ARIANESPACE

Ariane 44L | Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3

SUCCESS Ariane 44L →
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Oct 5, 1998 at 22:51 UTC
Geostationary Orbit Communications Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana 98% success
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Live Orbit
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Mission Control3D trajectory · Live telemetry · AI narrator · Booster tracking
PADAriane Launch Area 2
SITEGuiana Space Centre, French Guiana →
ORBITGeostationary Orbit
TYPECommunications

The W satellites are designed to provide telecommunications services primarily over Europe (Eutelsat W2, W3 and W5) and communication services over Russia and Africa (W4). W2, W3 and W5 are designed to offer 24 transponders at saturation and W4 is designed to provide 31 transponders at saturation. The W satellites have a minimum operational lifetime of 12 years. The spacecraft are based on the Spacebus-3000B2 platform. Sirius 3 provides direct-to-home television services to the Scandinavian region. Hughes upgraded NSAB’s satellite control center at Esrange, Kiruna, and provided training to the satellite controllers. Sirius 3 was successfully launched on an Ariane-44L H10-3 on October 5, 1998. The satellite was built at the Integrated Satellite Factory of in El Segundo, Calif.

VEHICLE
Ariane 44L
MISSION
Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3
MISSION TYPE
Communications
TARGET ORBIT
Geostationary Orbit
LAUNCH PAD
Ariane Launch Area 2
COUNTRY
FRA
CONFIRMEDPrecision: Minute
LAUNCH LIBRARY 2 PRIMARY
API ID: f8abfe3e-a2d1-4010-8f53-29c7d3999186
Reported date: Oct 5, 1998 at 22:51 UTC
Last synced: 11 minutes ago
This launch date and time are confirmed by the launch provider. Countdown is active.
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MANUFACTURER
Aérospatiale
VARIANT
44L
FLIGHTS
40
SUCCESSES
39
SUCCESS RATE
97.5%

The Ariane 4 was an expendable space launch system, developed by the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was manufactured by ArianeGroup and marketed by Arianespace. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 until the final flight on 15 February 2003, it attained 113 successful launches out of 116 total launches.

When is the Ariane 44L | Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3 launch?
The Ariane 44L | Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3 is scheduled for Monday, October 5, 1998 at 10:51 PM UTC. This is the NET (No Earlier Than) time and may be subject to change. Current status: SUCCESS.
What rocket is being used for Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3?
The Ariane 44L | Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3 mission uses the Ariane 44L rocket, manufactured by Aérospatiale. The Ariane 44L has flown 40 times with a 97.5% success rate.
Where is the Ariane 44L | Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3 launching from?
The launch takes place from Ariane Launch Area 2 at Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana.
What orbit is Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3 going to?
The Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3 mission is targeting Geostationary Orbit.
Who is launching Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3?
The Ariane 44L | Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3 is operated by Arianespace.
Can I watch the Ariane 44L | Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3 launch live?
Yes. Visit the launch detail page on Space Launch Live for embedded YouTube webcasts, replay videos, and links to live coverage from SpaceX, NASA, NASASpaceflight, and other channels.
Mar 29, 2026 01:16 UTC
Launch added to tracker
Imported from Launch Library 2 API
Mar 29, 2026 01:16 UTC
Launch date set: Oct 5, 1998 at 22:51 UTC
NET (No Earlier Than) confirmed by Arianespace
Mar 29, 2026 01:16 UTC
Launch completed successfully
Updated via Launch Library 2
Last data sync: 11 minutes ago
●Launch Library 211 minutes ago
Launch ID: f8abfe3e-a2d1-4010-8f53-29c7d3999186
●Open-Meteo Weather1 month ago
Pad weather at 5.23, -52.78

Mission Profile

Eutelsat W2 & Sirius 3 was a Ariane 44L mission operated by Arianespace that lifted off from Ariane Launch Area 2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on October 5, 1998. The flight carried its payload on a communications mission to Geostationary Orbit. The launch was a success.