Ariane flight VA240

Ariane flight VA240 was an Ariane 5 space launch that occurred from the Guiana Space Centre on 12 December 2017 at 18:36:07 UTC. It was the 11th and last Arianespace launch in 2017.

Ariane flight VA240

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Ariane 5 ES launch
Launch	12 December 2017, 18:36:07 UTC
Operator	Arianespace
Pad	Kourou ELA-3
Payload	Galileo × 4
Outcome	Success
Components
Serial no.	595
Ariane launches

Payload

The launcher was carrying 4 Galileo satellites, with a total payload mass of approximately 3,282 kilograms (7,236 lb). The satellites were accommodated inside the medium version of the upper stage fairing.[1]

Galileo SAT 19-20-21-22

The 4 Galileo satellites, numbered SAT 19-20-21-22, built by OHB System in Bremen, Germany for the European Commission's Galileo programme under the supervision of the ESA, had a mass at liftoff of about 715 kilograms (1,576 lb) each, that is a total of approximately 2,860 kilograms (6,310 lb).[1]

Mission description

Launch date

The 96th Ariane 5 launch (6th and last of 2017) took place on 12 December 2017 at 18:36:07 UTC (15:36:07 local time) from Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA 3) in Kourou, French Guiana.[2]

Orbit

The mission was planned to last 4 hours, 40 minutes and 52 seconds, placing the two pairs of satellites into their medium Earth orbit, at an altitude of about 22,922 kilometres (14,243 mi) and an inclination of about 57 degrees.[1]

References

1. "VA240 Launch Kit" (PDF). Arianespace. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
2. "VA240 Press Release" (PDF). Arianespace (in French). December 12, 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2018.