The precise mechanics of the Ariane VA206 mission liftoff

Space · Published 11 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Witness the 62nd Ariane 5 mission as it carries two telecommunications satellites toward their target orbits from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

On 16 May 2012, the Ariane VA206 mission launched from French Guiana to deploy JCSAT-13 and Vinasat-2 into specific transfer orbits. The mission required extreme precision, targeting an injection orbit with a perigee altitude of 249.9 km and an apogee altitude of 35,911 km at an inclination of 2°. The two satellites reached their intended orbits approximately 26 minutes and 36 minutes after the 22:13 GMT liftoff.

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