Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Ariane 5 rocket launch explosion

The first launch of the Ariane 5 rocket launch ended spectacularly with a malfunction seconds after lift off that resulted in the destruction of the vehicle.

Cluster (spacecraft) - Wikipedia

European satellite constellation studying Earth's magnetosphere; cornerstone mission in the ESA Science Programme; failed upon launch Cluster was a constellation of four European Space Agency spacecraft which were launched on the maiden flight of the Ariane 5 rocket, Flight 501, and subsequently lo...

Cluster

Overview

Destination: High Earth Orbit
Mission: Earth Science

High Earth Orbit Ariane Launch Area 3 Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

A constellation of four ESA spacecraft. These were intended to fly in a tetrahedral formation, and was inteded to conduct research into the Earth's magnetosphere.

Ariane 5 G

Family:
Configuration: G

The original version is dubbed Ariane 5 G (Generic) and had a launch mass of 737 tonnes. Its payload capability to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) was 6,900 kg (15,200 lb) for a single satellite or 6,100 kg (13,400 lb) for dual launches. It flew 17 times with one failure and two partial failures.

Specifications
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    57.0 m
  • Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Launch Mass
    737.0 T
  • Thrust
Family
  • Name
    Ariane 5 G
  • Family
  • Variant
    G
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Ariane 5 G
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    12200.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    6900.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

ArianeGroup

ArianeGroup

(AG)

CEO: Christophe Bruneau Founded: 2015 Successes: 0 Failures: 0 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

ArianeGroup (formerly Airbus Safran Launchers) is an aerospace company based in France. A joint venture between Airbus and Safran, the company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux. It consists of three core arms: aerospace, defence and security.

INFO WIKI

Related News

ESA

Cluster reentry explained: world's first targeted reentry

The first of four satellites that make up ESA’s Cluster mission is coming safely back down to Earth, marking a brilliant end to this remarkable mission.

ESA

Goodnight, Cluster: brilliant end to trailblazing mission

The first satellite in ESA’s Cluster quartet safely came back down to Earth last night in a world-first ‘targeted reentry’, marking a brilliant end to this remarkable mission.

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Ariane Launch Area 3


Starship
Success
1 day, 14 hours ago
Flight 13
Orbital Launch Pad 2 - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

13th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Second flight of Starship V3. For the first time, Starship will carry 20 V3 Starlink sa…


Kinetica 1
Success
2 days, 13 hours ago
5 satellites
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Share-ride of 5 commercial Earth observation and technology demonstration satellites to SSO, including SpaceTY's TY-48. Details TBD.


Long March 3B/E
Success
3 days, 1 hour ago
Tianlian 2-06
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Tianlian is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications geostationary satellite series. The TL 2 (Tian Lian 2) satellites represent the second g…


Gravity-1
Success
4 days, 10 hours ago
9 satellites
Yellow Sea (launch location 5) - Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

Carried 9 satellites on a share-ride to sun-synchronous orbit. Details TBD.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 15 hours ago
MRV-1
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

The Northrop Grumman/SpaceLogistics MRV-1 is a mission extension payload including a mission robotic vehicle (MRV) and multiple mission extension pod…


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 22 hours ago
Starlink Group 17-39
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Soyuz 2.1b
Success
6 days, 19 hours ago
16 x Rassvet-3
43/4 (43R) - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Note: Payload identities uncertain. Batch of 16 Rassvet-3 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Russian Byuro-1440 (Bureau 1440) conste…


Vikram-I
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Demo Flight
Satish Dhawan Space Centre First Launch Pad - Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

First launch of Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-I launch vehicle. This first launch will carry 4 payloads: - Grahaa Space's SOLARAS S3 satellite - C…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer E
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Tranche 1 Transport Layer E is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Sp…


Soyuz 2.1a
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Soyuz MS-29
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Soyuz MS-29 will carry three cosmonauts and one astronaut to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome…