Ariane 5 reaches a milestone with its 50th consecutive successful launch

Space · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: After a period of intense quality control reviews, Europe's Ariane 5 rocket has achieved a massive milestone. By successfully delivering dual payloads into their precise transfer orbits, the vehicle has maintained an unbroken streak of launch successes that has lasted since 2003.

The 50th successful flight of the Ariane 5 occurred on Thursday, 2 August 2012. This specific mission, designated as flight VA208, launched from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. This intricate dual deployment aimed to position two telecommunications satellites, Hylas-2 and Intelsat 20, within their designated transfer orbits.

The technical scale of the Ariane 5 ECA is significant. At liftoff, the 50.5-meter-tall vehicle had a total mass of 780 tonnes. The mission was highly efficient, managing a combined payload mass of 10,183 kg—a performance record for the rocket. This payload included Intelsat 20, weighing approximately 6,090 kg, and Hylas-2, which had a launch mass of 3,325 kg.

The flight sequence was precisely timed. The cryogenic main engine ignited first, followed by the solid-propellant boosters seven seconds later. The vehicle reached an altitude of 107 miles in just nine minutes. Once the main engine ceased operation at 8 minutes and 57 seconds, the upper stage and payload detached from the main cryogenic stage six seconds after.

This milestone followed a period of scrutiny. In May 2010, the Ariane 5 achieved its 36th consecutive successful launch, following a two-month delay caused by a helium pressure regulator issue. That incident prompted Arianespace to conduct a month-long quality control review and a top-level audit to ensure the reliability that has defined the program since 2003.

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