ArianespaceAriane 40Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Helios 1B
Launched
December 3, 1999
Image: Arianespace
Summary
Helios 1B launched on an Arianespace Ariane 40 from Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on December 3, 1999. It was Arianespace's 120th launch, 8th this year and humanity's 4,357th orbital launch attempt. It was the 7th Ariane 40 flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for Polar Orbit (PO). Helios 1B, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 659 × 668 km orbit inclined 98.1°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them payloads.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Ariane 40 · Arianespace
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Polar Orbit (PO)
- Milestone
- 7th Ariane 40 flight · 1st this yearArianespace's 120th launch8th this yearhumanity's 4,357th orbital launch attempt68th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Helios 1B · NORAD 25977 · 1999-064 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- HELIOS 1B
- Object ID
- 1999-064A
- Epoch
- 1999-12-03 16:30:09 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.71409857 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0006618
- Inclination
- 98.0838°
- Ascending node
- 271.8407°
- Arg. of perigee
- 256.513°
- Mean anomaly
- 103.5339°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 0
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: PO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 2 payloads, 1 rocket stage; 3 still in orbit
- Helios 1B · NORAD 25977 · in orbit
- Clementine · NORAD 25978 · in orbit
Ariane H10-3 V124 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Helios program is Europe's military optical reconnaissance system consisting of both a space and a ground segment, which commenced service in 1995, jointly funded by the French, Italian and Spanish governments. The Helios I optical observation satellites, launched in July 1995 and December 1999 respectively, can acquire high resolution images of any point on the globe, with daily revisit capability. Helios-1B had suffered a breakdown of its power supply system in October 2004 and could no longer perform any work after operating for just under its 5-year nominal life expectancy.
Pad
Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
95th launch from Ariane Launch Area 2, 8th this year · 132nd from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
119 launches from this pad · 336 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
19 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Guiana Space Centre, French GuianaOpen in maps
Questions
When did Helios 1B launch?
Helios 1B launched on December 3, 1999. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Helios 1B?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Helios 1B?
Ariane 40, flown by Arianespace. Ariane 40 spec sheet
Where did Helios 1B launch from?
Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.
What orbit did Helios 1B reach?
Helios 1B, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 659 × 668 km orbit inclined 98.1°.
How many satellites did Helios 1B launch?
2 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 2 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).