Launch put back from June, although manufacturer says there are no technical obstacles
The second launch of the 10t-payload ECA variant of the Ariane 5 booster has been delayed to October.
Manufacturer EADS Space Transportation and commercial user Arianespace insist the new date is not a delay, despite having previously specified a June target. The companies deny that technical obstacles are involved and say testing of the two main engines and upper stage is going well. The first flight of the 10t Ariane 5 ECA ended in disaster on 11 December 2002. The news of the delayed qualifying flight follows last week's announcement of an order for 30 Ariane 5 launchers, including the ECA version. The first of these 30 is to be launched next year.
Jean-Yves Le Gall, chief executive of Arianespace, is adamant that there had been no delay from June. He says: "We have only slipped by a few weeks. [October] was a date we chose a year ago. We also have the generic Ariane [5G] launch in July with a Canadian spacecraft. We want our people to have a vacation before the next launch. We want to get everything right."
The October launch will carry the European Xtar-Eur communications satellite (Flight International, 13-19 April) and a mock satellite that will use sensors to monitor the flight.
News of the new date came from the European Space Agency.
The Ariane 5 ECA is launched from French Guiana. In July a commercial payload will be launched from French guiana on the 6t-payload Ariane 5 G. Arianespace also announced last week its first commercial order for launching satellites with Soyuz rockets from French Guiana. An Australian satellite is scheduled to be flown in early 2007.
ROB COPPINGER / LONDON
Source: Flight International