Welcome everyone! It’s time for another new rocket!
| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-07-09 19:00 |
|---|---|
| Scheduled for (local) | 2024-07-09 16:00 (GFT) |
| Launch site | ELA-4, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana |
| Launch vehicle | Ariane 62 |
| Payloads | Multiple |
| Mission success criteria | Successful launch and deployment of payloads into Low Earth Orbit |
Livestreams
| Stream | Link |
|---|---|
| ESA (English) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0oFpOJaIYc |
| ESA (Français) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfNPzSOalEU |
| ESA (Deutsch) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_87OnvB_fQ |
| ESA (clean feed) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogXamYYJpQk |
| Arianespace (English) | |
| Arianespace (Français) | |
| Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQhzzFK5sgs |
| Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ch6wPRb4Og |
| NASASpaceflight | |
| Everyday Astronaut | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1WGk5XSNXk |
| The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPAG2TG63oA |
Stats
☑️ 1st ever Ariane 6 mission
☑️ 1st ESA mission of 2024, 15th mission overall
Payload info
- SpaceCase SC-X01: Test platform for reentry technologies such as new-generation ablative materials for thermal protection systems.
- GRBBeta: 1U CubeSat – Gamma Ray Burst detection
- ISTSAT: 1U CubeSat – Characterisation of aircraft’s ‘cone of silence’ and in-flight performances of a custom-made Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system.
- 3Cat4: 1U CubeSat – Techno demo Flexible Microwave Payload.
- OOV-Cube: Microsatellite – IoT agriculture use case demo.
- CuriumOne: With a duplicate ASTRIS Engineering Qualification Model PCB as primary payload.
Please feel free to post updates and questions in the comments!
FYI to everyone: there are several fake “ESA Official” YouTube channels running deepfaked Elon crypto scam streams that claim to be “Ariane 6 Launch Stream”.
They’re nothing new, but sharing in case anyone hasn’t seen it before. Those aren’t real streams!
Upper stage separation
That was one of the more cinematic stage separations I’ve seen in a while. Beautiful shot from the upper stage camera.
I’m impressed by the quality of their onboard cameras, without the help of starlink.
ESA webcast is live! https://youtube.com/watch?v=B0oFpOJaIYc
https://x.com/esa/status/1810792159295180959
The tech-demo phase of Ariane 6 is still in progress but has shown an unexpected result which will only affect the end of the mission.
On the webcast, they stated that the Auxiliary Propulsion Unit (APU) switched off shortly after it it powered up after SECO-2. Without the APU, they have no way to settle the propellants in the tanks, and thus can’t reignite the upper stage for the final burn.
From the live camera feed, it looks as though the upper stage was spinning, so there may have been some loss of control as well.
Looks like we have SECO-1 and nominal orbit insertion!
Edit: Webcast commentary scheduled to resume T+52 minutes for a circularization burn and the first set of payload deployments.