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Read the original first flight press release:
Arianespace releases initial information on Flight 157
Kourou, December 12, 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.The flight
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.
Data analysis and inquiry board
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.
Next press conference
The date for the next press conference will be announced shortly following the submittal of initial conclusions by the inquiry board.
Arianespace next mission
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.
Arianespace Flight 157: Appointment of the Inquiry Board
Evry, France, December 16, 2002 - Following the anomaly observed during Flight 157 on Wednesday, December 11, Arianespace has decided -- in cooperation with the European Space Agency and French CNES space agency -- to create an inquiry board with the following duties:(a) To establish the causes of the anomaly observed during Flight 157 - Ariane 5 ECA (the "10-ton" Ariane 5),
(b) To determine the eventual consequences of the anomaly on operations of basic Ariane 5 versions, in particular on preparations for the upcoming launch with the Rosetta deep space probe, and
(c) To recommend measures to be taken to correct the problems observed.
The inquiry board will be composed of the following members:
- Wolfgang Koschel, chairman,
- Michel Courtois,
- Fabrizio Felici,
- Rémy Hergott,
- Robert Laine
The inquiry board will submit its final report to Arianespace on Monday, January 6, 2003.
As is the practice in such situations, and to preserve the independence and judgment of the inquiry board, Arianespace and its partners will abstain from providing any information on this subject until the inquiry board submits its final report.
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