Mohammed VI-B (MN35-B, Morocco EO Sat 2) - Vega (VV13) - Kourou ZLV - 21.11.2018, 01:42:31 UTC

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Arianespace опубликовала брошюру миссии

VV13-launchkit-EN.pdf - 663.0 KB, 7 стр, 2018-11-12 20:11:30 UTC

VV13-launchkit-FR.pdf - 654.4 KB, 7 стр, 2018-11-12 20:12:31 UTC

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http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/flight-vv13-vega-to-launch-an-earth-observation-satellite-for-the-kingdom-of-morocco/

Vega | November 13, 2018
Flight VV13: Vega to launch an Earth observation satellite for the Kingdom of Morocco



For its ninth launch of the year, and the 13th Vega mission since this launcher began its career at the Guiana Space Center in 2012, Arianespace will orbit the MOHAMMED VI - B satellite. This Earth observation satellite for the Kingdom of Morocco was developed by a consortium comprising Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime.

Flight VV13 marks the ninth Earth observation mission for Vega, a versatile light launcher.

Flight VV13 will be performed from the Vega Launch Complex (SLV) in Kourou, French Guiana (South America).

The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) will take place on Monday, November 19, 2018 in Kourou to authorize the start of operations for the final countdown.

The MOHAMMED VI – B satellite is an Earth observation satellite built for the Kingdom of Morocco by Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime.

It will be the second satellite of the MOHAMMED VI – A & B program, with the MOHAMMED VI – A satellite launched by Arianespace on November 7, 2017, also utilizing a Vega vehicle.

The MOHAMMED VI – B satellite will be mostly used for mapping and land surveying activities, regional development, agricultural monitoring, the prevention and management of natural disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification, as well as border and coastal surveillance. Being complementary, the MOHAMMED VI – A & B satellites will jointly enable a faster coverage of zones of interests.

Thales Alenia Space, as system prime contractor, supplied the payload, including the optical instrument, the image transmission subsystem, and the ground segment for image processing and production. Airbus, as satellite prime contractor, was in charge of its integration, as well as supplying the platform and the ground segment for mission planning and satellite control.

For further information, download the Flight VV13 Launch Kit by clicking here: http://www.arianespace.com/press-kits/

To watch a live, high-speed online transmission of the launch (including commentary in French and English from the launch site), go to arianespace.com or to youtube.com/arianespace on November 20, 2018, beginning 20 minutes before liftoff.

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Промо-ролик

Arianespace TV - VV13 Mohammed VI - B Launch !

arianespace

Опубликовано: 13 нояб. 2018 г.

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На сайте Arianespace открыта страница миссии - http://www.arianespace.com/mission/vega-flight-vv13/

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/vv13-vega-build-up/

Vega | November 13, 2018
Arianespace's Vega launcher is fully assembled for its upcoming flight fr om the Spaceport

The Vega launch vehicle for Arianespace's next mission has completed its build-up at the Spaceport, preparing this lightweight member of the company's launcher family for final checkout ahead of its November 20 liftoff from French Guiana with an Earth observation spacecraft to be operated by the Kingdom of Morocco.


The "upper composite" with the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite is ready for hoisting to the upper levels of Vega's mobile gantry (photo at left), wh ere it was installed atop the lightweight launcher (photo, right).

This activity concluded with the integration of Vega's "upper composite," which consists of the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite and its protective payload fairing. Installation took place at the Spaceport's SLV launch site, in the upper level of the facility's protective mobile gantry.

Produced by Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime, the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite will be deployed into a Sun-synchronous orbit on the upcoming Vega mission – which is designated Flight VV13 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system.

Спойлер

Enabling more rapid coverage

The MOHAMMED VI – B satellite has an estimated liftoff mass of 1,108 kg. Once in orbit, it will be used primarily for mapping and land surveying activities, regional development, agricultural monitoring, the prevention and management of natural disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification, as well as border and coastal surveillance.

It is the second satellite for the Kingdom of Morocco's MOHAMMED VI – A & B program, following Arianespace's Vega launch of the MOHAMMED VI – A satellite in November 2017. Designed to be complementary, the two spacecraft will work together to enable faster coverage of zones of interests.

Vega is the smallest member in Arianespace's launcher family, joining the medium-lift Soyuz and heavyweight Ariane 5 to provide a full range of launch services for customers worldwide. Flight VV13 will be the company's ninth mission of 2018. It follows the launches of five Ariane 5s, two Soyuz vehicles and one Vega so far this year.

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Liftoff time for Flight VV13:

[TH]French Guiana[/TH][TH]UTC[/TH][TH]Washington, D.C.[/TH][TH]Rabat[/TH][TH]Paris[/TH]

10:42:31 p.m on Nov. 20	01:42:31 on Nov. 21	8:42:31 p.m. on Nov. 20	2:42:31 a.m. on Nov. 21	2:42:31 a.m. on Nov. 21

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Vega Space Transportation System‏ @vega_sts 38 мин. назад

(Almost) ready for lift-off! Flight VV13, carrying satellite MOHAMMED VI-B, is scheduled for launch this Monday. Preparations are already well underway with the crew at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana working under the beautiful jungle sunset

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ГКЦ опубликовал стикер миссии

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Presentation| Arianespace Flight VV13 – MOHAMMED VI - B satellite

arianespace

Опубликовано: 16 нояб. 2018 г.

For its ninth launch of the year, and the 13th Vega mission since this launcher began its career at the Guiana Space Center in 2012, Arianespace will orbit the MOHAMMED VI - B satellite.

This Earth observation satellite for the Kingdom of Morocco was developed by a consortium comprising Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime.

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NOTMARs

NAVAREA IV 975/2018 (24) 

WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FRENCH GUIANA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   0132Z TO 0213Z DAILY 21 NOV THRU 21 DEC
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   05-23.46N 052-53.80W, 05-48.00N 052-54.00W,
   05-50.55N 052-26.40W, 05-12.60N 052-40.98W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 210313Z DEC 18.

( 141333Z NOV 2018 )


HYDROPAC 4138/2018 (61,74)

INDIAN OCEAN.
DNC 03.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   0351Z TO 0508Z DAILY 21 NOV THRU 21 DEC
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   26-50S 087-30E, 14-00S 090-21E,
   14-06S 090-47E, 26-56S 087-56E.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 210608Z DEC 18.

( 161121Z NOV 2018 )

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NOTAMs

SOOO
 
A0339/18 - RESTRICTED AREA SOR4 ACTIVATED. 19 NOV 09:00 2018 UNTIL 01 DEC 02:13 2018. CREATED:
09 NOV 15:01 2018
 
A0340/18 - DANGEROUS AREA SOD1 ACTIVATED
USED INFO WITH CALYPSO : 05 94 22 32 73 - 05 94 33 55 84. SFC - UNL, DAILY :
0042-0213, 21 NOV 00:42 2018 UNTIL 01 DEC 02:13 2018. CREATED: 09 NOV 15:37 2018
 
A0341/18 - DANGEROUS AREA SOD2 ACTIVATED
USED INFO WITH CALYPSO : 05 94 22 32 73 - 05 94 33 55 84. SFC - UNL, DAILY :
0042-0213, 21 NOV 00:42 2018 UNTIL 01 DEC 02:13 2018. CREATED: 09 NOV 15:39 2018
 
A0342/18 - TEMPORARY DANGEROUS AREA ACTIVATED DUE TO ROCKET LAUNCHING VEGA
ZA/VV13.
LATERAL LIMITS AS FOLLOWS QUADRILATERAL : 0821N05251W 0821N05245W
0907N05251W 0907N05245W. SFC - UNL, DAILY : 0042-0213, 21 NOV 00:42 2018 UNTIL
01 DEC 02:13 2018. CREATED: 09 NOV 15:59 2018
 
A0347/18 - RESTRICTED AREA SOR1 ACTIVATED. 20 NOV 17:30 2018 UNTIL 22 NOV 02:30 2018. CREATED:
16 NOV 12:09 2018
 
 
YMMM
 
F3024/18 - ROCKET LAUNCH FROM FRENCH GUIANA WILL TAKE PLACE
VEGA LAUNCH VV13 LAST STAGE FALLING AREA (AVUM) WILL IMPACT THE
MELBOURNE FLIGHT INFORMATION REGION (FIR)
 
THE DANGER ZONE IS BOUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING COORDINATES:
 
S26 50 E087 30
S14 00 E090 21
S14 06 E090 47
S26 56 E087 56. DAILY DANGER TIMES 0351-0508, 21 NOV 03:51 2018 UNTIL 01 DEC
 05:08 2018. CREATED: 08 NOV 17:40 2018

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/arianespaces-second-vega-mission-of-2018-is-cleared-for-its-november-20-liftoff/

Vega | November 19, 2018
Arianespace's second Vega mission of 2018 is cleared for its November 20 liftoff

The next Arianespace Vega mission fr om French Guiana has been authorized for liftoff tomorrow following completion of its launch readiness review, which was conducted today at the Spaceport.

This assessment is held prior to each flight of an Arianespace launcher family member. It confirmed that the lightweight launch vehicle and passenger – the MOHAMMED VI ‐ B satellite – are flight-ready, along with the Spaceport's infrastructure and the network of downrange tracking stations.

The mission is designated VV13 in Arianespace's numbering system, and it will be performed from the Spaceport's SLV launch site – wh ere the Vega was assembled and now stands in a flight-ready configuration, protected by a mobile gantry that will be withdrawn prior to liftoff.

All is now set for tomorrow's liftoff at precisely 10:42:31 p.m. local time in French Guiana (1:42:31 UTC on November 21) for a mission lasting 55 minutes and 57 seconds.

A launch for the Kingdom of Morocco

Produced by Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime, the MOHAMMED VI ‐ B satellite has an estimated liftoff mass of 1,108 kg. and will be deployed into a Sun-synchronous orbit. Once in orbit, it will be used primarily for mapping and land surveying activities, regional development, agricultural monitoring, the prevention and management of natural disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification, as well as border and coastal surveillance.

It is the second satellite for the Kingdom of Morocco's MOHAMMED VI ‐ A & B program, following Arianespace's Vega launch of the MOHAMMED VI ‐ A satellite in November 2017. Designed to be complementary, the two spacecraft will work together to enable faster coverage of zones of interests.

Flight VV13 will be Arianespace's ninth mission in 2018, and is the company's second this year using a Vega launcher – which is one of three launch vehicles operated by Arianespace at the Spaceport, along with the medium-lift Soyuz and heavyweight Ariane 5. Vega is provided to Arianespace by Italy's Avio, which is the industrial prime contractor.

Liftoff time for Flight VV13:

[TH]

French Guiana

[/TH][TH]

UTC

[/TH][TH]

Washington, D.C.

[/TH][TH]

Rabat

[/TH][TH]

Paris

[/TH][/TR][TR][TD]

10:42:31 p.m on Nov. 20

[/TD][TD]

01:42:31 on Nov. 21

[/TD][TD]

8:42:31 p.m. on Nov. 20

[/TD][TD]

2:42:31 a.m. on Nov. 21

[/TD][TD]

2:42:31 a.m. on Nov. 21

[/TD][/TR][/TABLE]

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Spaceflight Now‏ @SpaceflightNow 12 мин. назад

A European Vega rocket is counting down to launch from French Guiana at 8:42pm EST (0142 GMT) carrying a Moroccan spy satellite into orbit.

Live coverage: https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/11/20/vega-vv13-mission-status-center/ ...

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/11/20/vega-vv13-mission-status-center/

Live coverage: Vega rocket counting down to launch with Moroccan spy satellite
November 20, 2018 | Stephen Clark

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Трансляция пуска Arianespace на ТыТрубе

youtube.com/watch?v=II9ULNvuD60

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DutchSpace‏ @DutchSpace 12:39 - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

Vega #VV13 -> 21:37:31 OBC switch-on and flight program loading


12:47 - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

Vega #VV13 -> 21:47:31 IRS alignment and control

Прим. Автор в сообщениях указывает центрально-европейское время. Время твитов указывается по калифорнийскому серверу

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 13:23 - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

ARTICLE:
Arianespace Vega ready for Mohammed VI-B launch -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/11/arianespace-vega-mohammed-vi-b-launch/ ... -

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11/20/2018 21:55 Stephen Clark

For the second time in a little over a year, a Moroccan military reconnaissance satellite secretly built in France is set for liftoff Tuesday night aboard a European Vega rocket in French Guiana.

The Mohammed VI-B satellite, named for the Moroccan king, will ride the Vega booster into orbit fr om Kourou, French Guiana. Liftoff is timed for 0142:31 GMT Wednesday (8:42:31 p.m. EST; 10:42:31 p.m. French Guiana time Tuesday).

It will be the 13th launch of a Vega rocket, a light-class, solid-fueled launcher developed in Europe with Italian leadership. The launch will mark the 10th time a Vega rocket, part of Arianespace's launcher family, has lifted off on an Earth observation mission.

The Mohammed VI-B spacecraft, manufactured in partnership between Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defense and Space, is identical to a satellite launched in November 2017 to serve Morocco's civil government agencies and military.

Спойлер

Like the launch last year, also aboard a Vega rocket, Arianespace did not acknowledge the payload for tonight's flight until the final weeks before launch, a break from the company's standard practice.



The Mohammed VI-B satellite's imaging capabilities are secret, but it carries an optical camera and image transmission system provided by Thales Alenia Space, which served as prime contractor for the mission under an agreement with the Moroccan government. Airbus Defense and Space provided the satellite bus, which was assembled in Toulouse, France.

The satellite has launch weight of around 2,442 pounds (1,108 kilograms), according to a press kit released by Arianespace last week.

The Moroccan government ordered the two high-resolution Earth observation satellites -- named Mohammed VI-A and VI-B -- from Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defense and Space in 2013 after an intergovernmental agreement between Morocco and France.

Developed in secrecy, Mohammed VI-B is the second of the two satellites to launch, heading for a sun-synchronous north-south orbit wh ere it will join its predecessor Mohammmd VI-A, which flies nearly 400 miles (640 kilometers) above Earth.

With two satellites, the Moroccan government can collect imagery of the same location with higher frequency. The Mohammed VI-A and VI-B satellites are the most capable optical surveillance satellites owned by any African nation.

The entire program, including two satellites, launch services and ground support, reportedly cost Morocco between 500 million and 600 million euros ($568 million to $681 million).

Official press releases on the Moroccan reconnaissance satellite program say the spacecraft will be "mostly used for mapping and land surveying activities, regional development, agricultural monitoring, the prevention and management of natural disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification, as well as border and coastal surveillance."

But a report published last November by the French newspaper Le Monde suggested the satellites have a strong military purpose.

"We know that Morocco is at odds with Spain and Algeria regarding certain issues and that the situation is tense at the border with Mauritania. Both these satellites will give Morocco the means to gather intelligence and an independence that no one else has in the region," said Florence Gaillard-Sborowsky, researcher at France's Strategic Research Foundation and an expert in space issues in the Arab region, according to Le Monde.

"It is true that we consider it our right to be up-to-date. But no one should worry as we have good intentions," said Ahmed Réda Chami, Morocco's ambassador to the European Union, in remarks last year referring to the satellite program.

Observers believe the Mohammed VI satellites are based on Airbus' AstroSat-1000 design. An artist's concept of Mohammed VI-A shows an outward appearance similar to France's two Pleiades Earth observation satellites and two Falcon Eye spacecraft ordered from Airbus by the United Arab Emirates.

The Pleiades satellites, which provide imagery for government and commercial customers, were launched in 2011 and 2012. Each Pleiades satellite can take pictures with a resolution as sharp as 2.3 feet (70 centimeters), and post-processing can improve the image quality to 1.6 feet (50 centimeters).

The Falcon Eye and Mohammed VI satellites are believed to have comparable capabilities.

The final countdown for Tuesday's launch began at 1632 GMT (11:32 a.m. EST). Power-up of the Vega rocket is expected to begin around 1942 GMT (2:42 p.m. EST) to begin testing of its on-board computer and navigation systems.

Meanwhile, ground teams are turning on the Mohammed VI-B satellite and confirming its readiness for tonight's ride into orbit.

The computer will be tested and loaded with the mission's flight software program at 2102 GMT (4:02 p.m. EST), and the Vega's navigation unit will be aligned and verified functional 2112 GMT (4:12 p.m. EST).

The launch team will receive a weather briefing before rollback of the Vega launch facility's mobile gantry. The launch pad's mobile service tower will be retracted to launch position at 2227 GMT (5:27 p.m. EST), rolling on rails to a point 260 feet (80 meters) from the Vega rocket.

The launcher's navigation system will be tested again at 2317 GMT (6:17 p.m. EST), and Vega's telemetry transmitters and transponders are activated again after the rollback of the launch pad gantry around 0027 GMT (7:27 p.m. EST).

Engineers will verify the readiness of Vega's systems at 0052 GMT (7:52 p.m. EST), and a final pre-launch weather briefing is scheduled for 0132 GMT (8:32 p.m. EST).

The synchronized launch sequence takes over the countdown about four minutes prior to liftoff. The computer-controlled final sequence checks thousands of parameters in the final steps of the countdown.

After liftoff, Vega will clear the pad's four lightning towers and pitch north from the Guiana Space Center, heading over the Atlantic Ocean and surpassing the speed of sound in about 30 seconds.

The Vega's solid-fueled P80FW first stage, producing a maximum of 683,000 pounds of thrust, burns out 114 seconds after liftoff, giving way to the launcher's Zefiro 23 second stage at an altitude of about 33 miles (53 kilometers).

After a 102-second burn, the second stage consumes its propellant 3 minutes, 38 seconds, after launch and separates. The Vega's third stage, the Zefiro 9A motor, ignites 3 minutes, 50 seconds, into the mission.

A few seconds later, Vega's Swiss-built 8.5-foot-diameter (2.6-meter) payload fairing will jettison.

Vega's third stage fires for more than two minutes, turning off and separating 6 minutes, 29 seconds after liftoff.

The fourth stage, known as AVUM, ignites its liquid-fueled Ukrainian RD-843 engine 8 minutes into the mission, burning for 7-and-a-half minutes to reach a transfer orbit above Earth.

After coasting more than 36 minutes, the AVUM fourth stage will fire again at Plus+52 minutes, 3 seconds for almost two minutes to reach a circular orbit for deployment of the Mohammed VI-B spacecraft.

Separation of the Mohammed VI-B satellite is scheduled for 55 minutes, 21 seconds after liftoff.

A third ignition of the upper stage engine will de-orbit the rocket to avoid creating space junk.

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11/21/2018 03:27 Stephen Clark

All systems are reported to be "go" for launch tonight in an instantaneous launch opportunity at 0142:31 GMT (8:42:31 p.m. EST).

So far in the countdown, Vega's systems have been powered on and launch controllers have checked communications, tracking and command links between the rocket and ground facilities at the Guiana Space Center.

The launch pad's 16-story mobile gantry should now be retracted to its launch position about 260 feet (80 meters) fr om the rocket.

Спойлер

The 270-square-mile space center, run by the French space agency, CNES, and the European Space Agency, is located on the jungle coastline of French Guiana, situated on the northeast corner of South America.

The Vega launch pad, known by its French acronym ZLV, is about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) southwest of the Ariane 5 launch complex. It was built on the former site of ELA-1, the home of Ariane 1, Ariane 2 and Ariane 3 launchers from 1979 until 1989.

Construction of the Vega launch pad began in 2004, including the building of a new 16-story mobile gantry weighing some 1,000 metric tons. A fixed umbilical mast standing 105 feet tall provides air conditioning to the Vega's payload.

Workers also added four lightning towers at the pad to protect the Vega rocket from thunderstorms.

Unlike the Ariane 5 rocket, the Vega's stages are stacked on the pad inside the mobile gantry, which provides protection of the launcher from weather at the spaceport.

Vega's countdown is managed from Guiana Space Center's prime control center less than a mile from the launch pad, the same building wh ere Ariane 5's countdown is controlled.

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11/21/2018 03:43 Stephen Clark

T-minus 60 minutes and counting. There continue to be no problems reported in the countdown for launch of Vega tonight. Liftoff is set for 0142:31 GMT (8:42:31 p.m. EST; 10:42:31 p.m. local time) from French Guiana.

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11/21/2018 04:02 Stephen Clark

T-minus 40 minutes. Some statistics on today's flight:

[/li]
• 13th Vega launch
• 2nd Vega launch of 2018
• 9th launch from Guiana Space Center in 2018
• 38th launch from the ELA-1/SLV launch pad
• 123rd Airbus Defense and Space satellite launched by Arianespace
• 2nd Moroccan satellite launched by Arianespace
• 303rd Arianespace mission
  

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11/21/2018 04:07 Stephen Clark

T-minus 35 minutes. The Vega rocket has just one second to launch tonight or else liftoff will be delayed to another day. The time is fixed for 0142:31 GMT (8:42:31 p.m. EST; 10:42:31 p.m. French Guiana time).

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11/21/2018 04:18 Stephen Clark

T-minus 24 minutes. Tonight's mission from liftoff through deployment of the Mohammed VI-B observation satellite in the proper orbit will last more than 55 minutes, including two firings by the Vega rocket's AVUM upper stage engine to place the spacecraft at the correct altitude and inclination.

Only then can Arianespace officials declare success on tonight's launch, the company's ninth of the year, and the second of 2018 to use the light-class Vega launcher.

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Пуск!

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1st stage (P80) separation

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2nd stage (Zefiro-23) ignition

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2nd stage (Zefiro-23) separation

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3rd stage (Zefiro-9) ignition

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Сброс ГО

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3rd stage (Zefiro-9) separation

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1st ignition of AVUM

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1st cut-off of AVUM

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2nd ignition of AVUM

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2nd cut-off of AVUM

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Separation of the MOHAMMED VI-B satellite!

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Заключительное слово

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Трансляция завершена

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 17:43 - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

LAUNCH! Arianespace's Vega rocket launches Mohammed VI-B (MN35-B, Morocco EO Sat 2)

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Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 18:40 - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

The French-built Moroccan-owned Mohammed VI-B satellite was separated from the AVUM upper stage at 0238 UTC into a 620 km sun-sync orit. The AVUM will make its deorbit burn at 0330 UTC and burn up over the Indian Ocean

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/vega-vv13-liftoff/

Vega | November 20, 2018
Liftoff of Arianespace's Vega mission with the MOHAMMED VI ‐ B satellite

Arianespace's latest Vega mission is now underway following a nighttime liftoff from the Spaceport in French Guiana.

This flight will last 55 minutes from liftoff to separation of the MOHAMMED VI ‐ B satellite, which will be placed into a Sun-synchronous orbit.

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http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/vega-vv13-success/

Vega | November 20, 2018
Another Vega success for Earth observation: Arianespace orbits the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite



Arianespace lofted the MOHAMMED VI - B satellite for the Kingdom of Morocco on tonight's mission from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, and in doing so, marked the 13th consecutive success of its lightweight Vega launcher since entering service in 2012.

Designated Flight VV13 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system, it was the 10th mission with an Earth observation spacecraft performed by Vega to date. Overall, the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite was the 67th Earth observation platform orbited by Arianespace with its family of launch vehicles for commercial and institutional customers.

Thales Alenia Space is system prime contractor for the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite, supplying the payload – including the optical instrument, the image transmission subsystem, and the ground segment for image processing and production. Airbus, as satellite prime contractor, was in charge of its integration, as well as supplying the platform and the ground segment for mission planning and satellite control.

Another launch for the Kingdom of Morocco

Tonight's mission – which lasted 55 minutes from liftoff to payload separation – placed its passenger into a Sun-synchronous orbit. Once operational, the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite will be used primarily for mapping and land surveying activities, regional development, agricultural monitoring, the prevention and management of natural disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification, as well as border and coastal surveillance.

It is the second satellite for the Kingdom of Morocco's MOHAMMED VI ‐ A & B program, following Arianespace's Vega launch of the MOHAMMED VI ‐ A satellite in November 2017. Designed to be complementary, the two Earth observation spacecraft will work together to enable faster coverage of zones of interests.

A commitment to Earth observation

In post-launch comments from the Spaceport, Luce Fabreguettes – the Arianespace Executive Vice President for Missions, Operations & Purchasing – thanked the Kingdom of Morocco for its continued confidence in the company's launch services, and once again underscored Arianespace's commitment to Earth observation missions.

"With its full range of launchers, Arianespace is particularly committed to this segment, which echoes our mission: to put space at the service of a better life on Earth," she said. "European launches are an answer adapted to the needs of this dynamic market. This is reflected in our order book, almost 30 percent of which is composed of Earth observation satellites."

Flight VV13 was Arianespace's second Vega mission in 2018, and the ninth this year using a member of the company's three-member launcher family – which also includes the heavyweight Ariane 5 and medium-lift Soyuz.

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http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/vega-vv13-success/

Vega | November 20, 2018
Arianespace orbits the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite on 13th successful Vega launch in a row



Arianespace has successfully launched the MOHAMMED VI - B Earth observation satellite, developed for the Kingdom of Morocco by a consortium comprising Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime.

Arianespace's ninth launch of the year, and the second using Vega in 2018, took place on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 at 10:42 p.m. (local time) from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana (South America).

This launch marks the 13th successful mission in a row for Vega since it entered service in 2012, as Arianespace continues to prove that its light launcher is a perfect match for the requirements of both government and commercial customers.

A second Earth observation satellite for Morocco

Спойлер

The MOHAMMED VI – B satellite is the second spacecraft launched by Arianespace for the Kingdom of Morocco, within the scope of the country's Earth observation program, MOHAMMED VI – A & B. It joins the MOHAMMED VI – A satellite which was orbited by Arianespace on November 7, 2017, also using a Vega launcher.

The MOHAMMED VI – B satellite will mostly be used for mapping and land surveying, regional development, agricultural monitoring, the prevention and management of natural disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification, and border and coastal surveillance.

Thales Alenia Space, as system prime contractor, supplied the payload, including the optical instrument, the image transmission subsystem and the ground segment for image processing and production. Airbus, as satellite prime contractor, was in charge of its integration, as well as supplying the platform and the ground segment for mission planning and satellite control.

Including this mission, Arianespace has now orbited 67 Earth observation satellites using its family of launchers: Ariane, Soyuz and Vega, for institutional and commercial customers. From this standpoint, the end of the year is symbolic: after two successful launches in November (Metop-C on Soyuz for EUMETSAT on November 5, and the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite on Vega today), two other launches for Earth observation are scheduled in December: GEO-KOMPSAT-2A on Ariane 5, followed by CSO-1 for the French DGA (Directorate General of Armaments) and the French CNES space agency on Soyuz.

From the total of all satellites launched by Arianespace, 10% were for Earth observation missions, in particular for European programs: Copernicus for the European Space Agency (ESA) and Metop/Meteosat for EUMETSAT.

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Ninth Arianespace launch in 2018 and 13 successes in a row for Vega

Спойлер

With today's launch of Flight VV13, Arianespace's ninth in 2018, the Vega launcher completes its second mission this year and its 13th success in a row since starting operations at the Guiana Space Center in 2012.

Arianespace is also gearing up for the future with Vega C, the new generation of this light launcher, scheduled to make its first flight at the end of 2019. Vega C will boost performance in terms of payload capacity (weight and volume), enabling it to carry out an even broader spectrum of missions (from nanosatellites to large optical and radar observation satellites), and will further improve the competitiveness of Arianespace's launch services. Vega will perform another emblematic mission in 2019, a demonstration flight for the SSMS (Small Spacecraft Mission Service), capable of carrying up to 81 smallsats.

With a backlog of 11 missions for Vega and Vega C, including one-third for European institutions and two-thirds in export markets, Arianespace confirms the validity of its launch services for the dynamic market of lightweight satellites in low Earth orbit.

Vega C and Ariane 6 will be used in concert to address all market segments beginning in the 2019/2020 timeframe.

Shortly after the announcement of the satellite's orbital injection, Stéphane Israël, Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace, said: "Arianespace is proud to have orbited the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite on our 13th successful launch in a row of Vega since it was introduced at the Guiana Space Center. We are delighted that the Kingdom of Morocco has continued to entrust us with its second satellite, following the MOHAMMED VI – A satellite that we launched successfully last year. Congratulations to Thales Alenia Space, prime contractor for the MOHAMMED VI – B satellite, and to Airbus, as co-prime. With the launch of this satellite today, we are extending a long-standing partnership with Thales Alenia Space and Airbus.

"Vega has performed its second successful launch of 2018, also for Earth observation, clearly showing its relevance for this market segment. I would like to congratulate all of our partners for this success: the launcher's industrial prime contractor, Avio; ESA, for its active support for the Vega program, including the Italian space agency as the leading contributor; CNES/CSG, our ground segment companies and all staff at the space center, who support us as we go from success to success. Lastly, congratulations to everyone at Arianespace who, as we close out this year, together are performing launches every two weeks."

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Vega launches Mohammed VI-B satellite

SciNews

Опубликовано: 20 нояб. 2018 г.

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Arianespace TV Arianespace Vol VV13 – MOHAMMED VI - B Launch Sequence

arianespace

Опубликовано: 20 нояб. 2018 г.

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Официальная запись трансляции Arianespace

Arianespace Flight VV13 – MOHAMMED VI - B (EN)

arianespace

Трансляция началась 2 часа назад

(1:54:05)

На фр. яз. -  (1:42:10)

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 18:43 - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

The MOHAMMED VI - B satellite is the 155th spacecraft built by system prime contractor @Thales_Alenia_S to be launched by #Arianespace. 11 more remain in our order book.
#VV13

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 18:46 - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

Tonight's launch shows how special our relationship with satellite prime contractor @AirbusSpace is. The company has produced a total of 123 spacecraft orbited on #Arianespace missions.
With 20 more in our order book, this partnership is set to last for years to come.
#VV13

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 18:46 - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

Congratulations to production prime contractor @Avio_Group on #Vega's excellence. We're happy to have worked with you in achieving this latest success.
#teamwork #VV13

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Stéphane Israël‏ @arianespaceceo 18:48 - 20 нояб. 2018 г.

Tonight's #VV13 success – #Arianespace's th launch of 2018 and #Vega's nd launch of the year – is a credit to the hard work and dedication of our employees. Thank you all!
#teamwork

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НОРАД обнаружил один объект запуска

Код Выделить Развернуть

0 TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
1 43717U 18095A   18325.14442109 -.00000057  00000-0  00000+0 0  9991
2 43717  97.9509  35.0544 0005199 207.1227 185.4515 14.89641219    0343717 / 2018-095A : 595 x 603 km x 97.951°

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Arianespace TV Arianespace Vol VV13 – MOHAMMED VI - B Successful Mission

arianespace

Опубликовано: 20 нояб. 2018 г.

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Arianespace TV - VV13 Mohammed VI - B Official Speeches

arianespace

Опубликовано: 20 нояб. 2018 г.

(11:07)

[zandr]

https://ria.ru/space/20181121/1533201565.html

С космодрома Куру запустили ракету Vega со спутником на борту
ПАРИЖ, 21 ноя — РИА Новости, Людмила Орищенко. Ракета-носитель Vega со спутником Mohammed VI на борту успешно стартовала с космодрома Куру во Французской Гвиане.
Старт ракеты состоялся в 10.43 местного времени (04.43 мск). Трансляция запуска велась на сайте компании-оператора Arianespace.
Mohammed VI —В был разработан консорциумом Thales Alenia Space для Марокко. Спутник будет использоваться, в частности, для картографических работ, мониторинга сельскохозяйственной деятельности, профилактики и управления стихийными бедствиями, слежения за изменениями окружающей среды и наблюдения за границами и береговой зоной. Вес спутника составляет 1108 килограммов.
В ноябре 2017 года был запущен спутник Mohammed VI-A, который имеет схожие функции. Предполагается, что эти спутники будут взаимодополняющими и позволят обеспечить более быстрое покрытие интересующих областей.

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/11/21/moroccan-spy-satellite-launched-aboard-vega-rocket/

Moroccan spy satellite launched aboard Vega rocket
November 21, 2018 | Stephen Clark


A Vega rocket lifts off Tuesday night with the Mohammed VI-B satellite. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – P. Piron

A Vega launcher lifted off Tuesday night fr om a spaceport at the edge of South America's Amazon rainforest, climbed into orbit on the power of four Italian- and Ukrainian-built rocket stages, and successfully deployed a French-built, Moroccan-owned military surveillance satellite nearly 400 miles above Earth.

Morocco's second spy satellite, named Mohammed VI-B for the nation's king, rode the Vega launcher to orbit a little more than a year after an identical reconnaissance craft lifted off on a prior Vega flight.

The 98-foot-tall (30-meter) rocket lit its solid-fueled first stage and lifted off from the Guiana Space Center at 8:42:31 p.m. EST Tuesday (0142:31 GMT Wednesday), rapidly soaring into a starry sky heading toward the north from the South American coastline.

Following the same timeline and trajectory as last year's launch of the Mohammed VI-A satellite, the Vega rocket shed its Italian-built three solid-fueled booster stages in the first six-and-a-half minutes of the mission. Flying over the Atlantic Ocean, Canada, and the Arctic, before heading south toward Australia, the Vega's liquid-fueled upper stage ignited its Ukrainian-made engine twice to position the Mohammed VI-B satellite in a near-circular orbit with an average altitude around 375 miles (604 kilometers) above Earth.

Telemetry radioed back to launch controllers in French Guiana through a ground station in Western Australia confirmed the separation of the 2,442-pound (1,108-kilogram) Mohammed VI-B spacecraft from the Vega launcher approximately 55 minutes after liftoff.

Officials with Arianespace, the Vega rocket's commercial operator and sales firm, and the Vega's Italian-headquartered manufacturer Avio declared success on Tuesday night's mission, making the light-class launcher 13-for-13 since its debut in 2012.

Спойлер

"After the Mohammed VI-A satellite, Arianespace has carried out a second successful launch for the Kingdom of Morocco," said Luce Fabreguettes, Arianespace's executive vice president for mission, operations and purchasing. "Thank you for this continued trust, proof that you recognize the quality and reliability of of Arianespace and the Vega launcher."

The Vega rocket is the smallest of Arianespace's rocket family, alongside the medium-lift Soyuz launcher and heavy-duty Ariane 5.

Next year could be the busiest year yet for Vega launch operations, with the next Vega flight slated for early 2019 carrying Italy's PRISMA Earth observation satellite. In mid-2019, a Vega rocket is scheduled to haul dozens of smallsats to orbit on the first commercial rideshare mission launched by Arianespace.

Spain's Ingenio Earth observation satellite is also expected to launch in late 2019 aboard a Vega rocket, and the upgraded Vega-C launcher is set to debut in a launch from French Guiana by the end of next year.

The Vega-C upgrades include bigger first stage and second stage motors to allow the rocket to carry heavier payloads to orbit. The solid-fueled first stage, named the P120, is the same rocket motor to be used as strap-on boosters for the next-generation Ariane 6 rocket, a shared component European officials say will reduce operating costs.

Meanwhile, Avio is already planning another future Vega variant named the Vega-E, which could launch by 2024 with a new European upper stage propelled by a methane-fueled M10 engine. The methane stage would replace the Vega's third stage motor and Ukrainian fourth stage engine.

The M10 engine can be reignited in space, and can be throttled to adjust thrust and meet the demands of each mission. It also uses a 3D-printed thrust chamber, reducing the cost of manufacturing.

Engineers test-fired a subscale version of the M10 thrust chamber in Colleferro, Italy, for the first time last week.


The Mohammed VI-B spacecraft, manufactured in partnership between Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defense and Space, will serve Morocco's civil government agencies and military.

The Mohammed VI-B satellite's imaging capabilities are secret, but it carries an optical camera and image transmission system provided by Thales Alenia Space, which served as prime contractor for the mission under an agreement with the Moroccan government. Airbus Defense and Space provided the satellite bus, which was assembled in Toulouse, France.

The Moroccan government ordered the two high-resolution Earth observation satellites — named Mohammed VI-A and VI-B — from French industry in 2013 after an intergovernmental agreement between Morocco and France.

Developed in secrecy, Mohammed VI-B is the second of the two satellites to launch. The Vega rocket deployed the satellite in a sun-synchronous north-south orbit, wh ere it will joined its predecessor Mohammmd VI-A.

With two satellites, the Moroccan government can collect imagery of the same location with higher frequency. The Mohammed VI-A and VI-B satellites are the most capable optical surveillance satellites owned by any African nation.

The entire program, including two satellites, launch services and ground support, reportedly cost Morocco between 500 million and 600 million euros ($568 million to $681 million).

Official press releases on the Moroccan reconnaissance satellite program say the spacecraft will be "mostly used for mapping and land surveying activities, regional development, agricultural monitoring, the prevention and management of natural disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification, as well as border and coastal surveillance."

But a report published last November by the French newspaper Le Monde suggested the satellites have a strong military purpose.

"We know that Morocco is at odds with Spain and Algeria regarding certain issues and that the situation is tense at the border with Mauritania. Both these satellites will give Morocco the means to gather intelligence and an independence that no one else has in the region," said Florence Gaillard-Sborowsky, researcher at France's Strategic Research Foundation and an expert in space issues in the Arab region, according to Le Monde.

"It is true that we consider it our right to be up-to-date. But no one should worry as we have good intentions," said Ahmed Réda Chami, Morocco's ambassador to the European Union, in remarks last year referring to the satellite program.

Observers believe the Mohammed VI satellites are based on Airbus' AstroSat-1000 design. An artist's concept of Mohammed VI-A shows an outward appearance similar to France's two Pleiades Earth observation satellites and two Falcon Eye spacecraft ordered from Airbus by the United Arab Emirates.

The Pleiades satellites, which provide imagery for government and commercial customers, were launched in 2011 and 2012. Each Pleiades satellite can take pictures with a resolution as sharp as 2.3 feet (70 centimeters), and post-processing can improve the image quality to 1.6 feet (50 centimeters).

The Falcon Eye and Mohammed VI satellites are widely believed to have comparable capabilities.

The UAE's first Falcon Eye satellite is also booked for a Vega launch, perhaps as soon as next year.

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НОРАД идентифицировал объект запуска

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Arianespace Flight VV13 / Behind the Scenes of the Dream

arianespace

Опубликовано: 27 нояб. 2018 г.

Arianespace has successfully launched the MOHAMMED VI - B Earth observation satellite, developed for the Kingdom of Morocco by a consortium comprising Thales Alenia Space as system prime contractor and Airbus as co-prime.

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