Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Flight Arianespace VA255 – SES-17 / SYRACUSE 4A

Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 launch from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, is scheduled on Friday, October 22, 2021, during a launch window from 10:01 p.m....

Ariane Flight VA255

Arianespace’s eleventh launch of 2021 with the second Ariane 5 of the year will place its satellite passengers into geostationary transfer orbit. The launcher will be carrying a total payload of approximately 11,210 kg. The launch will be performed in Kourou, French Guiana.

SES-17 & Syracuse 4A

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Mission: Communications

Geostationary Transfer Orbit Ariane Launch Area 3 Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

SES-17 is a Ka-band high-throughput geostationary communications satellite built by Thales Alenia Space designed to provide mobile internet services to airline passengers over the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean. Syracuse 4A is a French military communications satellite built by Thales Alenia Space.

Updates

SwGustav • Oct. 24, 2021, 3:07 a.m.

Launch success confirmed


SwGustav • Oct. 24, 2021, 2:10 a.m.

Liftoff


Cosmic_Penguin • Oct. 23, 2021, 6:32 a.m.

New launch time.


SwGustav • Oct. 22, 2021, 11:28 a.m.

Delayed due to additional checks on the ground support equipment


Nosu • Oct. 11, 2021, 7:18 p.m.

Launch date & time announced by the Guiana Space Centre.


Ariane 5 ECA+

Family:
Configuration: ECA+

Ariane 5 ECA+ is a variant of the Ariane 5 heavy-lift vehicle, with a taller ECA-D upper stage.

Specifications
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    57.7 m
  • Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Launch Mass
    780.0 T
  • Thrust
    11400.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Ariane 5 ECA+
  • Family
  • Variant
    ECA+
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Ariane 5 ECA+
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    10200.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

ArianeGroup

ArianeGroup

(AG)

CEO: Martin Sion Founded: 2015 Successes: 0 Failures: 0 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

ArianeGroup (formerly Airbus Safran Launchers) is an aerospace company based in France. A joint venture between Airbus and Safran, the company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux. It consists of three core arms: aerospace, defence and security.

INFO WIKI

Related News

SpaceNews

SES-17 takes flight with eyes on soaring commercial aviation market

Arianespace has successfully launched the heaviest satellite SES has ever ordered, marking a cornerstone for a multi-orbit network that is seeing surging demand from commercial aviation customers.

Spaceflight Now

Arianespace breaks payload mass record on final Ariane 5 launch before Webb

A European Ariane 5 rocket fired into space Saturday night from French Guiana with a commercial broadband satellite for SES and a French military telecom craft, setting a new payload mass record for geostationary transfer orbit on the fina…

Spaceflight Now

Under watchful eye of NASA, teams prep for final Ariane 5 flight before Webb

Arianespace is counting down to the blastoff of an Ariane 5 rocket Saturday night from French Guiana, the final flight of Europe’s workhorse launcher before NASA and the European Space Agency entrust it to launch the $10 billion James Webb…

NASA Spaceflight

Ariane 5 launches civilian, military satellites; mission to clear way for James Webb launch

In an important prelude to the James Webb Space Telescope launch, planned for no earlier than mid-December, the Ariane 5 rocket will make its second flight of 2021 and its 111th mission overall with the VA255 flight to take two communicati…

Spaceflight Now

Ariane 5 launch delayed for more ground systems checks

Arianespace delayed the launch from French Guiana of a European Ariane 5 rocket with two geostationary communications satellites Friday to conduct more checks of ground support equipment at the spaceport. The mission, set to loft payloads …

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Ariane Launch Area 3


Falcon 9
Success
18 hours, 58 minutes ago
Starlink Group 11-13
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 6
Success
1 day, 17 hours ago
Tianping-3A-02
Launch Complex 16 - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Satellite be used as calibration target for ground based orbital objects surveillance services such as atmospheric space environment study and orbita…


Long March 2D
Success
3 days, 16 hours ago
4 x SatNet test satellites
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Officially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellites". Probable 4 test satellites for the Chinese state-owned LEO communic…


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 18 hours ago
Fram2
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Fram2 is the world’s first astronaut mission to polar orbit. Named after the Norwegian polar research ship Fram, the Crew Dragon spacecraft will laun…


Falcon 9
Success
4 days ago
Starlink Group 6-80
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Spectrum
Failure
5 days, 9 hours ago
Maiden Flight
Orbital Launch Pad - Andøya Spaceport

First flight of the Isar Spectrum launch vehicle.


Long March 7A
Success
6 days, 3 hours ago
TJSW-16
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 11-7
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 3
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Tianlian 2-04
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Tianlian is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications geostationary satellite series. The TL 2 (Tian Lian 2) satellites represent the second g…


Electron
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Finding Hot Wildfires Near You (OroraTech OTC-P1)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

8 satellites for a constellation of satellites developed by Orora Technologies (OroraTech) of Germany, with thermal infrared cameras that can provide…