Ariane 40 — mission imagery
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Success

Helios 1B

Ariane 40ArianespaceAriane Launch Area 2
Friday, December 3, 1999 · 04:22 PM UTCAdd to Calendar

This mission is complete.

Vehicle

Ariane 40

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The Ariane 6 family is currently under development by the European Space Agency, with two variations including the Ariane 62 with two solid boosters intended for government and scientif...

Height63 m
LEO Payload10,900 kg
Launches356
Successes311

Provider

Arianespace

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FRA • Founded 1980

Arianespace SA is a multinational company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane programme. Their vehicles...

Mission Brief

The Helios program is Europe's military optical reconnaissance system consisting of both a space and a ground segment, which commenced service in 1995, jointly funded by the French, Italian and Spanish governments. The Helios I optical observation satellites, launched in July 1995 and December 1999 respectively, can acquire high resolution images of any point on the globe, with daily revisit capability. Helios-1B had suffered a breakdown of its power supply system in October 2004 and could no longer perform any work after operating for just under its 5-year nominal life expectancy.

PayloadHelios 1B
OrbitPolar Orbit
CustomerArianespace
Stages2
PadAriane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Mission Timeline

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Launch Site

Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

LAUNCH SITE
5.232°N, 52.778°W

Schedule History

No delays or schedule changes recorded.