Ariane 5

Inmarsat originally planned to launch its European Aviation Network satellite on Falcon Heavy in 2016 but switched to an Ariane 5 after SpaceX experienced development delays.

Global Xpress 5 is slated to launch late in the year on an Ariane 5 rocket provided by Arianespace with a Ka-band payload from Thales Alenia Space.

Eutelsat is preparing for the launch of a dedicated Konnect satellite being built by Thales Alenia Space for a launch on an Ariane 5 rocket in the second half of 2019.

The Ariane 5 heavy-lift rocket launched from Kourou, French Guiana, at 4:01 p.m. Eastern.

Arianespace completed the first Ariane 5 mission of the year on 2019-02-05, lofting two telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbits.

Arianespace anticipates launching at least 12 times 2019, including five Ariane 5 dual-launch missions each carrying two satellites.

SaudiGeoSat-1/Hellas Sat-4 has a mass of 6,500 kg and separated from the Ariane 5 upper stage 27 minutes after liftoff.

Viasat expects to launch its first ViaSat-3 satellite in 2020 on either a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, an Arianespace Ariane 5, or a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5.

Arianespace is scheduled to launch Galaxy-30 in 2020 on an Ariane 5 with Northrop Grumman’s Mission Extension Vehicle 2.

Eutelsat signed a multi-launch agreement that Arianespace counts collectively as five Ariane 6 missions, with some flexibility to use Ariane 5.

Ariane 5 will carry two telecom satellites: Arabsat’s SaudiGEOSat-1/Hellas Sat 4 and the Indian Space Research Organisation’s GSAT-31.

ESA is working to switch the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission from Ariane 5 to Ariane 6 to add a fourth institutional mission to Arianespace’s Ariane 6 backlog.

Arianespace anticipates four of Eutelsat’s five assigned satellites will launch on Ariane 6 and one will launch on Ariane 5.

Arianespace is relying on government demand to ensure a stable production rate for Ariane 6 to achieve a cost target 40 to 50 percent below the cost of Ariane 5.

ESA considers starting production of Ariane 6 very soon necessary to allow Ariane 6 and Vega C to replace Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega during a transition period from 2020 to 2023.

Arianespace also launches its heavy-lift Ariane 5 and light-lift Vega rockets from the Guiana Space Center.

The 2019-02-05 Ariane 5 launch will carry Arabsat’s Saudi GeoSat-1/Hellas Sat-4 and ISRO’s GSAT-31 to geostationary transfer orbit.

Arianespace launched 11 times in 2018: six Ariane 5 missions, three Soyuz missions, and two Vega missions.