The Ariane 6 rocket has achieved another successful launch, deploying two Galileo satellites into orbit, as reported by Space.com.
The launch took place at the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana on Wednesday, December 17, at 07:01 Kyiv time.
The satellites are expected to reach an orbit at an altitude of 23,222 kilometers approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes after launch. Over the next three days, solar panels will be deployed and critical systems of the satellites will be checked.
Following this phase, the satellites will enter a four-month positioning stage before settling into their final orbital locations and joining 26 already active satellites in the Galileo constellation.
This marks the fifth mission for the Ariane 6 rocket in the past year, with the previous launch occurring just over a month ago.
Additionally, China has launched a new Earth observation satellite named “Ziyuan-3-04,” designed for geodetic and cartographic work, as well as environmental and resource monitoring.