Ariane 5, the legendary launcher, takes to the skies for the last time

10 December 1999

For its first scientific mission, Ariane 5 was entrusted with a heavy responsibility: carrying the largest and most sophisticated observation satellite ever built in Europe. This is XMM-Newton (XMM stands for X-Ray Multi-Mirror Mission), developed by ESA to study X-ray emissions in space.

The observational data collected since 1999 is still helping to advance our knowledge of the quantity and distribution of dark matter, young stars at the heart of dense clouds, the physics of black holes and neutron stars, and the production and circulation of heavy elements in the Universe.

17 November 2016

An emblematic project of the European Commission and the ESA, Galileo will provide a global navigation system independent of the American GPS. To speed up the orbital insertion of the constellation, comprising no fewer than 30 satellites, Ariane 5 will do something unprecedented: launch 4 satellites simultaneously. 

Unlike telecommunications satellites, which are equipped with propulsion systems to supply part of the energy needed to put them into orbit, Galileo satellites have to be transported almost to their final destination, at an altitude of nearly 23,000 km. Although the constellation is now operational, the last two satellites have yet to be launched on board Ariane 62, one of the two versions of Ariane 6.

20 October 2018

The BepiColombo mission is dedicated to exploring Mercury. To withstand the extreme temperatures due to its proximity to the Sun, the satellite is topped by a kind of fairing that will be ejected when it arrives around Mercury in December 2025. Since its launch, the probe has made one flyby of Earth, two of Venus and two of Mercury – four more are planned.

Once they arrive at their destination, the two scientific aircraft will separate to follow different orbits. Spinning on its axis so as not to overheat, MMO (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter) will study the planet's external environment – magnetosphere, atmosphere, dust, solar wind, etc. – while MPO (Mercury Planetary Orbiter) will focus on its surface and interior.

25 December 2021

Designed as the successor to Hubble, the James Webb Telescope is the most ambitious and powerful telescope ever sent into space. One of its key features is a technology that captures 70% more light, enabling it to capture unprecedented images revealing the first stars and galaxies formed after the Big Bang. 

For this mission, co-produced by NASA, ESA and CSA (Canadian Space Agency), solutions had to be devised to guarantee perfect compatibility between Ariane 5 and its passenger. After a journey of 29 days, the injection towards the Lagrangian point 2 was carried out with remarkable precision.

14 April 2023

This year, ESA launched one of the most important missions in its history: JUICE stands for JUpiter Icy Moons Explorer. This scientific programme aims to conquer Jupiter and make detailed observations of its three mysterious ocean moons. 

The mission will help to advance science, but will not be able to answer the question on everyone's mind: could there be another form of life somewhere other than Earth? The probe's main scientific mission will be to search for conditions favourable to life as we know it on Earth, in habitats deep beneath the layer of ice on Jupiter's ocean moons. 

The probe will reach Jupiter's orbit after an eight-year journey and will be able to begin studying its mysterious ocean moons.