Latest Mission updates

Ariane 5 February 15, 2011

Ariane 5’s mission with the Automated Transfer Vehicle is postponed 24 hours

The heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission with Europe’s second Automated Transfer Vehicle has been reset for tomorrow evening following a launch hold during today’s final countdown operations.

762-sideA measurement anomaly in the liquid oxygen propellant tank of Ariane 5’s cryogenic main stage caused the launch hold at just prior to 4 minutes before the scheduled liftoff.  Both the launch vehicle and its payload of the Automated Transfer Vehicle Johannes Kepler remain in a safe mode, awaiting a restart of final countdown operations.

The new launch date for this historic mission – which will be the 200th flight of an Ariane vehicle, with the heaviest payload ever for an Ariane 5 – is now set for February 16 at 21hr. 50min. 55 sec. Universal Time, or 18hr. 50min. 55sec. local time at the Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

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Ariane 5 February 14, 2011

Ariane 5 is in the launch zone for its February 15 mission with Europe's second Automated Transfer Vehicle

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