Brussels, 06/07/2023 (Agence Europe) – Ariane 5 made its 117th and final launch from the European spaceport at Kourou, in French Guiana, on Wednesday 5 July. The rocket placed two telecommunications satellites into orbit: Heinrich-Hertz for the German government and SYRACUSE 4B for the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) of the French Ministry of Defence. According to Arianespace Executive Chairman Stéphane Israël, the mission demonstrates “Ariane 5’s ability to carry out dual launches, which have been at the heart of its success, with 197 satellites placed in geostationary orbit out of a total of 239 deployed”. In all, Ariane 5 will have served 65 institutional and commercial customers from 30 different countries. Ariane 5 will be replaced by Ariane 6, which Arianespace believes will be more versatile and competitive. (CG)