LAUNCH! Arianespace's Ariane 6 launches Sentinel-1D radar satelite to a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) from pad ELA-4 at at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. | NASASpaceflight.com

🚀 Mission success for flight #VA263! With #Ariane6, Arianespace successfully launches the CSO-3 satellite On March 6, Ariane 6 lifted-off from Europe’s Spaceport, French Guiana, at 1:24 p.m. local time (4:24 p.m. UTC, 5:24 p.m. CET). The launcher successfully placed its passenger, the CSO-3 satellite, into Sun-Synchronous Orbit at an altitude of around 800 km. Spacecraft separation occurred 1 hour and 6 minutes after lift-off. ➡️ #Arianespace launched the CSO-3 satellite for the DGA - Direction

Did you know that this year's #ChristmasEve is the 40th anniversary of the first #Ariane 1 launch, on 24 December 1979? Join with us, CNES, ArianeGroup and #Arianespace in marking this occasion. Travel in time with this retro video of notable Ariane launches between 1979 and 1989, including Ariane 1 through 4. It also features an animation of then-future launch vehicle Ariane 5! (ESA/CNES) | ESA - European Space Agency