Europe’s new ‘super-rocket’ set for take-off

By Martin Banks

Date: 03/02/05

Space scientists are counting down to a milestone event for Europe's launch industry - next week's planned lift-off of the Ariane 5-ECA "super-rocket".

The rocket, dubbed Europe's workhorse and capable of launching up to ten satellites into space, is to be launched at 8.50pm on 11 February at Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana.

A "wet rehearsal" of the launch which took place on 12 January and included a complete fuelling of the craft was declared a success by the Paris-based European Space Agency (ESA).

The agency's Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain said it was now "all systems go" for the €120 million launch.

"Our engineers and scientists have put ten years of effort into this venture so you can imagine how excited we are. We are just hoping that everything will go smoothly and there are no last minute disasters," he said.

Among those joining Dordain at the launch will be Antonio Fabrizi, director of the launchers programme at ESA, and Jean-Yves Le Gall, chief executive of Arianespace, the company which operates and markets Europe's rocket services.

The Ariane 5-ECA can lift up to ten tonnes of satellite into geostationary transfer orbit, a feat considered particularly important to the European launch industry. If more than one satellite can go up at the same time, Arianespace can sell its services at a lower price.

On board the ECA's flight 164 will be a Spanish telecommunications satellite and an experimental tank of water.

The SloshSat-FLEVO small satellite will be carrying 33.5 litres of water, which Dordain said is designed to help scientists find out more about how fluid behaves in microgravity.

The launch is the first of two qualifying flights - the second is planned for June - before commercial launches can begin. Dordain says the rocket is truly European: 12 of the EU's 'old' member states have contributed to the development of Ariane 5 (the UK, Portugal and Finland are the exceptions).

It will be the vehicle's first launch since it self-destructed over the Atlantic Ocean just seven minutes into its maiden flight in December 2002.

An investigation found that a leakage in the cooling system affected the thrust on the ECA's main engine, causing it to lose control. A self-destruct system destroyed the launcher, depositing two satellites worth €600 million into the sea. After the failed mission, satellite launches had to be done on 'generic' versions of the Ariane 5 vehicle.

But Dordain said a full technical review of all parts of the launch vehicle had now been completed and the agency was "quietly optimistic" that the launch would be a success.

Anticipation of a planned lift-off of the Ariane 5-ECA 'super-rocket' to be launched at 8.50pm on 11 February at Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket is capable of launching up to ten satellites into space.

• Primary Source

European Space Agency: Homepage http://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html

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