Vega Flight VV16 postponed until August

Due to the persistence of exceptionally unfavorable winds at altitude over the Guiana Space Center, Vega Flight VV16 - originally scheduled for June 18, 2020 - was repeatedly postponed, despite full availability the launcher and the 53 satellites on this Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) mission. With no improvement in the weather situation expected during the short term, Arianespace has decided to postpone Flight VV16 until August 17, 2020, when the forecast is expected to be more favorable based on modeling of the winds. The interim period will be used to recharge batteries of the launcher and the satellites, under all the required safety conditions. Despite this delay, Arianespace is maintaining the target of performing three Vega launches during 2020. Arianespace's next confirmed launch is Flight VA253, planned for July 28. This Ariane 5 mission to geostationary transfer orbit will be performed on behalf of the following customers: Intelsat (with the Galaxy 30 and MEV-2 payloads), and B-SAT (with BSAT-4b). In the exceptional context of the COVID-19 crisis, Arianespace was prepared to launch the Flight VV16 mission as soon as possible after the interruption of launch campaigns at the Guiana Space Center, which was caused by the epidemic. The mobilization of Arianespace and its partners, in particular Avio (industrial prime contractor for the Vega launcher), the French CNES space agency and the European Space Agency, made it possible to envisage this launch as of June 18, 2020. Unfortunately, due to exceptionally unfavorable winds at altitude for this time of year, the launch was rescheduled several times through Sunday, June 28.

Without a foreseeable improvement in the meteorological situation to allow an authorization of the northward launch toward polar orbit in accordance with range safety rules, Arianespace decided to reschedule the next SSMS mission launch attempt for August 17. At this date, the wind forecasts - based on models observed during several years - are more favorable.

The time that is now available will be used to restore the readiness of the launcher and the SSMS mission's 53 satellites in the context of operations carried out with batteries on the launcher in the Vega Launch Zone; and with batteries on the satellites, conducted in the launch site's payload preparation facilities.

The launch planning for Ariane 5's Flight VA253 - to be performed for operators Intelsat and B-SAT - was confirmed on July 28. The two Intelsat satellites arrived at the Spaceport in French Guiana on Saturday, June 27. Arrival of the BSAT-4b satellite is expected on July 1st.

The availability of this launch - with its eastward trajectory towards geostationary orbit - is not affected by the high-altitude winds currently observed above the Guiana Space Center in relation to the range safety rules. Therefore, a sustained level of activity continues at the Spaceport despite the health crisis that is particularly affecting French Guiana and the American continent.

"In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, which was as exceptional as it was difficult, Arianespace and its partners - especially Avio, ESA and CNES - mobilized in an absolutely remarkable way in seizing every opportunity to launch the Flight VV16 mission," confirmed Stephane Israel, Arianespace's Chief Executive Officer.

"This mobilization made it possible to carry out the Vega campaign from end to end, and to ensure the availability of both the launcher and the SSMS mission's 53 satellites.

Unfortunately, the persistence of exceptionally unfavorable winds at altitude in relation to the safety rules forces us to reposition this mission to August 17. We understand the impatience of our 21 customers, and we share it; we will now devote all our energy to ensuring the success of the 16th Vega flight for this emblematic mission as quickly as possible."

Flight VV16 is the first European rideshare mission in the framework of the Small Spacecraft Mission Service. Proposed as part of Arianespace's launch catalog offerings, SSMS is a European project.

With funding from ESA, the SSMS dispenser structure (on which the satellite payloads are integrated) was developed by Colleferro, Italy-based Avio - which also is the Vega launcher's industrial prime contractor. The structure was manufactured by the Czech company, SAB Aerospace. The European Union also contributed to the funding of the Flight VV16 demonstration mission.

The Vega launcher remains available for launch at any time when the required safety conditions are met.

Despite the delay in Vega Flight VV16, Arianespace continues to maintain its target of three Vega launches in 2020.

Ariane 5 launches T-16 and EUTELSAT 7C satellites

Arianespace confirms its status as a trusted partner to world-class operators of communications satellites with the launch of T-16 and EUTELSAT 7C. The company's fifth launch of 2019 took place on Thursday, June 20 at 6:43 pm (local time) from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. With this latest success, the second with an Ariane 5 launch vehicle in 2019, Arianespace consolidates its leadership in the market for commercial launches into geostationary orbit. This launch was the 104th overall for an Ariane 5 and the 310th launch by the Arianespace family. Following the launch, Stephane Israel, Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace, said: "I would like to thank our two loyal customers for entrusting us with the launch of their T-16 and EUTELSAT 7C satellites. This second Ariane 5 launch of the year reaffirms the reliability of our heavy-lift launcher and its leadership in the geostationary market. We are very proud to count 24 GEO satellites in our order book. Some of them will be launched by Ariane 6, the new-generation launch vehicles scheduled to make its first flight in 2020."Arianespace supports two world leaders in satellite communications - EUTELSAT 7C is the 33rd satellite to be launched by Arianespace for Eutelsat. With this latest launch, Arianespace continues to bolster its exceptional partnership with Eutelsat, a relationship that reaches back to 1983. More than half of the operator's satellites to date have been orbited by Arianespace. This relationship is set to continue, since Arianespace's backlog includes seven more Eutelsat satellites, to be orbited by Ariane 5 and Ariane 6.

Built by Maxar Technologies, EUTELSAT 7C is a high-power broadcast satellite for markets in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Turkey. By significantly increasing power over Sub-Saharan Africa, it will make room for several hundred additional digital channels to support the region's rapidly expanding television market.

Built by Airbus Defence and Space, T-16 will provide high-power broadcast services to the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Arianespace has 21 more Airbus satellites in its launch backlog.

Ariane 5 Rocket Lofts 2 Satellites on Milestone 100th Launch

An undisclosed issue brought the countdown clock to a halt 94 seconds before the targeted launch time of 5:53 p.m. EDT (2153 GMT; 6:53 p.m. local time at the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana). The webcast of the French company Arianespace, which boasted more than 3,000 viewers at that point, suddenly went silent as a scrolling banner relayed that the launch was on hold. Few updates followed for the next 45 minutes. But at the end of tonight's launch window — 6:38 p.m. EDT (2238 pm GMT; 7:38 p.m. local time) — the Ariane 5 rose into the dark sky, lighting up banks of clouds shrouding the humid launch pad. The rocket sped into space, first deploying one satellite and then the other. Arianespace mission control at the Guiana Space Center erupted in applause as the second spacecraft successfully deployed around 7:20 p.m. EDT (2320 GMT; 8:20 p.m. local time). "The heavyweight launcher has once more performed flawlessly. Congratulations to all," Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël said in a speech broadcast on the Arianespace YouTube channel minutes after the second satellite deployment. Israel gave a special thanks to the longstanding customers of Arianespace; the company has launched more than 200 satellites using the Ariane 5 alone. "Ariane 5 is known for delivering, and we are very appreciative of another flawless launch," Ken Lee, senior vice president of space systems for the satellite communications company Intelsat, said after Israël's speech. He joked that the launch did not go exactly as planned, but it was "flawless nonetheless."

Intelsat is a joint venture partner in both of the spacecraft that launched toward geostationary orbit this evening. These satellites are called Horizons 3e and Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38.

Both spacecraft are expected to improve communications for consumer, corporate and government customers. Horizons 3e (in partnership with Japan's SKY Perfect JSAT Group) is intended to improve broadband coverage in the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 (in partnership with Azerbaijan's Azercosmos) will host direct-to-home television programs in the Asia-Pacific area, as well as parts of Africa and central and eastern Europe.

Though the first Ariane 5 test flight in 1996 failed spectacularly, the rocket line quickly became known for its reliability (98.1 percent success rate heading into tonight's launch) and payload capacity (the ability to carry 20 tons to low Earth orbit). The rocket is therefore an attractive option for customers with heavy telecommunications satellites.

The Ariane 5 has five operational versions; the variant that launched tonight, called Ariane 5 ECA, has now flown 67 times.

The Ariane 5 has notable competitors, such as SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and United Launch Alliance's Atlas V vehicle.

Arianespace is expecting to debut a successor rocket called Ariane 6 around 2020. One of the major goals of the new rocket will be to significantly reduce the cost of launch services, according to the European Space Agency. In 2014, a typical Ariane 5 launch cost roughly $137 million.

Arianespace to launch KOMPSAT-7 for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) using a Vega C launch vehicle

Arianespace has been selected by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute to launch KOMPSAT-7. Stephane Israel, Arianespace CEO, and Lim Cheol-Ho, President of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), signed the KOMPSAT-7 launch contract today. Using a Vega C launcher, the mission will be conducted from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, from December 2021. For nearly 30 years now, Arianespace and Korea's satellite technology research centers have developed a sound relationship, with the launch of both scientific microsatellites (Kitsat A and B) and the multi-mission COMS satellite. Following the upcoming launches of GEO-KOMPSAT-2A and 2B, the KOMPSAT-7 will be the fourth KARI satellite - as well as the ninth Korean satellite - to be orbited by Arianespace to date. Developed by KARI at its facility in Daejeon, South Korea, KOMPSAT-7 will weigh approximately 2,000 kg. at launch, and will be placed in a sun-synchronous orbit. KOMPSAT-7 is the follow-up model of KOMPSAT-3A whose mission is to provide high-resolution satellite images to satisfy South-Korea's governmental and institutional needs. Vega C will join the Arianespace's family of launch vehicles beginning in 2019, alongside the company's heavy-lift Ariane 5, the medium-lift Soyuz and the light-lift Vega - all operated from the Guiana Space Center.

To meet the needs of an increasingly dynamic market segment for flight with small to medium-size satellites, Vega C will offer Arianespace customers enhanced payload performance thanks to its improved lift capability, along with increased volume under the payload fairing. Colleferro, Italy-based Avio is the industrial prime contractor for Vega and Vega C.

Stephane Israel, Arianespace CEO, welcomed the contract signing, saying: "We are delighted that KARI has chosen Arianespace and Vega C to launch KOMPSAT-7. At a time where we are preparing for the launch of GEO-KOMPSAT-2A and 2B for KARI, it means a lot when such a close partner confirms the relevance of our solutions towards the dynamic Earth observation market.

By embarking this satellite expected to step up Korean Earth Observation capacities, European launchers will support an ambitious national space program and contribute to strengthening the strong bond between Europe and South Korea."