Ariane flight VA241
space launch
Ariane flight VA241 was an Ariane 5 space launch that occurred from the Guiana Space Centre on 25 January 2018 at 22:20 UTC.
Payload
The launcher was carrying the SES-14 and Al Yah 3 geostationary satellites, with a total payload mass of approximately 9,123 kg (20,113 lb). The satellites were accommodated together on the SYLDA adapter inside the long version of the upper stage fairing.
SES-14
SES-14, built by Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse, France for SES of Luxembourg, was in the upper position. It had a mass at liftoff of 4,423 kg (9,751 lb), hosting the NASA-funded GOLD payload. SES-14 was the second satellite based on Airbus's Eurostar E3000 EOR satellite bus to be launched by Arianespace.
Al Yah 3
Al Yah 3, built by Orbital ATK in the United States for Yahsat of the United Arab Emirates, was in the lower position. It had a mass at liftoff of 3,795 kg (8,367 lb). Al Yah 3 was the first satellite based on Orbital ATK's GEOStar-3 satellite bus to be launched by Arianespace.
Mission description
Launch date
The 97th Ariane 5 launch (1st of 2018) was planned to take place within a launch window of 45 minutes starting on 25 January 2018 at 22:20 UTC (19:20 local time). The launcher engines were effectively ignited at the very beginning of that window, from Ariane Launch Complex No.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Ariane flight VA241” as space launch. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as space launch. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q47540245. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2018.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Ariane flight VA241”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Ariane flight VA241 primary sources, Ariane flight VA241 archive and Ariane research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Ariane flight VA241”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Ariane flight VA241” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.