In a crucial mission for Europe’s space program, an upgraded Ariane 5 rocket successfully put two satellites into space Saturday, two years after a first attempt ended in failure.
Space officials said the Ariane 5 lifted off from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, on the northeast coast of South America at 6.03 p.m. (4:03 p.m. ET).
Twenty-six minutes after launch, space officials said the XTAR-EUR satellite separated from the rocket. This was followed five minutes later by the separation of the second satellite Sloshsat.
A first attempt to launch an upgraded Ariane 5 in December 2002 failed when the rocket veered off course and was destroyed by ground control.
An inquiry board determined that a malfunction in the cooling system of the rocket’s Vulcain engine was to blame, which destroyed Ariane’s half-billion-dollar satellite payload.
The upgraded version of the Ariane 5 is capable of launching communication satellite payloads of up to 10 metric tons. The current “Generic” version of the Ariane 5, first launched in 1996, has a maximum capacity to launch payload of up to 6.8 metric tons.
The added capacity is essential to lower launch costs in an industry that has experienced a downturn, largely due to increased competition and shrinking demand for communications satellites.
Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of the Arianespace company that builds and launches the Ariane rocket series, said before the launch: “Ariane 5 will be the workhorse of our company, and the European space industry as well for the next 10 years.”
“So this launch is very important,” he said.
Le Gall said he hoped the upgraded Ariane 5 rocket would lower launch costs from $30,000 to $40,000 per kilogram with the current Generic Ariane 5 to $15,000 to $20,000 per kilogram ($6,000 to $9,000 per pound).
Independent access to space has been the driving force behind Europe’s space program, which is funded largely by France.
