Arianespace uses Soyuz rocket to launch French military satellite from French Guiana
Arianespace today successfully launched a French military reconnaissance satellite from French Guiana using a Russian Soyuz rocket.
This is the last launch for Europe in 2020, their sixth total. It is also the last publicly scheduled launch for the year. My annual worldwide launch report will follow in a day or so.
The leaders in the 2020 launch race:
35 China
25 SpaceX
15 Russia
6 ULA
6 Rocket Lab
6 Europe (Arianespace)
The U.S.’s lead over China in the national rankings remains 40 to 35.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Arianespace today successfully launched a French military reconnaissance satellite from French Guiana using a Russian Soyuz rocket.
This is the last launch for Europe in 2020, their sixth total. It is also the last publicly scheduled launch for the year. My annual worldwide launch report will follow in a day or so.
The leaders in the 2020 launch race:
35 China
25 SpaceX
15 Russia
6 ULA
6 Rocket Lab
6 Europe (Arianespace)
The U.S.’s lead over China in the national rankings remains 40 to 35.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Russia?
Michael McNeil: I think you are asking why I assign this launch to Europe instead of Russia. Though it is a Russian Soyuz rocket, the launch is run and sold by Arianespace. I have to make a choice, and have decided since the bulk of the work here is under European control, the launch is European.
Hello Mr Zimmerman, your tallies of rocket launches are educational and enjoyable.; thank you for keeping the totals. If I may suggest, include more lines as the Russian total was excluded though mentioned and the sum of listed US launches did not equal your closing statement.
Either way, thank you for writing all of your blog(s).
jeff: Whoops! I have put the Russia total in. My mistake. Thank you.
Note however that this list only includes the leaders. The full list will be published in a day or two with my annual worldwide launch report.
Interesting bit about the 35 Chinese launches. Is there a good resource which gives background on China’s space activities, and what this year’s launches were accomplishing?
Ken: All you need to do is do a search here on Behind the Black, and you will get an overview. Search for “China”, “launch race” and you will see all my launch updates from the start of the year. Each links to a story that describes the launch, and also has more information about the payloads.