LIVE: Ariane 64 makes maiden launch with 32 Amazon satellites

Video from the channel Associated Press about Ariane 64, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 21:44. Language: French. Video type: Livestream.

Recording of Arianespace's official broadcast, narrated in French, of the first launch of an Ariane 64 from Kourou (French Guiana) carrying 32 satellites of the Amazon Leo constellation. It covers the liftoff and the first twenty minutes of flight with footage from onboard cameras, calls from the flight director, and commentary from the hosts.

The five engines ignite on the ground. With a liftoff mass of 870 t, the boosters provide 90% of the thrust and burn about 140 t in 2 min 25 s. After their separation, the long, 20 m payload fairing is jettisoned, deforming as it falls in what is called breathing mode. At that point the rocket is at an altitude of 164 km, flying at 2.92 km/s.

The hosts describe the core stage: 32 m tall, 5.4 m in diameter, carrying 154 t of liquid oxygen and hydrogen. They also explain telemetry tracking from a ship with a 5 m antenna and from the Santa Maria station in the Azores. They also talk about the sailing cargo ship Canopée, which left Bordeaux on 5 December carrying the core and upper stages.

The shutdown of the Vulcain engine, separation of the core stage, and ignition of the Vinci engine — which can restart up to four times — are confirmed. At 4,000 km from the pad, the rocket exceeds 7 km/s, more than 25,000 km/h.

After Vinci shutoff, the upper stage enters a ballistic phase on an elliptical orbit of 150 by 465 km. It will take about 52 minutes to reach apogee, while the Aussaguel station, near Toulouse, receives the signal. Up to that point all parameters are reported nominal. The broadcast is interrupted for 47 minutes and the recording does not reach satellite separation.