FINAL ARIANE 5 LAUNCH, July 5, 2023, Kourou, French Guiana, 6:00 pm EDT

Update, July 5: Arianespace is providing live coverage on YouTube.

Update, July 4:  The launch has been postponed at least one day due to unfavorable upper level winds. They will try again tomorrow, July 5. The launch window is open 6:00-7:05 pm EDT (7:00-8:05 pm local time in Kourou).

Update, June 23: The new launch date is July 4.  The launch window is open 5:30 – 7:05 pm EDT.

#VA261 is back on track with a new launch date scheduled for July 4!
To learn more, take a look at our press release ?https://t.co/zn5dQDcLGN#Ariane5 #DestinationSpace pic.twitter.com/D7GTdqLqTI

— Arianespace (@Arianespace) June 23, 2023

Update, June 15:  The launch has been postponed. A new date has not been set.

It has come to light that there is a risk to the redundancy of a critical function on the Ariane 5. Consistent with safety requirements, Arianespace has decided to postpone the roll-out of the #VA261 launch vehicle.
Analyses are underway to determine a new launch date.

— Arianespace (@Arianespace) June 15, 2023

Original entry: Arianespace will launch the last Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana on June 16, 2023. The launch window is open from 6:26-8:01 pm local time (5:26-7:01 pm EDT).

The rocket will launch two communications satellites: the Heinrich-Hertz-Satellit for the German Space Agency, and the Syracuse 4B satellite for the French Ministry of Defence.  It is the 117th flight of Ariane 5.

Ariane 5 will be replaced by Ariane 6 in coming months.

ESA TV will broadcast the launch beginning at 22:55 CEST (4:55 pm EDT)