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Ariane 5's Successful Trial By Fire
Arianespace's increased-lift "10-ton" Ariane 5 successfully passed a major milestone with its successful full dress rehearsal yesterday, which included an ignition of the launcher's Vulcain 2 main engine. The evening rehearsal included several simulated countdowns, one of which proceeded through a planned ignition and momentary startup of the Vulcain 2 engine (see photo series at left, provided by an infrared camera on the launch pad). Vulcain 2 is an increased thrust version of the Vulcain main engine used on the basic Ariane 5. Flight 157 is set for liftoff in November, marking the first flight of the "10-ton" Ariane 5 - which will further increase Arianespace's competitiveness in missions with heavyweight dual satellite payloads. Improvements to the "10-ton" Ariane 5 include the use of Vulcain 2 and the ESC-A cryogenic upper stage (which is powered by the same HM-7B engine that has provided years of reliable service as the Ariane 4's third stage propulsion system). Two satellites will be carried by Flight 157: Eutelsat HOT BIRDTM 7 satellite and the French CNES Stentor telecommunications technology demonstrator. Related Links Arianespace SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express 
Ariane 5 To Launch Spanish MilSat
Evry - Sep 17, 2002SpainSat will be boosted into orbit by an Ariane 5 in 2004, from the Guiana Space Center, Europe's Spaceport, in Kourou, French Guiana. |
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