The Ariane 5 was successfully launched from Kourou, French Guiana on 30 October, boosting the morale of the European space industry after the failure of the first attempt 16 months ago.
The latest launch, however, was marred by a premature shutdown of the Vulcain first-stage engine, which resulted in two technology-demonstration satellites entering a lower-than-intended orbit. The Maqsat H and Teamsat spacecraft were to have been placed into a 581 x 36,000km elliptical geostationary transfer orbit, but ultimately entered a 524 x 27,000km orbit.
The shutdown resulted from a higher-than-expected roll torque in the first stage, which resulted in tank sloshing, causing propellant levels to indicate depletion.
Source: Flight International
