This Saturday, Ariane 5 remained wisely in its box (illustration). - Yonhap News / Newscom / SIPA

Ariane 5, the launch of which was postponed at the last minute on Friday from the Kourou base in Guyana, will not be launched as planned on Saturday and "a new target date will be announced on Monday," Arianespace said. "Arianespace applies its standard procedures to maintain the highest level of reliability, for the benefit of its customers," the company said in a statement released on Saturday.

However, “the final sequence of Ariane flight n ° 253 (VA253) had been interrupted 2 minutes 14 seconds before takeoff during a first attempt, on [Friday] July 31, following abnormal behavior of a probe. in the liquid hydrogen tank of the cryogenic main stage ”, Arianespace recalls. "Ariane 5 is transferred to the final assembly building where another probe will be implemented and a new flight program downloaded into the launcher," the statement said.

Three satellites in the hold

These additional operations and those which will result from them “will last several days. In the meantime, the Ariane 5 launcher and the three satellites on board are in a stabilized configuration and in total safety, ”Arianespace assures us. "A new target date will be announced on Monday August 3," continues the space group. Ariane 5 was to launch on Friday, from Kourou in Guyana, three satellites, including a supply satellite which will dock with another device already in orbit.

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  • Ariane 5
  • Space
  • Science
  • Kourou