Ariane 5 ECA launch interrupted

Posted on Saturday, February 12 2005 @ 22:46 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck

The Ariane 5 ECA rocket would launch today from the European Spaceport in French Guiana, but 59 seconds before the launch window opened the take-off was interrupted.

It could be restarted at any moment before the time window closes.

The countdown was stopped when two red lights were seen lighting up on a control board. It was not immediately clear whether this constituted a serious problem or whether officials were simply being cautious.

The launch window for the Ariane 5 ECA rocket is open from 20:49 CET until 22:10 CET.

More info at CNN

Update: News has reached us that Ariane 5 ECA took off successfully - 26 minutes after launch the XTAR-EUR was separated from the rocked and five minutes later the SLOSHSAT satellite also detached successfully

About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.

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