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European Space Agency

Press Release

December 11 - new liftoff date for the 10-tonne Ariane 5
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9 December 2002

Arianespace has announced that the first launch of the new Ariane 10
tonne will take place on December 11. This date was confirmed
following replacement of two external chill-down igniters on the
Ariane 5's launch table. 

The igniters were replaced after the original countdown for Flight 157 
was interrupted on November 28 in the final seconds due to an anomaly 
with data concerning the igniters' operation. While the igniters are 
not a direct part of the Ariane 5, they do perform an important task 
by burning off accumulated hydrogen used to chill down the launcher's 
Vulcain 2 cryogenic main engine before it begins operation.

Testing determined that sensors responsible for signaling the
igniters' correct operation did not function properly during the
November 28 countdown, resulting in the launch scrub.

Preparations are now on track for Ariane 5's rollout to the ELA-3
launch zone of Europe's spaceport on December 10, ready for an evening 
liftoff on December 11. The launch window opens at 19:22 hours Kourou 
time and continues to 20:14.

Flight 157 will carry two satellite payloads, demonstrating the Ariane 
5's capability to pair up all types of spacecraft for efficient dual 
launches. The first satellite to be deployed will be the Eutelsat HOT 
BIRDTM 7 TV broadcast platform, followed minutes later by the French 
CNES space agency's Stentor telecom demonstrator spacecraft.

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