00:32 Liftoff
Liftoff of an Ariane 5 rocket carrying Sky Muster 2 and GSAT 18, communications satellites destined to better connect remote Australians and Indians.
01:03 - SUCCESS!!!!!!!!
India's GSAT 18 communications satellite has deployed from the Ariane 5 rocket.
Built by the ISRO Satellite Center in Bangalore, the 7,504-pound satellite will enter service in geostationary orbit at 74 degrees east longitude to support television, voice and data services over India and neighboring regions.
00:56 Second stage cutoff
Plus+25 minutes, 20 seconds. The rocket's second stage shut down as scheduled. The upper stage is now maneuvering into the correct orientation for deployment of Sky Muster 2.
00:55
Plus+24 minutes. The rocket is surpassing a speed of 20,500 mph. Shutdown of the upper stage is about a minute-and-a-half from now. A tracking station in Malindi, Kenya, is now in contact with Ariane 5.
00:51
Plus+21 minutes. The upper stage will shut down at Plus+25 minutes, 17 seconds, after reaching a target orbit with a low point of 155 miles, a high point of 22,236 miles, and an inclination of 6 degrees. The rocket is now being tracked by a ground station in Libreville, Gabon.