Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

Thanks to CTOnews.com netizen for the clue delivery of rain and snow! CTOnews.com July 6 news, July 6 Beijing time at 6:00 sharp, ESA using Ariane 5 ECA+ 5119 launch vehicle from Guyane française Kourou launch site ELA-3 station successfully launched two communication satellites to the scheduled orbit, the mission was a complete success,

This was also the last mission of the rocket's legendary career, and then retired and never saw again. According to public information, the series of rockets began in 1996 and has completed 117 orbital launches.

The VA261 launch mission is:

The last launch of the Ariane 5 launch vehicle

● 117th launch of Ariane 5 rocket series (112 successes)

84th launch of Ariane 5 ECA rocket (82 successes)

◆ 261st launch of Ariane launch vehicle

2nd European Space Launch in 2023

99th Global Space Launch in 2023 (93 successes)

The two satellites are the German government's Heinrich Hertz (H2Sat) communications satellite and the French military communications satellite Syracuse 4B (Comsat-NG 2).

The total payload of this "one rocket and two satellites" is 7679.8kg, of which Heinrich Hertz takes off 3408.1kg, while Syracuse 4B is 3572.1kg. The two satellites are mainly used to enhance and improve the geostationary orbit communication capability of the two countries.

Heinrich-Hertz is an experimental communications satellite designed to test new hardware and serve as a testbed for scientific and technological experiments in universities and the public sector, managed by the German Space Agency (DLR). This is Germany's first satellite dedicated to technology demonstration and communications research.

Syracuse 4B is the successor to Syracuse 4A, which was launched in 2021. The two satellites, built by Airbus Defense and Space, will replace satellites 3A and 3B as military communications repeaters.

Heinrich-Hertz and Syracuse 4B will both enter geosynchronous orbit, which is about 22200 miles above Earth's surface.

An ESA spokesperson said: "Ariane 5 has left an incredible legacy of technical prowess and reliability. Throughout its operational life, Ariane 5 has been an important asset for Europe to ensure its autonomous access to space. "

The rockets, which are operated by the French-based company Arianespace for ESA and CNES and built by Airbus Defence and Space, have undergone several upgrades.

The latest versions, Ariane 5 EC / A and ES, entered service in 2009, while its predecessor design, Ariane G5, was launched several times between 2005 and 2009, the G + version before it was launched only three times in 2004, and the initial version, Ariane 5G, was also successful.

The Ariane 5 rocket series was launched for the first time in 1996, but failed to reach orbit on its maiden flight and was eventually destroyed automatically. After initial failures, the series became one of the most reliable launchers in the world.

According to ESA data, Ariane 5 has achieved a success rate of 96 per cent for 117 missions and 239 payloads, while the development of Ariane 6, its replacement, has been under way for more than a decade.

The ESA representative stated that "Ariane 6 is a new launch system that will be more flexible and economical than Ariane 5 and will be able to serve a wider range of launches."

The new rocket comes in two configurations: the A62 and A64, which carry two and four solid rocket boosters, respectively. The new heavy-lift launch vehicle was initially expected to make its maiden flight in 2020, but due to a series of setbacks it is now expected to launch as early as late 2023.

An ESA official stated: "When necessary, ESA surveys and evaluates alternative launchers from technical, schedule and safety perspectives to ensure continuity of European project services. "

It was also reported in April that the European Commission was considering the possibility of launching some of the EU Galileo navigation satellites using SpaceX Falcon Heavy rockets, rather than waiting for Ariane 6 to go online. In response, an ESA spokesperson said: "ESA and its partners are working hard to ensure that Ariane 6 can complete its first flight as soon as possible and reliably, and this rocket remains the first choice for European missions requiring heavy launch vehicles." "

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