Author Topic: Partial Success : Ariane 62 VA262 maiden flight - 9 July 2024 (19:00 UTC) (Read 100450 times)

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #100 on:** 07/09/2024 06:48 pm »

https://twitter.com/esa_transport/status/1810747379064438935

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20 minutes to #Ariane6 liftoff – weather update:

⚡No lightning risk
🌬️Winds at 35m and coastal areas are southwest 2-3 m/s
🗻Altitude winds are acceptable throughout the launch window

🟩All weather criteria are green

Go for launch 🚀

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #101 on:** 07/09/2024 06:50 pm »

T-10 all green

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #102 on:** 07/09/2024 06:55 pm »

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #103 on:** 07/09/2024 06:58 pm »

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #104 on:** 07/09/2024 07:00 pm »

Liftoff!

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #105 on:** 07/09/2024 07:01 pm »

Ascent views

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #106 on:** 07/09/2024 07:02 pm »

Side booster separation

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #107 on:** 07/09/2024 07:03 pm »

All nominal

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #108 on:** 07/09/2024 07:04 pm »

Fairing separation

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #109 on:** 07/09/2024 07:05 pm »

Nominal trajectory

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #110 on:** 07/09/2024 07:08 pm »

MECO, stage separation and ignition

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #111 on:** 07/09/2024 07:11 pm »

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1810751030008910066

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LAUNCH! Ariane 6 launches for the first time.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #112 on:** 07/09/2024 07:12 pm »

https://twitter.com/esa/status/1810751089723011347

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LIFTOFF of the Ariane 6 inaugural flight #VA262 from @EuropeSpacePort on 9 July 2024!

GO #Ariane6!

Spiff · « **Reply #113 on:** 07/09/2024 07:12 pm »

Very different ascent profile from Ariane 5. Main stage pitching up quite dramatically towards the end of the burn. Leading to a higher separation altitude and a lot lower final velocity.
I wonder if this is just for this initial launch, or if this is a profile we will be seeing more in the future.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #114 on:** 07/09/2024 07:13 pm »

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Staging the boosters.

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1810753048261595615

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Staging. On to the upper stage.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #115 on:** 07/09/2024 07:15 pm »

Trajectory remains nominal (see graph top-left)

eric z · « **Reply #116 on:** 07/09/2024 07:15 pm »

I am an Ariane fan! Great launch, congratulations to the ESA . Love their calm launch coverage, too. Thanks also to NSF for covering this important area of the space world.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #117 on:** 07/09/2024 07:17 pm »

https://twitter.com/esaoperations/status/1810754415990604243

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We read you @ESA_transport!

ESA’s antenna on the Portuguese island of Santa Maria has begun to receive telemetry from #Ariane6. The pass will last approximately 11 minutes, before the rocket passes beyond the horizon and into view from the next station in the tracking network.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #118 on:** 07/09/2024 07:19 pm »

Vinci shutdown; nominal trajectory

eeergo · « **Reply #119 on:** 07/09/2024 07:21 pm »

Quote from: Spiff on 07/09/2024 07:12 pm

Very different ascent profile from Ariane 5. Main stage pitching up quite dramatically towards the end of the burn. Leading to a higher separation altitude and a lot lower final velocity.
I wonder if this is just for this initial launch, or if this is a profile we will be seeing more in the future.

It was mostly empty, if aiming for LEO it needs to fly a lofted vertical profile out of the atmosphere (also maybe chosen for upgraded ground visibility until almost stage separation), and then acquire horizontal orbital velocity at the almost final altitude, rather than do both, which would be more efficient but would also leave excessive residuals or raise the orbit too much.

Welcome back to space, Europe

Finally, at the first try and with no hiccups, just a 1h delay to sieve out those more interested in football than rockets

On to in-orbit ops and the so-longed Vinci in-flight restart, but this at last closes the infamous gap of the last couple of years.

Also, it hasn't garnered a comment here, but the APU in the upper stage has worked well so far, and that was a huge differentiator with respect to previous launchers.

Congratulations! Félicitations! Glückwunsch! ¡Felicidades! Congratulazioni! Parabéns! Gefeliciteerd! Gratulujeme! Gratulerer! Felicitări! Grattis! 🇪🇺