Watch the Launch

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
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


Kinetica 2
Success
20 hours, 25 minutes ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #17
Launch Area 140 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…


Electron
Success
1 day, 3 hours ago
The Sea God Surveys (iQPS Launch 9)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company iQPS.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 16 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-18
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.


GSLV Mk II
Success
4 days, 2 hours ago
IRNSS-1L (NVS-03)
Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad - Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

This is a replacement satellite for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. The constellation will provide India with an alternative to GPS …


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 15-16
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.


Long March 8A
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
SatNet LEO Group 28
Commercial LC-1 - 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.…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 15-15
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.


Long March 4B
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Yaogan 53-07 to 09/56-19 to 21
Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

6 Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Long March 6A
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Yaogan 50-03
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The Yaogan 50-03 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Electron
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
We're Not Hawking Around (3x HawkEye 360)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

HawkEye 360 is a a space-based civil global intelligence satellite network using radio frequency (RF) technology to help monitor transportation acros…