A Arianespace Vega C rocket launched MicroCarb CO2-mapping satellite and 4 CNES' CO3D ("Constellation Optique en 3D") Earth-observing satellites from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on July 25, 2025 at 10:03 p.m. EDT (11:03 p.m. local time in Kourou; 0203 GMT on July 26).
02:23Right now, we are with a large thrust and the satellites probably feel it, but they are safe inside the fairing right now and we are blazing across the atmosphere.
02:33Trajectoire est dominale.
02:41If we're lucky, we might actually see the, there we go.
02:45We see there the separation of the P120, confirmed there by the range operations manager who has also confirmed ignition of the next stage.
03:00Yes, Z40, Z40 for Zephyro 40.
03:04Zephyro is an Italian name for Zephyr in French, it's a type of wind, so very poetic name for a booster which is quite strong and powerful.
03:14The pilotage is calm.
03:16He's telling us that everything's going well, everything's going according to plan.
03:20I'm amazed we're still seeing this beautiful.
03:22The propulsion is nominal.
03:24Three minutes into, over three minutes into the launch.
03:29Very clear there, we're looking at the engine there of the Z, Z40, second stage, because of course we mean we're very much in the propulsion phase right now,
03:41getting us away from the gravity of the Earth.
03:44Exactly.
03:45At the top of the rocket we saw it earlier, we call it the fairing, that's where the satellites are presently housed.
03:55The pilotage is calm.
03:57He's telling us that everything's going well.
04:00Fairing, of course, it's an external structure used for lots of different vehicles for high performance cars, motorcycles, boats, that sort of streamlining.
04:11He's telling us the trajectory is normal.
04:13The petrol heads and bikers amongst you will know about fairings.
04:16And in this case, of course, it's protecting our market.
04:20It's an important structure to protect the satellites because, as you could feel maybe here in French Guiana, but also on the live broadcast, that the sound of the lift off is absolutely huge.
04:32It would damage the satellites if they were not protected by this fairing structure.
04:37And also, of course, during the atmospheric flight, we need to avoid any friction from the air.
04:42So we will remove the fairing once we have reached a less dense part of the atmosphere and that the satellites are fine.
04:50Separation of the Z-40.
04:53Confirmation of separation of the Z-40.
04:59Allumage du Z-9.
05:00La propulsion est nominale.
05:02Confirmation of separation of the Z-9.
05:07And separation of the fairing.
05:10All going well.
05:11We can see our satellites for the first time.
05:14And they see the space for the first time.
05:16So, yes.
05:18La propulsion est nominale.
05:19Le pilotage est calme.
05:21Just explain to us what we're looking at here.
05:24We've got...
05:25So, on the left-hand side, obviously, you've got the...
05:28What's left of the rocket.
05:30You've got a black structure, which is the adapter.
05:32But just talk us through, for anyone who's unfamiliar, what the satellites look like there.
05:36Trajectoire est nominale.
05:37On the very right, you see the golden shape, which is microcarb.
05:42It's gold because of the thermal insulation.
05:45It protects it from the solar radiation.
05:47La propulsion est nominale.
05:48Le pilotage est calme.
05:49And then underneath, you see this dark blue and black structure, which are the CO3D satellites.
05:54There are four of them.
05:55Four optical satellites.
05:56And the white structure, which accommodates them, is the classical dispenser.
06:01It's a specific dispenser designed by Airbus Defence and Space in Madrid, Spain.
06:06As a prime contractor, it has been very specifically designed for this mission.
06:12It's a beautiful dispenser.
06:15Of course, dispenser, meaning that it actually dispenses the satellites.
06:20So, it's holding them now, and they're attached to it.
06:24But later on...
06:25They will release it.
06:26La trajectoire est nominale.
06:28Everything's going well, he's telling us.
06:30You can see on the top right-hand side there is our trajectory.
06:33That's the planned trajectory.
06:34Le pilotage est calme.
06:35La propulsion est nominale.
06:37The white cross is our actual position of the rockets.
06:40And then, of course, below that, you've got our altitude.
06:42At the moment, we're 504 kilometers above our planet.
06:46We've traveled 16, nearly 17,000...
06:48Sorry, nearly 18,000 kilometers in terms of distance.
06:52A straight line along the Earth.
06:57And we are flying, gosh, 7.69 kilometers per second, everybody, per second, not per hour.
07:03Quite a ride.
07:04Yes, quite a ride indeed.
07:06La trajectoire est nominale. Le pilotage est calme.
07:11La trajectoire est nominale. Le pilotage est calme.
07:13A very nice view there of our satellites, with the four CO3Ds looking rather like petals,
07:19uh, on a flower.
07:22Coming up to the next big moment there.
07:25On the left-hand side, you can see the separation of the Z and F.
07:28That will be the Z-9.
07:30That's how it looks in space.
07:34Our computer generated images.
07:38And we have confirmation there, showing us what's been planned for the mission.
