# LDREX 2
**Wikidata**: [Q1550719](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1550719)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ldrex-2

## Summary
LDREX 2 is a technology demonstration spacecraft launched on October 13, 2006. It was deployed using an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle from the ELA-3 launch site to demonstrate experimental technologies in space.

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** Technology demonstration spacecraft (spacecraft used to demonstrate experimental technologies).
- **Launch Date:** October 13, 2006.
- **Launch Vehicle:** Ariane 5 ECA (European launch vehicle).
- **Launch Site:** ELA-3 (Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 3).
- **COSPAR ID:** 2006-043C.
- **Satellite Catalog Number (SCN):** 29496.
- **Aliases:** LDREX.
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID:** /g/121dpcb3.
- **Wikipedia Presence:** Available in 4 languages (German, French, Galician, Japanese).

## FAQs
### Q: When was LDREX 2 launched?
A: LDREX 2 was launched on October 13, 2006.

### Q: What was the purpose of the LDREX 2 mission?
A: LDREX 2 was a technology demonstration spacecraft designed to test and demonstrate experimental technologies in space.

### Q: What rocket was used to launch LDREX 2?
A: The spacecraft was launched aboard an Ariane 5 ECA, a European launch vehicle, from the ELA-3 launch site.

## Why It Matters
LDREX 2 serves as a distinct example of a technology demonstration spacecraft, a category of vehicle critical for the advancement of aerospace engineering. Unlike operational satellites that provide continuous services, demonstrators like LDREX 2 are tasked with validating specific hardware or engineering concepts in the harsh environment of space. By flying these experiments, engineers can verify that new technologies function as predicted before they are integrated into larger, more expensive operational missions.

Launched in 2006, LDREX 2 contributes to the history of the Ariane program, specifically utilizing the Ariane 5 ECA heavy-lift vehicle. Its identification as a secondary payload (indicated by the COSPAR ID 2006-043C) highlights the common practice of utilizing excess capacity on launch vehicles to test new innovations. The mission represents a specific data point in the timeline of space technology verification, cataloged under international identifiers (SCN 29496) to assist global tracking and scientific record-keeping.

## Notable For
- Being a dedicated platform for demonstrating experimental technologies.
- Launching aboard the Ariane 5 ECA, a major European launch vehicle.
- Inclusion in international space catalogs via its specific COSPAR ID (2006-043C) and Satellite Catalog Number (29496).
- Being distinct enough to generate documentation in four different Wikipedia languages (German, French, Galician, Japanese) despite being a tech demonstrator.

## Body
### Mission Overview
LDREX 2 is formally classified as a technology demonstration spacecraft. Its primary function was to serve as an orbital platform for demonstrating experimental technologies. The existence of such a craft allows for the testing of space-based systems in a real-world environment.

### Launch and Deployment
The spacecraft underwent a significant event on October 13, 2006, when it was part of a rocket launch mission.
- **Launch Vehicle:** The craft was delivered to orbit by the Ariane 5 ECA, a heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by the European space industry.
- **Location:** The launch originated from ELA-3 (Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 3), a specialized launch pad facility.

### Identification and Tracking
LDREX 2 is tracked by international and scientific bodies to monitor its orbital path and identity.
- **Satellite Catalog Number (SCN):** 29496
- **COSPAR International Designator:** 2006-043C
- **Wolfram Language Entity:** Entity["Satellite", "29496"]

The "C" designation in the COSPAR ID (2006-043C) typically indicates it was the third component deployed or associated with that specific launch mission. The spacecraft is also known by the alias "LDREX."

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report