March 9, 2008
CP010-2008 - 37rd successful launch of Ariane 5
On 9 March 2008, after lift-off from Kourou in French Guiana, the Ariane 5 launcher once again successfully accomplished its mission when it placed the ATV (automated transfer vehicle) Jules Verne in orbit.
Yannick d’Escatha, President of CNES, stated that he was fully satisfied with “this success which confirms yet again the excellent reliability of the Ariane 5 launcher".
He reiterated that “with 19.4 tonnes of payload to be placed in a low orbit with a high inclination in relation to the equator, the launch of the ATV Jules Verne represented, for Ariane 5, a brand new mission profile.”
He added that “this major advance required the CNES Launcher Directorate to mobilise all its expertise in project management, ground and on-board techniques for its role as prime contractor for the launcher on ESA’s behalf.”
“It is worth stressing this launch’s main innovation: two successive in-orbit reignitions, flawlessly accomplished, for the second stage of the Ariane 5 ES launcher, which was derived from the Ariane 5G and ECA models.”
“This genuine technological feat is a perfect demonstration of the extraordinary teamwork between CNES and its European industrial partners, Arianespace and ESA, since the Ariane programme began.”
“I would like to warmly congratulate and thank all of the people involved for this magnificent joint success.”
“Today once more, Ariane 5 has proved that it is the reference European launcher, ensuring guaranteed access to space for Europe, which is vital for realising its ambitious space policy.”
“I would also like to offer my grateful thanks to the teams at CNES’s Guiana Space Centre (CSG) for the remarkable quality of their work, since in order to host the ATV Jules Verne at CSG, throughout the preparation campaign and for the launch operations themselves, some ground facilities and installations had to be upgraded, particularly the EPCU (the payload preparation facility) and deployment of the telemetry and range safety system.
Lastly, the teams of the ATV Control Centre at CNES in Toulouse assumed responsibility, on ESA’s behalf, for coordinating the ground facilities, leading the ATV mission and controlling all flight operations. The ATV, as Europe’s most ambitious space vehicle to date, will play a fundamental role in making full use of the International Space Station.”
Yannick d’Escatha, President of CNES, stated that he was fully satisfied with “this success which confirms yet again the excellent reliability of the Ariane 5 launcher".
He reiterated that “with 19.4 tonnes of payload to be placed in a low orbit with a high inclination in relation to the equator, the launch of the ATV Jules Verne represented, for Ariane 5, a brand new mission profile.”
He added that “this major advance required the CNES Launcher Directorate to mobilise all its expertise in project management, ground and on-board techniques for its role as prime contractor for the launcher on ESA’s behalf.”
“It is worth stressing this launch’s main innovation: two successive in-orbit reignitions, flawlessly accomplished, for the second stage of the Ariane 5 ES launcher, which was derived from the Ariane 5G and ECA models.”
“This genuine technological feat is a perfect demonstration of the extraordinary teamwork between CNES and its European industrial partners, Arianespace and ESA, since the Ariane programme began.”
“I would like to warmly congratulate and thank all of the people involved for this magnificent joint success.”
“Today once more, Ariane 5 has proved that it is the reference European launcher, ensuring guaranteed access to space for Europe, which is vital for realising its ambitious space policy.”
“I would also like to offer my grateful thanks to the teams at CNES’s Guiana Space Centre (CSG) for the remarkable quality of their work, since in order to host the ATV Jules Verne at CSG, throughout the preparation campaign and for the launch operations themselves, some ground facilities and installations had to be upgraded, particularly the EPCU (the payload preparation facility) and deployment of the telemetry and range safety system.
Lastly, the teams of the ATV Control Centre at CNES in Toulouse assumed responsibility, on ESA’s behalf, for coordinating the ground facilities, leading the ATV mission and controlling all flight operations. The ATV, as Europe’s most ambitious space vehicle to date, will play a fundamental role in making full use of the International Space Station.”
CP010-2008 - 37rd successful launch of Ariane 5 (pdf - 246.22 KB)
