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European Space Agency

Press Release

Arianespace releases initial information on Flight 157
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12 December 2002

During a press conference today in Kourou, French Guiana, Arianespace
CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall provided initial information on the failure of
Flight 157. He also announced the establishment of an independent
inquiry board. 

Initial data analysis performed last night showed that the countdown,
engine ignition and initial phase of flight were normal. A first
anomaly occurred 96 seconds into the mission, involving the cooling
circuit for the Vulcain 2 engine that powers the main cryogenic stage.

From T + 178 sec to T + 186 sec, the engine speed changed and a
significant flight control perturbation occurred. At T + 187 sec, the
Ariane 5's payload fairing was jettisoned as planned, but the
launcher's attitude was not correct. The launcher subsequently
demonstrated erratic behavior. 

In compliance with range safety procedures, the launcher was destroyed 
at approximately 456 sec. into the mission. The Ariane 5 was at an 
altitude of about 69 kilometers and a distance of 800 kilometers off 
the coast of French Guiana. 

Jean-Yves Le Gall announced that an independent inquiry board is being 
set up, with members to be named within a few days. The board will 
have two main objectives: 

1. Ensure that the Flight 157 anomaly will not affect upcoming
   launches of the baseline version of Ariane 5.

2. Analyze, understand and correct the Flight 157 failure causes so
   that the 10-ton-payload Ariane 5 version can resume launches with
   high reliability. 

The date for the next press conference will be announced shortly
following the submittal of initial conclusions by the inquiry board.

The launch date for the next scheduled Arianespace mission, Flight
156, which will use an Ariane 4 to orbit the NSS-6 satellite, has been 
confirmed for the evening of Tuesday, December 17. 

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