Padside
Menu

ArianespaceVegaAriane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

SSMS PoC

Launched

September 3, 2020

Launch Successful

Summary

SSMS POC launched on an Arianespace Vega from Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on September 3, 2020. It was Arianespace's 288th launch, 6th this year and humanity's 5,989th orbital launch attempt. It was the 16th Vega flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). Hypatia, one of 63 catalogued objects, reached a 523 × 533 km orbit inclined 97.5°. 63 objects from this launch are catalogued, all of them payloads.

Watch
Vehicle
Vega · Arianespace
Booster
No booster details on record.
Mission
Dedicated Rideshare · Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO)
Milestone
16th Vega flight · 1st this yearArianespace's 288th launch6th this yearhumanity's 5,989th orbital launch attempt67th orbital launch attempt this year

Webcast

Replay
Watch on YouTube

Flight preview

Orbit: as tracked

97.5°Inclination
523 × 533 kmPerigee × apogeefrom mean elements
95.0 minPeriodfrom mean elements
320.3°Ascending node
2234 d agoElement epoch2020-09-03 05:26 UTC · stale

Hypatia · NORAD 46272 · 2020-061 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 63 objects

Show the numbers for orbit elements
Object
TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
Object ID
2020-061A
Epoch
2020-09-03 05:26:31 UTC
Mean motion
15.15069154 rev/day
Eccentricity
0.0007527
Inclination
97.4632°
Ascending node
320.3274°
Arg. of perigee
202.048°
Mean anomaly
247.4089°
Element set
999
Rev at epoch
1
B*
0

Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: SSO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.

Catalogued objects

63 catalogued: 63 payloads; 6 still in orbit

  • Hypatia · NORAD 46272 · re-entered September 14, 2024
  • ESAIL · NORAD 46273 · re-entered March 3, 2025
  • ION SCV001 LUCAS · NORAD 46274 · re-entered April 19, 2026
  • Athena · NORAD 46275 · in orbit
  • UPMSat-2 · NORAD 46276 · re-entered October 11, 2025
  • NEMO-HD · NORAD 46277 · in orbit
  • Iris · NORAD 46278 · in orbit
  • SIMBA · NORAD 46279 · re-entered August 14, 2024
  • TRISAT · NORAD 46280 · re-entered September 29, 2024
  • PICASSO · NORAD 46281 · re-entered April 9, 2024
  • Flock 4v-9 · NORAD 46282 · re-entered April 20, 2024
  • Flock 4v-12 · NORAD 46283 · re-entered February 24, 2024
Show 51 more payloads
  • Dido-3 · NORAD 46284 · re-entered March 25, 2025
  • Flock 4v-11 · NORAD 46285 · re-entered October 30, 2024
  • Flock 4v-14 · NORAD 46286 · re-entered November 23, 2024
  • AMICal-Sat · NORAD 46287 · re-entered January 14, 2025
  • Flock 4v-8 · NORAD 46288 · re-entered November 26, 2024
  • Flock 4v-6 · NORAD 46289 · re-entered September 1, 2024
  • Flock 4v-5 · NORAD 46290 · re-entered March 12, 2024
  • Flock 4v-7 · NORAD 46291 · re-entered March 27, 2024
  • FSSCAT A · NORAD 46292 · in orbit
  • FSSCAT B · NORAD 46293 · in orbit
  • OSM-1 CICERO · NORAD 46294 · re-entered August 30, 2025
  • EG-2 · NORAD 46295 · re-entered February 10, 2024
  • Flock 4v-10 · NORAD 46296 · re-entered September 9, 2024
  • Flock 4v-13 · NORAD 46297 · re-entered November 27, 2024
  • Lemur-2-EthanOakes · NORAD 46298 · re-entered March 28, 2024
  • Lemur-2-Oscarlator · NORAD 46299 · re-entered January 27, 2024
  • SpaceBEE 21 · NORAD 46300 · re-entered June 14, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 20 · NORAD 46301 · re-entered June 14, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 15 · NORAD 46302 · re-entered April 29, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 19 · NORAD 46303 · re-entered May 31, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 18 · NORAD 46304 · re-entered May 25, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 10 · NORAD 46305 · re-entered March 28, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 17 · NORAD 46306 · re-entered May 16, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 11 · NORAD 46307 · re-entered April 10, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 16 · NORAD 46308 · re-entered May 11, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 12 · NORAD 46309 · re-entered April 19, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 13 · NORAD 46310 · re-entered April 25, 2023
  • SpaceBEE 14 · NORAD 46311 · re-entered April 26, 2023
  • Hamarik · NORAD 46312 · re-entered August 11, 2024
  • Flock 4v-1 · NORAD 46313 · re-entered April 15, 2024
  • Flock 4v-4 · NORAD 46314 · re-entered December 12, 2023
  • Lemur-2-SchmidtFall · NORAD 46315 · re-entered December 8, 2023
  • Lemur-2-DJUProEra · NORAD 46316 · re-entered October 17, 2023
  • Lemur-2-SquareJaws · NORAD 46317 · re-entered November 25, 2023
  • Lemur-2-Ursa Avion · NORAD 46318 · re-entered December 7, 2023
  • TARS · NORAD 46319 · re-entered December 10, 2024
  • NAPA 1 · NORAD 46320 · in orbit
  • Flock 4v-2 · NORAD 46321 · re-entered February 14, 2024
  • Flock 4v-3 · NORAD 46322 · re-entered April 8, 2024
  • Flock 4v-16 · NORAD 46527 · re-entered February 28, 2024
  • Flock 4v-15 · NORAD 46528 · re-entered March 30, 2024
  • Flock 4v-17 · NORAD 46529 · re-entered March 14, 2024
  • Flock 4v-21 · NORAD 46596 · re-entered October 31, 2023
  • Flock 4v-18 · NORAD 46597 · re-entered March 28, 2024
  • Flock 4v-19 · NORAD 46609 · re-entered March 28, 2024
  • Flock 4v-20 · NORAD 46612 · re-entered September 11, 2024
  • Flock 4v-22 · NORAD 46735 · re-entered November 5, 2023
  • Flock 4v-23 · NORAD 46737 · re-entered November 9, 2023
  • Flock 4v-24 · NORAD 46738 · re-entered March 20, 2024
  • Flock 4v-25 · NORAD 46812 · re-entered March 6, 2024
  • Flock 4v-26 · NORAD 46825 · re-entered October 31, 2023

Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org

About this launch

The Vega POC (Proof Of Concept) flight will be the first mission of the SSMS (Small Spacecraft Mission Service), a modular carbon fiber dispenser, a program initiated by ESA in 2016, with the contribution of the European Commission. For all the European partners involved, its purpose is to address the burgeoning institutional and commercial small spacecraft market with a new rideshare concept. Payload includes dozens of satellites: Athena, ION CubeSat Carrier, ESAIL, NEMO-HD, GHGSat C1, six Flock-v cubesats, several Lemur-2 cubesats, twelve SpaceBEE nanosats, FSSCat A & B, RTAF-Sat, DIDO 3, IGOSat, PICASSO, PINO, PIXL, QARMAN, SIMBA, TRISAT, Casaa-Sat, TTU-100, and more.

Pad

Map of Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)

Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

42nd launch from Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), 1st this year · 301st from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

56 launches from this pad · 336 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

419 days after the previous launch from this pad

All launches from Guiana Space Centre, French GuianaOpen in maps

Questions

When did SSMS POC launch?

SSMS POC launched on September 3, 2020. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.

Where can I watch SSMS POC?

Coverage: Arianespace Flight VV16 – SSMS PoC. Watch the replay

What rocket launched SSMS POC?

Vega, flown by Arianespace. Vega spec sheet

Where did SSMS POC launch from?

Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV), Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.

What orbit did SSMS POC reach?

Hypatia, one of 63 catalogued objects, reached a 523 × 533 km orbit inclined 97.5°.

How many satellites did SSMS POC launch?

63 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 6 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).