events
The Envisat environmental satellite successfully launches aboard an Ariane 5 rocket to reach an orbit of 800 km (500 mi) above the Earth, which was the then-largest payload at 10.5 m long and with a diameter of 4.57 m.
Related Wikipedia articles
Envisat
ESA Earth observation satellite (2002–2012)
Envisat is a large Earth-observing satellite which has been inactive since 2012. It is still in orbit and considered space debris. Operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), it was the world's largest civilian Earth observation satellite.Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Earth observation satellite
Satellite specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit
An Earth observation satellite or Earth remote sensing satellite is a satellite used or designed for Earth observation (EO) from orbit, including spy satellites and similar ones intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, cartography and others.…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Ariane 5
European heavy-lift space launch vehicle (1996–2023)
Ariane 5 is a retired European heavy-lift space launch vehicle operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was launched from the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in French Guiana. It was used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), low Earth…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Payload
Carrying capacity of a vehicle
Payload is the object or the entity that is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of the flight or mission, the payload…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
March 1
Day of the year
March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 305 days remain until the end of the year.Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)