Spaceflight Now Home





Ariane 5 launch timeline
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: August 27, 2013

H0 Main Engine Ignition
The Ariane 5 rocket's first stage Vulcain 2 main engine ignites and undergoes a thorough health check on the launch pad.
H0+00:07.3 Launch
Producing about 2.6 million pounds of thrust, the Ariane 5 rocket's two solid rocket boosters ignite to lift the launcher into the sky.
H0+00:12.6 Start Pitch Maneuver
The Ariane 5 rocket begins to pitch over after rising vertically from the ELA-3 launch pad.
H0+00:17.1 Start Roll Maneuver
The Ariane 5 rocket starts its roll maneuver to head east away from the Guiana Space Center.
H0+02:23 Booster Separation
The solid rocket boosters exhaust their propellant and are jettisoned from the Ariane 5's first stage.
H0+03:13 Jettison Payload Fairing
The two halves of the Ariane 5's 5.4-meter, or 17.7-foot, diameter payload fairing are jettisoned once the rocket leaves the thick lower atmosphere.
H0+08:46 Main Stage Shutdown
The cryogenic first stage's Vulcain 2 main engine shuts down.
H0+08:52 Stage Separation
Explosive bolts fire to separate the Ariane 5's first and second stages.
H0+08:54 Upper Stage Ignition
The upper stage's HM7B engine, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, ignites to propel the Eutelsat 25B/Es'hail 1 and GSAT 7 satellites to orbit.
H0+24:53 Upper Stage Shutdown 1
The upper stage's HM7B engine shuts down after reaching an orbit with a low point of 154 miles, a high point of 22,325 miles and an inclination of 3.5 degrees.
H0+27:45 Eutelsat 25B/Es'hail 1 Separation
The Ariane 5 rocket deploys the Eutelsat 25B/Es'hail 1 communications satellite for Eutelsat of Paris and Es'hailSat of Doha, Qatar.
H0+29:10 Sylda 5 Separation
The Sylda 5 dual-payload adapter is jettisoned to expose the GSAT 7 satellite for separation.
H0+34:26 GSAT 7 Separation
The Ariane 5 rocket deploys the GSAT 7 communications satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization and the Indian Navy.

Data source: Arianespace/EADS Astrium

MISSION STATUS CENTER