The year 2022 is ending in the best of ways for Ariane 5. The rocket successfully placed the MTG-I1 meteorological satellite and the Galaxy 35 and Galaxy 36 telecommunications satellites into orbit on Tuesday evening.
The rocket took off at 5:30 p.m. from the Kourou Space Center in Guyana. “And one and two and three, there are no zeros tonight, only winners. We are very happy that Ariane has still done the job,” said Stéphane Israël, President of Arianespace, after the launch.
Two ministers on site
“I came to realize on the spot the complexity and the dynamics of space in order to then promote and support this French know-how”, declared Sylvie Retailleau, the Minister of Research and Higher Education who came to attend the launch. from the Jupiter control room with the Minister Delegate for Overseas Departments Jean-François Carenco.
Launched on behalf of the European organization for the exploitation of meteorological satellites Eumetsat, MTG-I1 will make it possible to quickly detect and predict extreme weather events in advance in order to alert inhabitants, authorities and rescue workers in Europe and of Africa.
Galaxy 35 and Galaxy 36, dedicated to telecommunications, come to renew the fleet of the operator Intelstat for the North American market. These two satellites will enhance television broadcasting capabilities of major sporting events in the United States and improve the reception of cable channels.
Ariane 6 awaits its turn
For its third and final mission of the year, Ariane 5 placed the three satellites in geostationary orbit between 27 and 34 minutes after takeoff. A special mission given the total weight of the payloads, 10.9 tons, which makes it the second most efficient launch in the entire history of the Ariane 5 rocket. Special also because of the very configuration of the launch which sends three satellites in space at the same time. Since Ariane launchers have existed, this arrangement has occurred only three times.
This 115th Ariane 5 mission is also one of its last. Two other launches are planned for the first half of next year before its big sister Ariane 6 takes over in the last quarter of 2023. “And its order book is full as an egg”, rejoiced the president of ‘Arianespace.