Core of Juice’s Ariane 5 rocket prepared for launch
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Loading... - Emilia Sanchez
- 29 Mar 2023
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Ariane 5 parts are coming together in the launch vehicle integration building (BIL) at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in preparation for the launch of ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice). In this picture, the rocket’s central core is being hoisted onto the launch table. The launch table is used to transport the Ariane 5 between the BIL, the final assembly building and the launch pad.
The engineer in the centre of the image gives some idea of the size of this core stage – measuring 5.4 m in diameter and 30.5 m tall, it is comparable to the trunk of a large oak tree. At launch it will contain 175 t of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants. With its Vulcain 2 engine it provides 140 t of thrust.
This week two boosters will be positioned on the launch table and anchored on either side of the core stage. Each booster measures 3 m in diameter and 31 m high. Following anchoring, engineers will carry out mechanical and electrical checks. The proper functioning of these boosters is vital to get Juice into space – each contains 240 t of solid propellant, and together they provide 90 percent of the thrust at liftoff.
On the countdown to launch, the Ariane 5’s Vulcain 2 engine is ignited first. A few seconds later, when it reaches its nominal operating level, the two boosters are fired to achieve a thrust of about 1364 t at liftoff. Read More..
