Second 2020 Ariane 5 flight successfully completed

JCSAT-17 and GEO-KOMPSAT-2B satellites correctly orbited

Colleferro, 19th February 2020. The second 2020 flight (108th mission overall) of the Ariane 5 rocket successfully took place during the night of the 18th of January from the Guyana Space Center (CSG) spaceport. The European launcher correctly orbited the JCSAT-17 and GEO-KOMPSAT-2B satellites, which will provide Internet access and TV broadcast services for Japan and communication and Ocean monitoring services for South Korea (KARI) respectively.

Ariane 5 leverages the thrust of the two strap-on solid-propelled boosters and of the liquid-oxygen Turbopump produced in Italy by Avio, leader of space propulsion technologies.

Giulio Ranzo, CEO of Avio, stated: “It’s already the second successful launch of Ariane 5 in 2020. This achievement reaffirms the reliability of the product while the development of the new generation launchers Vega C and Ariane 6 is moving quickly, with the maiden flights of both expected by the end of the year. Furthermore, we are working hard and getting closer to the return to flight of Vega with the SSMS mission on schedule for the first quarter of 2020.”