Ariane 42P — mission imagery
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Success

Topex-Poseidon, Kitsat 1 & S80/T

Ariane 42PArianespaceAriane Launch Area 2
Monday, August 10, 1992 · 11:08 PM UTCAdd to Calendar

This mission is complete.

Vehicle

Ariane 42P

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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 TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite was launched on 10 August 1992 with the objective of "observing and understanding the ocean circulation". A joint project between NASA, the U.S. space agency, and CNES, the French space agency, it carries two radar altimeters and precise orbit determination systems, including the DORIS system. KITSAT-1 (Korean Institute of Technology Satellite) was a collaborative research mission, encompassing the installation of a groundstation in South Korea, participation of Korean engineers in the UoSAT-5 mission, technology transfer and training of students on the MSc courses at Surrey, and the involvement in a engineering and flight microsatellites. The S80/T satellite was built for CNES by Matra Marconi Space using the Surrey Satellite Technology Microbus (Uosat) bus.

PayloadTopex-Poseidon, Kitsat 1 & S80/T
OrbitLow Earth Orbit
CustomerArianespace
Stages2
PadAriane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Mission Timeline

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Site lock

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.