Approval by ministers of the 15 ESA countries was unanimous, Rodota said.

The rocket, the Ariane-5 ECA, with a payload capacity of 10 tonnes, had to be destroyed on its maiden flight last December.

The decision paves the way to redesigning the Vulcain-2 engine, which was blamed for the disaster, and to carrying out two test launches, one in March 2004 and the other in September 2004.

SPACE.WIRE