, which is approximately 22,200 miles (35,800 kilometers) above the Earth. They’ll get there by performing a series of engine burns.
Today’s flight ended a nearly 30-year operational career for Ariane 5, which surpassed the other four Ariane rockets that preceded it.
“Ariane 5 leaves behind an incredible legacy of engineering prowess and reliability,” a European Space Agency (ESA) spokesperson told Space.com. “Throughout its operational life, Ariane 5 has been a major asset for Europe in ensuring its autonomous access to space.”
The two-stage rocket was operated by Arianespace for ESA and CNES, the French space agency, and was built by Airbus Defense and Space. The Ariane 5 has undergone a handful of upgrades and has flown in five different configurations. The most recent versions, Ariane 5 EC/A and ES, went into operation in 2009. The previous design, Ariane G5, was launched from 2005 to 2009, having succeeded the short-lived G+ version, which launched three missions in 2004, and the first Ariane 5 G before that.
Ariane 5 was first launched in 1996 but failed to achieve orbit on that debut, initiating a mid-flight self-destruct abort. After that initial failure, the rocket has become one of the most reliable launchers in the world. According to ESA, of the 117 missions and 239 payloads delivered to Ariane 5 orbit, the launch vehicle performed with a 96% success rate.
Development of the Ariane 5 replacement, the Ariane 6, has been going on for more than a decade. “Ariane 6 is a new launch system, which will be more flexible, cost-effective and serve more types of launches than Ariane 5,” said an ESA representative. The new European rocket will be designed to fly in two configurations, A62 and A64, carrying two and four solid-fuel thrusters, respectively.
The new heavy lifter was originally set to debut in 2020, but setbacks have repeatedly pushed that target down the calendar. Ariane 6 is now expected to launch no earlier than the end of 2023, leaving Europe with a vacuum of launch options until it is ready.
“Where necessary, alternative launch options have been studied and evaluated by ESA from a technical, programmatic and safety perspective to ensure continuity of service for European programmes,” said an ESA official. In April, the European Commission was reported to be exploring the possibility of launching some of the European Union’s Galileo navigation satellites using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket rather than waiting for Ariane 6 to come online.
“ESA and its partners are working around the clock to quickly and reliably secure the maiden flight of Ariane 6, which remains the preferred launch option for Europe’s mission requiring a heavy launch vehicle,” said a spokesperson. of the agency.
Today’s Ariane 5 swansong was originally scheduled for June 16, but was canceled the day before due to problems with the solid rocket booster pyrotechnic transmission lines. The next scheduled attempt, on Tuesday (4 July), was canceled by bad weather.
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