MaqSat 3 & ARD

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

16:37:00

Wednesday October 21, 1998

Mission Details

Launch Notes

Flight V112.

ARD

Wiki

ARD was the Advanced Reentry Demonstrator, built by ESA. This is developed for experimental purposes to validate re-entry techniques. It was deployed on a suborbital trajectory.

Suborbital

1 Payload

2,722 kilograms

MaqSat 3

Wiki

MaqSat 3 (Maquette Satellite 3) was a dummy satellite, which matches the mechanical properties and dynamical characteristics of the originally planned payload, the Eutelsat W2. A condition for the contract with the Munich-based space company Kayser-Threde called for a short delivery period of only three months. On September 1st, the dummy structure with a mass of 2,600 kg and a length of more than 3 m was flown to Kourou, Europe's spaceport. Launch took place on 21 October 1998. Due to the unavailability of the originally planned telecommunications satellite W2, Arianespace opted for the flight of a dummy payload. This third and last test flight of the new carrier Ariane 5 primarily aims at reaching GTO and at taking up commercial business with flight 504 as soon as possible.

Geostationary Transfer Orbit

1 Payload

2,600 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Ariane 5 G

Active 1996 to 2003

European Space Agency logo

Agency

ESA

Rocket

Diameter: 5.4m

Height: 52m

Payload to Orbit

GTO: 6,900 kg

Liftoff Thrust

11,400 Kilonewtons

Stages

2

Strap-ons

2

Launch Site

ELA-3

Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Fastest Turnaround

24 days 3 hours

Stats

Ariane 5


3rd

Mission

1st

Mission of 1998

European Space Agency


12th

Mission

1st

Mission of 1998

1998


64th

Orbital launch attempt