Two satellites valued at $1billion are stranded in the wrong orbit after a "defect, possibly in the propellant" of the upper stage during the launch of the Ariane 5 flight 142, from Kourou on 12 July.
The European Space Agency's (ESA) $850 million Artemis communications and navigation satellite - the most expensive ESA satellite ever launched - and Japan'sBSAT-2B commercial communications satellite were placed into a 17,528km (11,000 miles) by 592km, 2.9í inclination orbit instead of the planned 35,853km by 858km, 2í inclination geostationary transfer orbit. Satellite separation happened at a velocity of 8km/s, a shortfall of 1km/s.
Although firing the apogee engines on the satellites could be used to move the craft, the orbits will still fall short of geostationary orbit. Thrusters on the satellites can be used to raise the orbit, but the lifetime of the spacecraft would be reduced as the thrusters are normally used for station-keeping.
Ariane 5 has made 10 launches, with one total failure on its first flight in 1996 and a failure to reach correct orbit during a flight in 1997.
The Space Shuttle Atlantis made a flawless lift-off from the Kennedy Space Center on 12 July en route to the International Space Station.Source: Flight International
