SES-14 and Al Yah-3 have been successfully placed in orbit by an Ariane 5 rocket, Arianespace said Thursday, despite mission control briefly losing contact with the craft.
Ariane flights V241 blasted off at 7.20 pm (22:20 GMT) from Kourou in the first launch of the year for Arianespace.
Around an hour after the launch, CEO Stephane Israel announced that controllers had “lost contact” with the craft in what he described as an “anomaly”.
In a later statement Ariansesapce said: “A few seconds after ignition of the upper stage, the second tracking station located in Natal, Brazil, did not acquire the launcher telemetry. This lack of telemetry lasted throughout the rest of powered flight.
However, both SES-14 and Al Yah-3 satellites are now in orbit, despite the lost contact. “Subsequently, both satellites were confirmed separated, acquired and they are on orbit. SES-14 and Al Yah 3 are communicating with their respective control centers. Both missions are continuing,” according to the latest update from Arianespace.
