Galaxy 30, MEV-2, BSAT-4b - Ariane 5 ECA (VA253) [№ L5112] - Kourou ELA-3 - 15.08.2020, 22:04 UTC

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08/15/2020 23:53 Stephen Clark

Minus-40 minutes. The Ariane 5's first and second stages are fully loaded loaded with cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants.

The 17.7-foot-diameter first stage's Vulcain 2 engine burns 149.5 metric tons, or about 329,000 pounds, of liquid oxygen and 25 metric tons, or about 55,000 pounds, of liquid hydrogen. The cryogenic upper stage's HM7B engine consumes about 14.7 metric tons, or more than 32,000 pounds, of oxygen and hydrogen.

The fluids are stored at super-cold temperatures and naturally boil off in the warm tropical atmosphere in French Guiana. More propellant is slowly pumped into the rocket for most of the countdown to replenish the cryogenic fuel.

The topping sequence ends in the final few minutes of the countdown as the fuel tanks are pressurized and the fueling system is secured.

Built by a consortium of European contractors led by Ariane Group's facility in Vernon, France, the Vulcain 2 engine generates up to 300,000 pounds of thrust during its 9-minute firing. It burns about 320 kilograms, or 705 pounds, of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant per second.

The engine's nozzle has an exit diameter of 2.1 meters, or about 6.9 feet. It weighs more than 4,600 pounds and its liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen turbopumps spin at 12,300 rpm and 35,800 rpm, respectively.

The Vulcain 2 replaced the Vulcain engine used on the initial version of the Ariane 5. The newer engine produces 20 percent more thrust.

The Ariane 5's upper stage is powered by an HM7B engine, a modified version of the HM7 engine used on the upper stage of the Ariane 4 rocket. The 364-pound HM7B engine is manufactured by Ariane Group in Ottobrunn, Germany.

The HM7B engine produces more than 14,500 pounds of thrust in vacuum.

The Ariane 5 configuration with a Vulcain 2 engine and HM7B-powered cryogenic upper stage is known as the Ariane 5 ECA.

The Ariane 5's twin solid rocket boosters are packed with propellant near the launch site in French Guiana before they are assembled and positioned on each side of the cryogenic core stage.

With the rocket now fully fueled for launch, the vehicle weighs 1.7 million pounds. At liftoff, the rocket produces 2.9 million pounds of thrust.

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Трансляция началась

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Пока по метео доска красная

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Мониторим погоду...

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Пока новое время старта (T₀) - 22:04 UTC / 01:04 ДМВ

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 Arianespace @Arianespace 11 мин. назад

Update on #Ariane Flight #VA253: the countdown has been put on hold due to a "red" indication for weather during the final chronology. More information will come soon.

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08/16/2020 00:30 Stephen Clark

Luce Fabreguettes, Arianespace's executive vice president for missions, operations and planning, reports ground teams are awaiting new weather balloon data on upper level winds.

If conditions improve, the Ariane 5 rocket could lift off at 6:04 p.m. EDT (2204 GMT; 7:04 p.m. French Guiana time). Meanwhile, the countdown is holding at Minus-7 minutes.

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 Michael Baylor @nextspaceflight 58 с

Weather is now green in French Guiana!

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08/16/2020 00:58 Stephen Clark

Minus-7 minutes and counting. The synchronized sequence has started. Computers are now in control of this automated final phase of the launch countdown to prepare the rocket and ground systems for liftoff. There are three computers running the countdown - one aboard the Ariane 5 and two redundant computers at the launch complex.

The launch time is set for 2204:00 GMT (6:04:00 p.m. EDT; 7:04:00 p.m. French Guiana time). Liftoff actually occurs even seconds later with ignition of the solid rocket boosters.

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08/16/2020 01:01 Stephen Clark

Minus 2 minutes, 30 seconds. The scheduled launch time has been loaded into the rocket's main computer system. The main stage tank pressures should now be approaching flight level.

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Flight SEQUENCE
Hr:Mn:Sc	Event	GFT	UTC	ДМВ
00:00:00	Reference time	19:04:00	22:04:00	01:04:00
00:00:01	Ignition of the cryogenic main stage (EPC)	19:04:01	22:04:01	01:04:01
00:00:07	Ignition of solid boosters (EAP)	19:04:07	22:04:07	01:04:07
00:00:07	Liftoff	19:04:07	22:04:07	01:04:07
00:00:13	End of vertical climb, beginning of pitch motion	19:04:13	22:04:13	01:04:13
00:00:17	Beginning of roll maneuver	19:04:17	22:04:17	01:04:17
00:00:32	End of roll maneuver	19:04:32	22:04:32	01:04:32
00:02:22	EAP separation	19:06:22	22:06:22	01:06:22
00:03:20	Fairing jettisoned	19:07:20	22:07:20	01:07:20
00:08:40	End of EPC thrust phase	19:12:40	22:12:40	01:12:40
00:08:46	EPC separation	19:12:46	22:12:46	01:12:46
00:08:50	Ignition of ESC-D stage	19:12:50	22:12:50	01:12:50
00:25:32	Extinction of ESC-D stage	19:29:32	22:29:32	01:29:32
00:25:34	Injection	19:29:34	22:29:34	01:29:34
00:27:47	Galaxy 30 satellite separation	19:31:47	22:31:47	01:31:47
00:34:22	MEV-2 satellite separation	19:38:22	22:38:22	01:38:22
00:35:52	SYLDA separation	19:39:52	22:39:52	01:39:52
00:47:39	BSAT-4b satellite separation	19:51:39	22:51:39	01:51:39

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Зажигание!

 Stéphane Israël @arianespaceceo 30 мин. назад

#Ariane 5 is now en route to geostationary transfer orbit with its three passengers! Relive the excitement from just moments ago with this #VA253 liftoff video.
(1:27)

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Пуск!!!

Chris B - NSF @NASASpaceflight 54 мин. назад

LAUNCH! Ariane 5 (VA253) launches with Galaxy 30 & MEV-2, BSAT-4b.
(0:37)

08/16/2020 01:05 Stephen Clark

Liftoff of an Ariane 5 rocket with two communications satellites destined to serve customers in the United States and Japan, plus Northrop Grumman's second robotic satellite servicing mission.

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MaxQ

08/16/2020 01:06 Stephen Clark

Here's a view of the Ariane 5 streaking downrange east from the Guiana Space Center.

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Отделение боковых ускорителей EAP

 Chris B - NSF @NASASpaceflight 1 ч. назад

There go the boosters.
(0:18)

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Сброс ГО

08/16/2020 01:08 Stephen Clark

Plus+3 minutes, 40 seconds. Separation of the rocket's nose cone has been confirmed. The Ariane 5 core stage will continue burning until about Plus+9 minutes into the mission.