An Arianespace rocket will send three satellites into orbit today (December 13), and you can watch them all live for free.
This Ariane 5 rocket will launch no later than 3:30 PM EST (8:30 PM GMT or 5:30 PM local time) from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. The window runs for about two hours, until 5:16 p.m. EST (10:16 p.m. GMT or 7:16 p.m. local time.) You can watch the live coverage here at Space.com, via Arianespace, and we’ll drop the link here at availability. . .
According to one newspaper, the missile’s star payload is Eumetsat’s Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) Imager-1, which will enable “rapid detection and forecasting of severe weather events.” Arianespace statement (Opens in a new tab). The latest generation of these satellites includes two new tools, the Imager and the Lightning Imager, to obtain high-quality data to improve weather forecasts, according to a statement from the European Space Agency (ESA). (Opens in a new tab).
Around: An Ariane 5 rocket launches the largest ever Eutelsat satellite
The rocket will also power the Galaxy 35 and Galaxy 36 geosynchronous communications in orbit on behalf of Intelsat, replacing the aging Galaxy 3C and Galaxy 28 satellites, respectively. update series).
Arianespace officials said the satellites “will provide dedicated North American links to broadcasters, allowing them to broadcast live events and programming, including sports, entertainment and news coverage.”
European Space Agency (ESA) officials note that the Ariane 5 ECA variant used for launch is larger this time around. (ECA stands for Evolved Cryogenic, Form A.)
The 173-foot (53-meter) rocket for this launch has a “lift cylinder” below the deck where the satellites are stored, as well as an adapter that allows Intelsat satellites to be stacked on it. Ariane 5 ECA can range from 166 to 174 feet (50.5 to 53 meters) wide, according to ESA Statistics and Arianespace.
Elizabeth Howell is co-author of ” Why am I taller (Opens in a new tab)? (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a book on space medicine. Follow her on Twitter @employee (Opens in a new tab). Follow us on Twitter @employee (Opens in a new tab) where FB (Opens in a new tab).
