Watch the Launch

Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Arianespace Flight VA253 – Galaxy 30 / MEV-2 / BSAT-4b - 31 July 2020 (EN)

Final step in Ariane 5 latest performance improvement program decided in 2016, Flight VA253 brings the total increase in payload capacity to 300 kg since then. The two of the three companies whose sa...

Arianespace Flight VA253 – Galaxy 30 / MEV-2 / BSAT-4b - 31 July 2020 (EN)

Final step in Ariane 5 latest performance improvement program decided in 2016, Flight VA253 brings the total increase in payload capacity to 300 kg since then. The two of the three companies whose sa...

Ariane Flight VA253

Arianespace will orbit Galaxy 30 / Mission Extension Vehicle-2 for INTELSAT and BSAT-4b for MAXAR and Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) as a final customer For its fifth launch of 2020, Arianespace will orbit two telecommunications satellites (Galaxy 30 and BSAT-4b) and one life ext...

Galaxy 30, MEV-2 & BSAT-4B

Overview

Destination: Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Mission: Communications

Geostationary Transfer Orbit Ariane Launch Area 3 Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Galaxy-30 is a geostationary communications satellite for Intelsat. Satellite is built by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS) and is planned to provide video distribution and broadcast services to customers in North America. Galaxy 30 satellite is launched in tandem with MEV-2 vehicle. MEV-2, which stands for Mission Extension Vehicle-2, is the second servicing mission by NGIS. MEV-2 will rendezvous and dock with the Intelsat 1002 satellite in early 2021. Then, MEV-2 will use its own thrusters and fuel supply to control the satellite’s orbit, thereby extending its useful lifetime. Another passenger of the flight is the BSAT-4b satellite for the Japanese operator BSAT. BSAT-4b will serve as a back-up for BSAT-4a satellite, launched in 2017. BSAT-4b will provide Direct-to-Home television services and is expected to operate for at least 15 years.

Ariane 5 ECA+

Family:
Configuration: ECA+

Ariane 5 ECA+ is a variant of the Ariane 5 heavy-lift vehicle, with a taller ECA-D upper stage.

Specifications
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    57.7 m
  • Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Launch Mass
    780.0 T
  • Thrust
    11400.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Ariane 5 ECA+
  • Family
    ―
  • Variant
    ECA+
  • Alias
    ―
  • Full Name
    Ariane 5 ECA+
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    ―
  • Low Earth Orbit
    ―
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    10200.0 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
Spaceflight Now

Stunning imagery highlights weekend Ariane 5 launch

Spaceflight Now

Debuting upgrades, Ariane 5 rocket deploys three U.S.-built satellites in orbit

Spaceflight Now

Ariane 5 rocket returns to launch pad for liftoff with commercial satellites

SpaceNews

Arianespace lofts three spacecraft in first Ariane 5 launch since start of pandemic

Spaceflight Now

Ariane 5 to test modified fairing for JWST, hardware for new range safety system

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Ariane Launch Area 3


Zhuque-2E Block 2
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1 day, 2 hours ago
10 satellites
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Falcon 9
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2 days, 3 hours ago
Dragon CRS-2 SpX-35
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

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Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 13 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-25
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 6 hours ago
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Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

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Long March 12
Success
5 days, 18 hours ago
SatNet LEO Group 27
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…


Nuri
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
NeonSat-2 to 6
LC-2 - Naro Space Center, South Korea

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Falcon Heavy
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
NROL-97
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Transporter 18 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare)
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Crew-13
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

SpaceX Crew-13 is the thirteenth crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercia…


Starship
Success
2 weeks, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 31-1 (Starship Flight 14)
Orbital Launch Pad 2 - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

14th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. 3rd flight of Starship V3 and the first Starship flight to deploy satellites (a group of S…