The beefed-up Ariane rocket performed perfectly.© ESA

Europe's reputation for rocket engineering got a boost with the successful launch of the Ariane 5 ECA at 21:03 GMT on 12 February.

The 50-metre high rocket is Europe's largest, able to deliver up to 10 tonnes of payload into orbit around Earth. But its maiden voyage on 11 December 2002 ended in disaster when the vehicle veered dangerously off course and self-destructed just minutes into the flight.

"I was very pleased for the team, which did a good job of analysing what went wrong last time and making the necessary changes," says Robert Lainé, head of the European Space Agency's Ariane department.

The successful flight means that the ECA, operated by the company Arianespace of Courcouronnes, France, should begin to attract commercial customers. Each flight can carry several satellites into orbit, reducing the costs of each instrument's launch substantially. The first commercial flight is expected within the next six months. "We are back in business," says Lainé.

Lifted spirits

Ariane ECA could become a profitable 'space workhorse'.© ESA

The ECA will replace the Ariane 5G 'generic' rocket, which is limited to carrying one satellite at a time. The ECA carries more fuel, and has had each of its engines beefed up: the main stage produces up to 20% more thrust.

The rocket carried three different payloads on this launch. After 26 minutes of flight, the Ariane 5 ECA released a 3,600-kilogram communication satellite called XTAR-EUR into orbit.

Two other satellites built by the European Space Agency were also on board. One is called Sloshsat-FLEVO (Facility for Liquid Experimentation and Verification). This 129-kg craft is designed to help us understand how spacecraft can be destabilized by liquid fuel sloshing around inside their tanks in microgravity.

The third satellite, Maqsat B2, was not deployed by the rocket. Instead, it provided an extra 3.5 tonnes of weight to prove ECA's lifting capabilities, and sent essential data about the whole flight back to mission controllers. 

European Space Agency