ArianeSpace launched a new spy satellite into orbit for the French military on Tuesday (December 29), marking the 2020 European launch provider’s final mission.
The Russian-built Soyuz rocket launched the Optical Space Component 2 (or Composite Sp SpielTiPatic 2, CSO-2 in French) from the Guyana Space Center in Cairo, French Guiana, South America. The lift ift f arrived at 11:42 a.m. EST (1642 GMT) after a day’s delay due to bad weather.
CSO-2 is the next pay generation imaging satellite designed to help replace France’s aging Helios 1 and 2 systems.
Related: The 10 Biggest Spaceflight Stories of 2020
“CSO-2 is the second in a constellation of three identical military observation satellites that will operate in different polar orbits to accomplish two goals: reawakening for CSO-1 and CSO-3, and identification for CSO-2, which will join CSO in December. -1 was launched in 2018, “officials with the French space agency CNES, which oversees the mission, said in a statement.
Manufactured by Airbus, 7,852-lb. (5,5622 kg) CSO-2 will orbit the Earth at a distance of e00 miles (808080 km), which is lower than its predecessor CSO-1, which has an orbit of 500-miles (800 km). The satellite was successfully deployed about an hour after the lift off.
CNES officials wrote in a statement that the day / night will receive very high-resolution, visible and clear weather images to provide comprehensive descriptions of operational requirements, infrared in a variety of visual conditions.
According to Spaceflight Now, CSO satellites are expected to achieve a resolution of about 14 inches (35 centimeters) from an orbit of 500 miles. CNS-2 is designed to stay in orbit for at least 10 years, according to CNES-2. Officials said.
Spaceflight now reports that the French government is spending 1.5 1.5 billion on a new CSO surveillance satellite program, including cost satellites and ground-based systems, Spaceflight Now reports.
The successful launch of CSO-2 marks the 10th mission of 2020 by Ariane Space and its fifth Soyuz flight this year. But, despite the company being windy throughout the year, it has a range of Arian 5, Vega and Soyuz flights for 2021, including the much-anticipated October 31 launch of NASA’s James Web space telescope.
“2021 will be intense for aerospace,” Stephen Israel, CEO of Aerospace, said after the launch. “So, 2021 is really going to be very busy and that’s why, here, at the end of the year we’re going to have some rest.”
Email Tariq Malik at [email protected] or follow him on tariqjmalik. Follow us. Speedotcom, Facebook and Instagram.
