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Video archive

Launching on the shuttle

Video cameras on the boosters and tank, plus a cockpit camera show what the shuttle and its astronauts experience during the trek to space.

 Full coverage

STS-120: In review

The STS-120 crew narrates highlights from its mission that delivered the station's Harmony module and moved the P6 power truss.

 Full presentation
 Mission film

STS-123: TCDT

The STS-123 astronauts complete their countdown dress rehearsal at Kennedy Space Center.

 Full coverage

STS-123: To the pad

Endeavour travels to pad 39A in the overnight hours of Feb. 18 in preparation for liftoff on STS-123.

 Play | X-Large

Progress docking

The 28th Progress resupply ship launched to the International Space Station successfully docks.

 Play

NASA '09 budget

NASA officials present President Bush's proposed Fiscal Year 2009 budget for the agency.

 Play

Introduction to ATV

Preview the maiden voyage of European's first Automated Transfer Vehicle, named Jules Verne. The craft will deliver cargo to the International Space Station.

 Full coverage

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VA218: Ariane 5 with Measat 3b & Optus 10
Measat, Optus get a boost from 75th Ariane 5 launch
Stacked inside the shroud of an Ariane 5 rocket, two commercial television broadcasting satellites for Malaysian and Australian telecommunications companies blasted off from French Guiana on Thursday.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   IMAGES: LAUNCH VIDEO AND PHOTOS
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 ROLLOUT
   PREVIEW STORY
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
   ARIANE 5 DIAGRAM
VA219: Ariane 5 with Georges Lemaitre
Europe's last cargo freighter blasts off from Kourou
The last of Europe's automated cargo freighters blasted off from a South American spaceport Tuesday, soaring into orbit in pursuit of the International Space Station with 7.3 tons of fuel, food and supplies.
   FULL STORY
   PREVIEW STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER - live coverage!
   IMAGES: OFFICIAL ESA LAUNCH PHOTOS
   IMAGES: LAUNCH FROM TOUCAN VIEWING SITE
   IMAGES: ARIANE ARRIVES AT THE LAUNCH PAD
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
   FLIGHT GROUND TRACK
   ARIANE 5 DIAGRAM
   OUR ARIANE ARCHIVE
VA216: Ariane 5 with ASTRA 5B & Amazonas 4A
Ariane 5 launches on dual-payload commercial mission
Kicking off a busy sequence of launches from the Europe's spaceport in the jungle of French Guiana, an Ariane 5 rocket lifted off Saturday and put two satellites in perfect orbits to expand direct-to-home television programming in Eastern Europe and broadcast football matches at this summer's World Cup in Brazil.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   IMAGES: LAUNCH VIDEO AND PHOTOS
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 REACHES LAUNCH PAD
   PREVIEW STORY
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
   ARIANE 5 DIAGRAM
   ARIANESPACE PRESS KIT - (.pdf download)
   ARIANE ARCHIVE
VA217: Ariane 5 with ABS 2 & Athena-Fidus
Ariane 5 rocket blasts off after weather delay
Dual payloads to broadcast television and broadband signals for Asia Broadcast Satellite and French and Italian security forces rocketed into orbit on an Ariane 5 rocket Thursday on Arianespace's landmark 250th launch.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   PREVIEW STORY
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
   ARIANE 5 DIAGRAM
   ARIANESPACE PRESS KIT - (.pdf download)
   OUR ARIANE ARCHIVE
VA215: Ariane 5 with Eutelsat 25B/Es'hail 1 & GSAT 7
Heavy-lifting Ariane 5 delivers for three customers
An Ariane 5 rocket fired its clean-burning hydrogen-fueled main engine, passed an automated check of dozens of health parameters, and lit two tube-shaped solid rocket boosters to blast away from its launch pad in the Amazon jungle Thursday with two communications satellites to serve the Middle East, North Africa and India.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 ROLLOUT
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
   ARIANE 5 DIAGRAM
   OUR ARIANE ARCHIVE
VA214: Ariane 5 with Alphasat & INSAT 3D
Europe's Ariane 5 blasts off with two satellites
An Ariane 5 rocket lifted off from French Guiana on Thursday with a sophisticated European communications satellite to test new broadcast technologies and an Indian weather satellite.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
VA213: Ariane 5 with Albert Einstein
Ariane 5 launches on space station resupply mission
Suspended atop a fiery-hot flow of rocket exhaust, an Ariane 5 launcher lifted off from French Guiana on Wednesday with a bus-sized European-built cargo carrier to deliver fresh food, rocket fuel and experiments to the International Space Station.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   PREVIEW STORY
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 ROLLOUT
   IMAGES: SUNSET ON ARIANE 5
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
   GROUND TRACK MAP
   ARIANE 5 DIAGRAM
Spaceflight Now Plus
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VIDEO: LAUNCH OF ARIANE 5 WITH ATV-4 HI-DEF
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VA212: Ariane 5 with Amazonas 3 & Azerspace/Africasat 1a
Ariane achieves success on first launch of busy 2013
Riding together inside the nose cone of an Ariane 5 rocket, Azerbaijan's first satellite and a Spanish-owned spacecraft to beam television and Internet services to Latin America launched into orbit Thursday from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   PREVIEW STORY
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 ROLLOUT
VA211: Ariane 5 with Skynet 5D & Mexsat Bicentenario
Ariane 5 completes dual launch for UK, Mexico
An Ariane 5 rocket, launching for the seventh time this year, lifted off from French Guiana on Wednesday with a secure communications satellite for the British armed forces and an all-purpose broadcasting platform for the Mexican government.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   PREVIEW STORY
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 ROLLOUT
VA210: Ariane 5 with Eutelsat 21B & Star One C3
Ariane 5 successfully launches two satellites
Loaded with a dual payload of satellites for Europe and Brazil, the commercial Ariane 5 rocket thundered away from the equatorial jungles of South America on Saturday to deploy the Eutelsat 21B and Star One C3 communications spacecraft.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
VA209: Ariane 5 with ASTRA 2F & GSAT 10
Ariane lifts communications satellites for Europe, India
A European television satellite and an Indian-made telecommunications spacecraft shared a ride into orbit Friday atop the commercial Ariane 5 rocket on a heavy-duty mission carrying over 20,000 pounds of payload.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
VA208: Ariane 5 with Intelsat 20 & HYLAS 2
Heavy-lifting Ariane 5 hits 50th success in a row
Raising the bar on the amount of cargo it can carry to geosynchronous transfer orbit, Europe's commercial Ariane 5 rocket on Thursday launched a pair of telecommunications satellites weighing over 20,000 pounds.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
VA207: Ariane 5 with EchoStar 17 & MSG 3
EchoStar, Meteosat get boost from Ariane 5
An Ariane 5 rocket launched Thursday with the EchoStar 17 high-throughput broadband communications satellite for North America and Europe's MSG 3 geostationary weather observatory.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5'S SUNSET LAUNCH
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 ROLLOUT
   PDF: ARIANESPACE PRESS KIT
VA206: Ariane 5 with JCSAT 13 & Vinasat 2
Ariane 5 lifts Lockheed Martin satellite milestone
An Ariane 5 rocket blasted from a South American spaceport precisely on schedule Tuesday carrying a pair of mirror-like "sister" satellites built in the United States by Lockheed Martin for telecommunications operators in Japan and Vietnam.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   GALLERY: ROCKET ON THE PAD
VA205: Ariane 5 with Edoardo Amaldi
Ariane 5 soars on overnight launch to space station
An Ariane 5 booster blasted off Friday with nearly 7.3 tons of cargo bound for the International Space Station inside an unmanned resupply freighter, becoming the heaviest rocket and spacecraft ever launched by Europe.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   IMAGES: SPECTACULAR UP-CLOSE LAUNCH VIEWS
   IMAGES: LIFTOFF PHOTOS FROM VIEWING SITE
   LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
   GROUND TRACK MAP
   PDF: ESA'S FACT SHEET FOR ATV 3 MISSION

   IMAGES: ROCKET ON THE PAD
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 ROLLOUT
   IMAGES: VIEWS OF ATV CONSTRUCTION
   ARIANE LAUNCH ARCHIVE
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: ARIANE 5 ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH ATV 3 PLAY | HI-DEF
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VA204: Ariane 5 with Arabsat 5C & SES 2
Ariane 5 rocket takes commercial trip to space
An Ariane 5 rocket roared out of its jungle launch base in South America at sunset Wednesday night, successfully climbing into geosynchronous transfer orbit to deploy the Arabsat 5C and SES 2 communications satellites to cover the Middle East and North America.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTOS FROM TOUCAN
   LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
   STRIKE SCRUBS LAUNCH
   IMAGES: ARIANE ROCKET ON THE PAD
   IMAGES: AROUND THE SPACEPORT
VA203: Ariane 5 with ASTRA 1N & BSAT 3c/JCSAT 110R
Ariane leaves troubles behind with good launch
Five weeks after scrubbing its countdown in the final moments by a main fuel valve problem, an Ariane 5 rocket finally blasted off Saturday carrying European and Japanese direct-to-home television satellites.
   FULL STORY
VA202: Ariane 5 with ST 2 & GSAT 8
Ariane 5 rocket gives two satellites a lift into space
Riding 2.6 million pounds of ground-shaking thrust, an Ariane 5 rocket lifted off from the South American jungle Friday and delivered communications satellites into orbit to reach customers in Asia, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.
   FULL STORY
   IMAGES: BEAUTIFUL EVENING BLASTOFF
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 PREPARED FOR LAUNCH
VA201: Ariane 5 with Yahsat 1A & Intelsat New Dawn
Ariane 5 rocket achieves success with two satellites
Bouncing back from a last-second countdown abort in March, an Ariane 5 rocket smoothly ascended into space Friday with communications satellites destined to serve the Middle East and Africa.
   FULL STORY
   ABORT ANOMALY IDENTIFIED
   FIRST COUNTDOWN ABORTED
V200: Ariane 5 with Johannes Kepler
Europe dispatches Johannes Kepler to space station
A European robotic resupply spacecraft soared into orbit on an Ariane 5 rocket Wednesday, successfully beginning an eight-day chase of the International Space Station with fresh experiments, crew provisions, oxygen and propellant.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   PREVIEW STORY
   LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
   IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTOS FROM SPACE STATION
   IMAGES: ARIANE BLASTS OFF FOR 200TH TIME
   IMAGES: ROCKET ROLLS TO LAUNCH PAD
V199: Ariane 5 with Hispasat 1E &
Koreasat 6
2010 concludes with Ariane rocket's 199th launch
Two commercial satellites for the expansion of communications services from space were launched atop an Ariane 5 rocket Wednesday, capping another successful year for the heavy-lift booster that saw a dozen payloads amounting to 99,725 pounds deployed in 2010.
   FULL STORY
   SCRUB STORY
   IMAGES: PHOTO GALLERY
V198: Ariane 5 with Intelsat 17 & HYLAS 1
Intelsat, Avanti get a lift from Ariane 5 launcher
An Ariane 5 rocket blasted off from French Guiana and soared into a deep blue sky Friday, hauling into space a video broadcasting satellite for Intelsat and a high-tech British-owned spacecraft to meet the ever-changing demands of the vibrant European broadband market.
   FULL STORY
   PREVIEW STORY
   IMAGES: PHOTO GALLERY
V197: Ariane 5 with W3B & BSAT 3b
Ariane 5 hits the mark with satellites for Europe, Japan
Two communications satellites to cover Europe, Africa and Japan were delivered to a spot-on orbit Thursday by an Ariane 5 rocket.
   FULL STORY
V196: Ariane 5 with Nilesat 201 & Rascom-QAF 1R
Ariane 5 rocket powers African satellites to orbit
Europe's Ariane 5 rocket accomplished its third commercial mission of the year Wednesday, delivering to orbit two African communications satellites to broadcast television programming and boost connectivity with rural villages.
   FULL STORY
   PREVIEW STORY
V195: Ariane 5 with Arabsat 5A & COMS
Ariane 5 launches Arab and South Korean satellites
Europe's Ariane 5 commercial launcher carried out another uneventful trek to orbit Saturday night, successfully deploying a powerful broadcasting bird for the Arab world and a unique spacecraft to see and communicate with South Korea.
   FULL STORY
   IMAGES: PHOTO GALLERY
   SCRUB STORY
   PREVIEW STORY
V194: Ariane 5 with ASTRA 3B & COMSATBw 2
Ariane 5 ends launch hiatus with successful mission
During its landmark 50th launch, Europe's Ariane 5 rocket successfully blasted off from the South American coast Friday evening with a commercial broadcasting satellite and a payload to link commanders and troops in the German military.
   FULL STORY
V193: Ariane 5 with Helios 2B
Ariane 5 rocket successfully orbits French military craft
France successfully launched a new spy satellite on Friday during a midday launch from French Guiana, using Europe's trusted Ariane 5 rocket to send the nearly $1 billion payload to orbit.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
V192: Ariane 5 with NSS 12 & Thor 6
Ariane 5 rocket orbits double payload stack
For this second time this month, the workhorse Ariane 5 rocket carried out a double satellite deployment mission just like clockwork on Thursday and set the stage to break its record for flights in a single year.
   FULL STORY
V191: Ariane 5 with Amazonas 2 & COMSATBw 1
Commercial and military craft share ride on Ariane 5
Continuing an enviable string of success, the Ariane 5 team flew its fifth rocket of the year Thursday night topped with a high performance Spanish broadcasting satellite and a secure German military communications craft.
   FULL STORY
V190: Ariane 5 with JCSAT 12 & Optus D3
Ariane 5 doubles up support to Asia-Pacific region
Two communications satellites built in America for Asian and Australian operators, paired together to share a ride into orbit, successfully got there aboard an Ariane 5 rocket Friday night.
   FULL STORY
V189: Ariane 5 with TerreStar 1
A new generation for mobile satellite communications
The world's largest commercial communications satellite ascended into orbit Wednesday atop the heavy-lifting Ariane 5 rocket, beginning an ambitious new project to provide mobile services across North America.
   FULL STORY
V188: Ariane 5 with Herschel & Planck
Ariane 5 rocket launches double science payload
An Ariane 5 launcher rocketed through blue skies and into space Thursday with two European telescopes designed to give scientists unprecedented views of star birth and the relic light from the Big Bang.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
V187: Ariane 5 with Hot Bird 10 & NSS 9
Ariane 5 rocket trucks four spacecraft into orbit
Beginning another busy year of transporting satellites from Earth to space, the commercial Ariane 5 rocket successfully launched two communications spacecraft and a pair of military payloads Thursday evening.
   FULL STORY
V186: Ariane 5 with Hot Bird 9 & W2M
Eutelsat's unprecedented launch twice as sweet
One of the world's top commercial satellite operators used a heavy-lift Ariane 5 rocket to successfully get two of its new communications spacecraft into orbit Saturday evening. It was a risky proposition for Eutelsat to entrust a pair of its satellites to just one rocket. Never before had the company put two pricey birds on a single launch.
   FULL STORY
V185: Ariane 5 with Superbird 7 & AMC 21
Ariane 5 rocket goes up for the fifth time this year
Europe's workhorse Ariane 5 rocket took off from a South American space base Thursday on its third launch in barely two months, this time with Japanese and U.S. television broadcasting satellites.
   FULL STORY
V184: Ariane 5 with ProtoStar 1 & BADR 6
Two satellites in orbit after good ride from Ariane 5
An Ariane 5 rocket roared out of its jungle launch base Monday to put Arab and Asian commercial communications satellites into space, marking yet another successful ascent for the heavy-duty booster.
   FULL STORY
V183: Ariane 5 with Skynet 5C & Turksat 3A
Ariane 5 reaches milestone 25th straight success
The Ariane 5 booster rocketed into space from a French Guiana launch pad minutes after sunset Thursday, painting a colorful spectacle in the sky en route to space with a British military communications satellite and a Turkish broadcasting spacecraft.
   FULL STORY
V182: Ariane 5 with Star One C2 & Vinasat 1
First satellite for Vietnam, another for Brazil launched
Continuing what is supposed to be a banner year with an unprecedented flight rate, the commercial Ariane 5 rocket launched again Friday night, lofting a Brazilian broadcast satellite and Vietnam's first communications spacecraft.
   FULL STORY
V181: Ariane 5 with Jules Verne
Europe's space cargo ship embarks on maiden voyage
A first-of-a-kind robotic space transporter with a futuristic autopilot control system journeyed into orbit early Sunday, embarking on a mission to track down the international space station using the most advanced space technology ever developed in Europe.
   LAUNCH STORY
   DOCKING STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   IMAGES: THE LAUNCH OF JULES VERNE
   IMAGES: ARIANE 5 ROCKET ON THE PAD
   IMAGES: FRIDAY'S ROLLOUT TO LAUNCH PAD
   COUNTDOWN TIMELINE
   LAUNCH TIMELINE
   MISSION TIMELINE
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: RENDEZVOUS BRINGS SHIP TO POINT 820 FEET AWAY PLAY
VIDEO: JULES VERNE APPROACHES TO 62 FEET FROM STATION PLAY
VIDEO: FREIGHTER FLIES TO FINAL HOLD POINT AT 36 FEET PLAY
VIDEO: SPACECRAFT SUCCESSFULLY DOCKS TO SPACE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: POST-DOCKING NEWS CONFERENCE FROM HOUSTON PLAY

VIDEO: PREVIEW OF DEMONSTRATION DAY 2 PLAY
VIDEO: JULES VERNE'S RENDEZVOUS WITH SPACE STATION PLAY
VIDEO: FREIGHTER FLIES TO WAYPOINT 62 FEET FROM STATION PLAY
VIDEO: SPACECRAFT PERFORMS CLOSEST APPROACH TO 36 FEET PLAY
VIDEO: JULES VERNE BACKS AWAY FOR 'ESCAPE' MANEUVER PLAY

VIDEO: ARIANE 5 ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH JULES VERNE PLAY
VIDEO: ROLLOUT OF ARIANE 5 ROCKET TO LAUNCH PAD PLAY
VIDEO: DETAILED ATV OVERVIEW BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED ATV LAUNCH-TO-DOCKING ANIMATION PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED ANIMATION OF THE RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED ANIMATION OF ATV PERFORMING REBOOST PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED ANIMATION OF ATV REENTRY PLAY
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V180: Ariane 5 with Rascom & Horizons 2
Ariane 5 launches for record 6th time in 2007
Flying for the sixth and final time this year, an Ariane 5 rocket pierced a mostly cloudy evening sky with a picture-perfect launch to deploy two communications satellites serving populations in Africa and North America.
   FULL STORY
V179: Ariane 5 with Skynet 5B & Star One C1
Ariane 5 launches British
and Brazilian satellites

The Ariane 5 rocket launched on another flawless mission Wednesday evening with a British space-based military communications relay station and a multi-purpose communications satellite for Brazil.
   FULL STORY
V178: Ariane 5 with Intelsat 11 & Optus D2
Ariane 5 lofts satellite pair for Americas, Australia
An Ariane 5 rocket blasted away from its jungle launch pad in South America on Friday night, overcoming a technical glitch that stopped an initial countdown with just 10 seconds left on the clock.
   FULL STORY
V177: Ariane 5 with Spaceway 3 & BSAT-3a
Ariane 5 puts another double payload into orbit
An advanced space-based Internet switchboard-in-the-sky and a Japanese direct broadcasting satellite were successfully hauled into space Tuesday aboard an Ariane 5 rocket, making its third flight of the year.
   FULL STORY
   PREVIEW STORY
V176: Ariane 5 with ASTRA 1L & Galaxy 17
Ariane 5 rocket flexes its muscle with weighty launch
European and American communications satellites shared a ride to space Friday night aboard an Ariane 5 rocket, together becoming the heftiest dual payload ever lofted by the powerful commercial booster.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V175: Ariane 5 with Skynet 5A & INSAT 4B
British and Indian satellites fly to space on Ariane 5
A brilliant flash of light and a roar of thunderous sound signaled the start of Arianespace's first space launch of the year Sunday evening, and the rocket's two communications payloads were delivered to orbit just a half-hour later.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V174: Ariane 5 with WildBlue 1 & AMC 18
All-American satellite payload lofted by Ariane 5
Two communications satellites destined to serve millions of Americans were delivered to space Friday evening to begin their television and Internet broadcasting missions. Liftoff of the Ariane 5 ECA rocket occurred on-time at 2208 GMT (5:08 p.m. EST) from French Guiana.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V173: Ariane 5 with DirecTV 9S & Optus D1
Ariane 5 rocket launches international cargo
A heavy-lifting Ariane 5 rocket loaded with payloads from the U.S., Australia and Japan launched right on schedule at 2056 GMT (4:56 p.m. EDT) Friday from Kourou, French Guiana.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   LAUNCH INFO
V172: Ariane 5 with JCSAT 10 & Syracuse 3B
Ariane 5 completes another successful ascent to space
A heavy-lifting Ariane 5 rocket gave two communications satellites a smooth ride into space Friday in a launch originating from a European-run spaceport nestled in the South American jungle.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   CUE CARD DATA SHEET
V171: Ariane 5 with SATMEX 6 & THAICOM 5
Another Ariane 5 blasts off
An Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket launched Mexican and Thai telecommunications satellites Saturday from the Guiana Space Center on the northeastern shore of South America. Liftoff into cloudy skies before sunset occurred at 2109 GMT (5:09 p.m. EDT) to begin the successful 32-minute flight to orbit.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V170: Ariane 5 with SPAINSAT & Hot Bird 7A
Ariane 5 finally soars
After four delays, Europe's Ariane 5 rocket blasted the SPAINSAT military communications satellite and the commercial Hot Bird 7A television and radio broadcasting spacecraft into orbit Saturday from French Guiana on the northeast coast of South America.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V169: Ariane 5 with Insat 4A and MSG 2
European Ariane 5 rocket launches on its 25th flight
Two satellites were shot into space by an Ariane 5 rocket Wednesday from a South American spaceport to begin missions supporting Indian telecommunications operators and European weather forecasters.
   FULL STORY
V167: Ariane 5 with Spaceway F2 & Telkom2
Ariane 5 roars to space
An Arianespace Ariane 5 ECA rocket launched from the Guiana Space Center in South America on Wednesday evening, hauling into orbit the Spaceway F2 broadcasting satellite for DIRECTV and the Indonesian Telkom 2 communications spacecraft.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V168: Ariane 5 with Syracuse 3A & Galaxy 15
Ariane 5 carries French, U.S. craft into orbit
An Ariane 5 rocket launched Thursday carrying the French Syracuse 3A military communications satellite and PanAmSat's commercial Galaxy 15 broadcast spacecraft to relay cable television across the U.S. Liftoff from the jungle pad in Kourou, French Guiana, occurred at 2232 GMT (6:32 p.m. EDT). Both satellites were successfully released into orbit.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V166: Ariane 5 with iPSTAR
Ariane 5 rocket gives weighty cargo ride to orbit
Europe's Ariane 5 rocket proved up to the task Thursday morning as it flew into space to deliver the world's heaviest commercial communications satellite that will extend high-speed broadband Internet services to the the most remote locales in the most populated region on Earth.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V164: Ariane 5 with XTAR
Redesigned Ariane 5 ECA rocket launches to space
Europe's upgraded Ariane 5 ECA rocket launched from the jungles of South America on Saturday, lifting off at 2103 GMT (4:03 p.m. EST) on a vital mission to test its redesigned main engine and new, unproven cryogenic upper stage. The first flight of the ECA failed two years ago.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V165: Ariane 5 launches Helios 2A
Ariane 5 launches French spy satellite, microsats
A large French reconnaissance satellite and six small secondary payloads successfully rode a European Ariane 5 rocket into polar orbit December 18. The rare daytime liftoff from the Guiana Space Center in South America occurred as scheduled at 1626 GMT (11:26 a.m. EST).
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V163: Ariane 5 launches Anik F2
Ariane 5 lofts broadband communications satellite
The largest commercial communications satellite, designed to offer two-way broadband Internet services across Canada and the United States, was successfully heaved into space the night of July 17 by Europe's powerful Ariane 5 rocket.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V158: Ariane 5 launches Rosetta
Rosetta soars on ambitious comet intercept mission
Embarking on its epic voyage to gain new insights into comets and the history of our solar system, the Rosetta spacecraft was successfully launched March 2 to rendezvous with a cosmic snowball and deploy a tiny lander onto its icy heart.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V162: Ariane 5 lofts Insat 3E, e-Bird & SMART 1
Ariane trifecta: Moon probe, two other craft launched
Relying upon an experimental ion engine and miniaturized instruments, Europe's first robotic lunar orbiter has launched to study the Moon's history while serving as a technology testbed for future missions. The SMART 1 spacecraft shared the ride into space September 27 with two communications satellites aboard a European Ariane 5 rocket.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V161: Ariane 5 lofts Optus C1 & BSAT 2c
Ariane 5 rocket launches double cargo with success
A pair of Australian and Japanese telecommunications satellites shared the ride into Earth orbit June 11, blasting off from the jungles of South America aboard Europe's Ariane 5G rocket.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V160: Ariane 5 lofts Insat 3A & Galaxy 12
Ariane 5 program resumes flights with a success
Europe's battered Ariane 5 rocket program scored a much needed success April 9, lofting a pair of communications satellites while making strides to repair the heavy-lifting booster's reputation.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V159: Ariane 44L launches Intelsat 907
Goodbye Ariane 4: Finale flight for workhorse rocket
Arianespace closed out its venerable Ariane 4 rocket program February 15 with an early morning vault into space that put a shining end to one of the most successful commercial launchers in the history of the industry.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
Ariane launch
V156: Ariane 44L launches NSS 6
Workhorse Ariane 4 rocket flies its next to last mission
Amidst its latest troubles with the Ariane 5 rocket, Arianespace came one step closer to phasing out its Ariane 4 predecessor December 17 as the venerable rocket continued its streak of successful launches.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
V157: Ariane 5 failure with Hot Bird 7 & Stentor
New Ariane 5 fails
Arianespace was hit by a massive setback December 11 when the upgraded Ariane 5 rocket failed minutes into its debut flight, plummeting into the Atlantic Ocean with two communications satellites aboard.
   FULL STORY [Posted: Dec. 12]
   INITIAL STORY [Posted: Dec. 11]
   BOARD SUBMITS FINDINGS [Posted: Jan. 7]
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
Ariane
V154: Ariane 44L launches Intelsat 906
Intelsat satellite rockets to orbit atop Ariane 4
When an Ariane 4 rocket completed its mission of deploying the Intelsat 906 communications satellite into space September 6 it meant the venerable commercial booster is only two flights away from retirement and Intelsat has just one additional craft to launch in this next-generation series.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
Ariane 4
V155: Ariane 5 lofts Atlantic Bird 1 & MSG 1
Ariane 5 flies successful mission for Europe
An Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket lifted off from the jungles of South America on August 28, lofting a communications spacecraft to bridge the Atlantic and an advanced European weather satellite.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
Ariane 5
V153: Ariane 5 launches Stellat 5 & N-STAR c
Ariane 5 rocket successfully lofts two spacecraft
Europe's Ariane 5 rocket launched its first commercial communications satellite payload in a year on July 5, lofting French and Japanese spacecraft into Earth orbit.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
Ariane
V152: Ariane 44L launches Intelsat 905
Replacement for infamous satellite rockets into space
A communications satellite rescued in space 10 years ago by astronauts aboard space shuttle Endeavour now has a replacement on its way with the successful launch of Intelsat 905 aboard an Ariane rocket on June 5.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
Ariane
V151: Ariane 42P launches Spot 5
Ariane 4 rocket launches French Spot 5 satellite
The French Spot 5 remote sensing satellite became the 200th payload to be launched by Arianespace on May 3, riding an Ariane 4 rocket into orbit around Earth's poles.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   GROUND TRACK MAP
Ariane
V150: Ariane 44L launches NSS 7
European Ariane rocket launches on its 150th flight
The 150th voyage of an Ariane rocket blasted off from the jungles of South America on April 16 and soared above the Central Atlantic Ocean to deliver a powerful telecommunications satellite into Earth orbit.
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Ariane 4
V149: Ariane 44L lofts JCSAT 8 & Astra 3A
Ariane 4 launches a pair of commercial satellites
A pair of Japanese and European satellites, both built in the U.S. by Boeing, shared a ride into space March 28 atop an Arianespace Ariane 4 rocket.
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Ariane 4
V145: Ariane 5 launches Envisat
Ariane 5 launches massive environmental satellite
Seven months after a failed launch that placed two satellites in the wrong orbit, Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket lifted off February 28 carrying into orbit a massive and costly European environmental research spacecraft.
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Ariane 5
V148: Ariane 44L launches Intelsat 904
European Ariane 4 rocket launches from Kourou
The deployment of Intelsat's latest generation of telecommunications satellites continued February 23 with the successful launch of the Intelsat 904 spacecraft aboard an Ariane 4 rocket.
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Ariane
V147: Ariane 42L launches Insat 3C
Ariane overcomes computer abort, lofts Indian satellite
A satellite designed to enhance communications across India and replace two aging craft was successfully launched into Earth orbit January 23 by a European Ariane 4 rocket following a bumpy countdown that featured an abort just seconds before ignition.
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Ariane
V146: Ariane 44LP launches DirecTV 4S
European Ariane 4 rocket launches DirecTV satellite
A sophisticated communications spacecraft that will beam hundreds of local television channels to subscribers of the DirecTV satellite system across the U.S. was successfully launched November 26 by an Ariane 4 rocket.
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Ariane 4
V144: Ariane 44P launches Atlantic Bird 2
Ariane 4 lofts satellite to cover both sides of Atlantic
A telecommunications bridge that will span the Atlantic Ocean to link five continents from the Americas to the Persian Gulf was successfully launched into space on September 25.
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Ariane
V143: Ariane 44L launches Intelsat 902
Ariane 4 successfully launches Intelsat craft
An Arianespace Ariane 4 rocket was launched from South America today carrying the Intelsat 902 telecommunications satellite. It took about 21 minutes to inject the payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit around Earth, marking the 63rd consecutive successful launch of the workhorse Ariane 4.
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Ariane 4
V140: Ariane 5 failure with Artemis & BSAT 2b
Ariane 5 rocket falls short
Europe's Ariane 5 commercial rocket suffered a major setback July 12 when it failed to deliver a pricey experimental communications technology satellite and a TV broadcasting spacecraft into the correct orbit.
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   UPPER STAGE BLAMED [Posted: July 13]
   INVESTIGATORS NAMED [Posted: July 16]
Ariane 5
V141: Ariane 44L launches Intelsat 901
Ariane 4 rocket launches new era for Intelsat
A predawn launch of a European Ariane 4 rocket on June 9 delivered into space the first in a new series of communications satellites to beef up Intelsat's orbiting fleet with more powerful and higher capacity craft.
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Ariane 4
V139: Ariane 44L lofts Sicral 1 & Skynet 4F
Europe's Ariane 4 carries out military mission
Arianespace launched its first double military payload February 7, lofting a pair of communications relay satellites for the British and Italian defense ministries.
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Ariane V139
V140: Ariane 5 launches Eurobird & BSAT 2a
Arianespace launches first Ariane 5 rocket of 2001
Two new digital stars are in the sky today following the successful launch March 8 of an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket that delivered European and Japanese telecommunications satellites into Earth orbit.
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Ariane
V137: Ariane 44P launches Eurasiasat 1
Arianespace begins 2001 with launch for Turkey
A telecommunications satellite that will bridge 150 million Turkish-speaking people of Europe and Asia was launched into orbit January 10 by an Arianespace Ariane 4 rocket, marking the European booster's 60th straight success.
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Ariane 4
V138: Ariane 5 launches Astra 2D & GE 8
Ariane 5 hoists cargos for Europe, U.S. and Japan
Arianespace punctuated its 2000 launch season on December 21 with the successful flight of the eighth Ariane 5 rocket, lofting a pair of communications spacecraft to serve the United Kingdom and North America and testing an experimental Japanese antenna design.
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Ariane 5
V136: Ariane 44L launches Anik F1
Ariane 4 rocket lofts hefty satellite for Canada
The most powerful commercial communications satellite ever was hurled into space on November 21, setting Arianespace cargo records and blazing the trail for future powerhouse satellites along the way.
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Ariane 4 today
V135: Ariane 5 launches PAS 1R
Ariane 5 rocket blasts off from European spaceport
A powerful European Ariane 5 rocket was successfully launched from Kourou in French Guiana on November 15 carrying PanAmSat's PAS-1R international communications satellite and three secondary payloads. Read about the mission in our status center.
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Ariane 5
V134: Ariane 44LP launches Europe*Star 1
100th Ariane 4 blasts off
A powerful telecommunications satellite that will link three continents rode into space October 29 from the jungles of South America aboard the 100th Ariane 4 rocket. The Europe*Star 1 spacecraft will relay video and data transmissions between parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.
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Liftoff
V133: Ariane 42L launches N-SAT-110
Ariane 4 sails on smooth flight with Japanese cargo
Europe's workhorse Ariane 4 rocket took its 99th flight October 6 and successfully placed a Japanese television and data broadcasting satellite into orbit.
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V133 launch
V130: Ariane 5 launches GE 7 & Astra 2B
Success for Ariane 5 rocket launch of two satellites
Europe's next-generation Ariane 5 rocket sailed through its third successful commercial launching September 14, lofting a pair of communications satellites during a clockwork flight.
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Ariane 506
V132: Ariane 44P launches Eutelsat W1
Rumble from the jungle: Ariane 4 rocket blasts off
Continuing its dramatic surge in launches through the end of 2000, Arianespace successfully lofted a European communications satellite September 6 in what is planned to be the first of three Ariane rocket flights over the next 20 days.
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Launch
V131: Ariane 44LP with Brasilsat B4 & Nilesat 102
Arianespace makes successful 2-satellite launch
An Ariane 4 rocket lifted off from its jungle launch pad in South America August 17, successfully delivering Brazilian and Egyptian communications satellites into Earth orbit.
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Ariane V131 launch
V129: Ariane 42L launches Galaxy 4R
Arianespace lofts Galaxy 4R; next flight uncertain
Europe's Ariane 4 rocket placed a U.S. communications satellite into orbit on April 18 but Arianespace's jungle launch pads will become silent until at least mid-summer due to spacecraft engine troubles.
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Ariane 4
V128: Ariane 5 launches AsiaStar & Insat 3B
Ariane 5 doubly successful with two satellites launched
The Ariane 505 rocket launched into the night on March 21, placing a pair of communications satellites in space to serve Asia. The flight marked the second commercial launch for Europe's Ariane 5 booster.
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Launch
V127: Ariane 44LP launches Superbird 4
Ariane 4 rocket launches Japan's Superbird 4
An Arianespace Ariane 4 rocket successfully launched the Japanese Superbird 4 communications satellite on the night of February 17 after a one-day delay due to weather. It marked the 53rd consecutive success for Ariane 4.
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V127 liftoff
V126: Ariane 42L launches Galaxy 10R
European Ariane 4 rocket launches U.S. TV satellite
Arianespace began the new millennium in perfect fashion on January 24, placing PanAmSat's Galaxy 10R communications satellite into the proper orbit. The $250 million mission was the first of perhaps 15 Arianespace launches in 2000.
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V126 launch
V125: Ariane 44L launches Galaxy 11
Ariane 4 rocket launches powerhouse Galaxy 11
The third Arianespace launch of December occurred right on time December 21. An Ariane 44L rocket successfully placed PanAmSat's Galaxy 11 communications satellite into Earth orbit.
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Launch
V119: Ariane 5 launches XMM
Ariane 5 goes commercial with launch of ESA's XMM
The first commercial flight of the Ariane 5 rocket was successful December 10. The massive rocket deployed ESA's X-ray Multi-Mirror observatory into space.
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504 launch
V124: Ariane 40 launches Helios 1B
Ariane 4 rocket launches French spy satellites
Arianespace launched an Ariane 40 rocket carrying two military reconnaissance satellites for the French Ministry of Defence on December 3 from Kourou, French Guiana.
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V124 on the pad