Author Topic: Ariane 5 VA261 - Syracuse 4B & Heinrich Hertz - 5 July 2023 (22:00 UTC) (Read 57886 times)

GWR64 · « **Reply #120 on:** 07/08/2023 10:27 am »

Heinrich Hertz as the smaller and lighter satellite took the upper slot. This is unusual on Ariane 5.
It was apparently launched in place of a larger satellite, Eutelsat-10B.
Actually, Heinrich Hertz was already out of the Ariane 5 calendar due to the delays and was replaced by GSAT-24.
But there must have been something in the 2022 negotiations between Eutelsat and Arianespace about the launch of Eutelsat 10B and the (single) launch of Konnect VHTS. I don't think it was just the time factor.
Originally Eutelsat-10B and Konnect VHTS were at Arianespace booked, probably Hotbird-13F at SpaceX and Hotbird-13G at ILS.
Hotbird-13F wasn't that urgent, maybe could have swapped launcher with Eutelsat-10B.
At the end, SpaceX launched 3 Eutelsat satellites and Arianespace only one. Plus the delays at Ovzon-3.
Anyway, the lucky Heinrich Hertz somehow found a place on the very last Ariane 5.

Lewis007 · « **Reply #121 on:** 07/12/2023 03:40 am »

Video of VA261 launch campaign

GWR64 · « **Reply #122 on:** 07/29/2023 01:36 pm »

Despite the bipropellant apogee motor, Heinrich Hertz has probably not yet reached the GEO.
The development of the orbital data is sometimes strange, they also come irregularly, the last ones are already 4 days old. What's going on there?
https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2023-093

Screenshot Celestrak

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #123 on:** 07/30/2023 07:19 am »

Quote from: GWR64 on 07/29/2023 01:36 pm

Despite the bipropellant apogee motor, Heinrich Hertz has probably not yet reached the GEO.
The development of the orbital data is sometimes strange, they also come irregularly, the last ones are already 4 days old. What's going on there?

Looks like they reached geosynchronous orbit on 20 July where we can see the SMA is 36,000 km and the eccentricity is zero. It then looks like they then lowered the orbit by about 2000 km and let the spacecraft drift.

GWR64 · « **Reply #124 on:** 07/30/2023 07:57 am »

Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 07/30/2023 07:19 am

Quote from: GWR64 on 07/29/2023 01:36 pm
Despite the bipropellant apogee motor, Heinrich Hertz has probably not yet reached the GEO.
The development of the orbital data is sometimes strange, they also come irregularly, the last ones are already 4 days old. What's going on there?

Looks like they reached geosynchronous orbit on 20 July where we can see the SMA is 36,000 km and the eccentricity is zero. It then looks like they then lowered the orbit by about 2000 km and let the spacecraft drift.

Not quite, the maximum was about 35720 km. Go to the relevant day with the mouse.
https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/graph-orbit-data.php?CATNR=57213

According to the latest TLE data, H2Sat would now be on the length of Australia and rapidly running to the east around the world. However, we do not know if he has maneuvered again in the last almost 5 days.

Orbital slot should be ~~17.6 deg E or maybe~~ 0.5 deg E? not quite sure. H2Sat's ITU registration has a history of at least 10 years.
0.5 deg East seems correct now

GWR64 · « **Reply #125 on:** 08/05/2023 07:33 am »

Finally, H2Sat is geostationary at 0.5 degrees E. As early as July 31, the TLEs were close to this point.
On August 1 and 2, the perigee was suddenly 4000 km! lower. Very doubtful.
The TLEs from July 24 and 25, with low perigee, were also likely wrong.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #126 on:** 08/05/2023 01:57 pm »

Remes · « **Reply #127 on:** 08/05/2023 07:54 pm »

ESA publishes the videos in better quality (i.e. without youtube compression magic):

https://dlmultimedia.esa.int/download/public/videos/2023/07/039/orig-2307_039_AR_EN.mp4

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2023/07/VA261_Ariane_5_timelapse

GWR64 · « **Reply #128 on:** 08/27/2023 12:28 pm »

2023-093B 57214 SYRACUSE 4B 848.78 min 2.59 deg. 42,187 km 4,448 km

https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?CATNR=57214

SYRACUSE 4B is the last satellite in the Eurostar 3000 series, which is to be put into operation.
So far, Inmarsat 6F2 is (probably) the only total failure from this series.

GWR64 · « **Reply #129 on:** 01/14/2024 07:02 pm »

Syracuse 4B reached the GEO. Longitude about 6.4 deg. W.

Source Celestrak.

Ben · « **Reply #130 on:** 06/03/2024 08:42 pm »

I went to this final launch and streamed it live on YT for a few friends:

It was a really pretty launch, I was glad that the usual Kourou cloud deck was reasonably thin.

My second time there for a launch, I went to a Vega previously. Afterward I had a bit of an adventure and headed overland to Paramaribo, Suriname, and then did a few days trip into the Raleighvallen/Voltzberg. If anyone ever has questions about "space tourism" in the area I'm happy to answer questions.