spacetoday.net: Ariane launch postponed again

Posted: Thu, Mar 9, 2006, 9:55 PM ET (0255 GMT)
Ariane 5 prior to flight 160 launch (Arianespace)

Thursday night's scheduled launch of an Ariane 5 was scrubbed several minutes before liftoff because of a technical glitch with the launch vehicle. The rocket, carrying two communications satellites, was scheduled to lift off at 5:06 pm EDT (2206 GMT) Thursday from Kourou, French Guiana. However, the countdown was halted less than five minutes because of a low pressure reading in the rocket's cryogenic upper stage. Technicians tried to bring the pressure levels back to acceptable levels, but gave up near the end of 67-minute launch window. The launch of the Hot Bird 7A and SpainSat satellites has been tentatively rescheduled for the same time Friday, although Arianespace will wait until Friday morning before making a formal launch announcement.