European Space AgencyVega-CAriane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
LARES-2 (Maiden flight)
Launched
July 13, 2022 · 13:13 UTC
Image: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique vidéo du CSG–S. Martin
Summary
LARES-2 (Maiden flight) launched on an European Space Agency Vega-C from Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on July 13, 2022 at 13:13 UTC. It was European Space Agency's 6th launch, 1st this year and humanity's 6,265th orbital launch attempt. It was the 1st Vega-C flight. The payload was bound for Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). LARES 2, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 5,889 × 5,904 km orbit inclined 70.1°. 8 objects from this launch are catalogued, 7 of them payloads.
- Watch
- Vega-C launchEuropean Space Agency, ESA
- Vega-C launch (operational audio only)European Space Agency, ESA
- Vehicle
- Vega-C · European Space Agency
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)
- Milestone
- 1st Vega-C flightEuropean Space Agency's 6th launch1st this yearhumanity's 6,265th orbital launch attempt83rd orbital launch attempt this year
Webcast
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
LARES 2 · NORAD 53105 · 2022-080 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 8 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2022-080A
- Epoch
- 2022-07-15 02:33:12 UTC
- Mean motion
- 6.38951669 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.000603
- Inclination
- 70.1438°
- Ascending node
- 76.8159°
- Arg. of perigee
- 290.9617°
- Mean anomaly
- 97.9334°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 9
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: MEO.
Catalogued objects
8 catalogued: 7 payloads, 1 rocket stage; 8 still in orbit
- LARES 2 · NORAD 53105 · in orbit
- Italy-OSCAR 117 · NORAD 53106 · in orbit
- AstroBio Cubesat · NORAD 53107 · in orbit
- Trisat-R · NORAD 53108 · in orbit
- Alpha · NORAD 53110 · in orbit
- Celesta · NORAD 53111 · in orbit
- MTCube-2 · in orbit
Vega AVUM VV21 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Maiden flight of the Vega-C launch vehicle, carrying the LARES-2 passive satellite. It is a 40 cm diameter sphere with laser mirrors to study the Earth gravitational field and relativistic effects. Also onboard are six European research cubesats.
Pad
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
47th launch from Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), 1st this year · 314th from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Local pad time at liftoff: Jul 13, 10:13 AM GMT-3, in daylight
56 launches from this pad · 336 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
239 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Guiana Space Centre, French GuianaOpen in maps
Updates
Launch announced a success on the webcast
Show 9 earlier updates
Liftoff
spacevogel · 7/13/2022
New T-0
spacevogel · 7/13/2022
New T-0
spacevogel · 7/13/2022
Setting GO and adjusting NET
Jay · 7/4/2022 · source
NET July 13, pending suitable conditions for launch
Jay · 7/4/2022 · source
Setting GO
SwGustav · 6/21/2022 · source
Targeting July 7 at 11:13 UTC
Nosu · 6/7/2022 · source
NET July 7
Cosmic_Penguin · 6/7/2022 · source
Targeting the first week of July
Nosu · 6/1/2022 · source
Questions
When did LARES-2 (Maiden flight) launch?
LARES-2 (Maiden flight) launched on July 13, 2022 at 13:13 UTC.
Where can I watch LARES-2 (Maiden flight)?
Coverage: Vega-C launch; Vega-C launch (operational audio only). Watch the replay
What rocket launched LARES-2 (Maiden flight)?
Vega-C, flown by European Space Agency. Vega-C spec sheet
Where did LARES-2 (Maiden flight) launch from?
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana. Liftoff was Jul 13, 10:13 AM GMT-3 local time at the pad.
What orbit did LARES-2 (Maiden flight) reach?
LARES 2, one of 8 catalogued objects, reached a 5,889 × 5,904 km orbit inclined 70.1°.
How many satellites did LARES-2 (Maiden flight) launch?
7 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 7 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).