spacetoday.net: Ariane launch scrubbed

Ariane launch scrubbed

Posted: Sat, Apr 10, 2010, 10:36 AM ET (1436 GMT)
Ariane 5 v194 on pad before launch (Arianespace)

The launch of two European satellites on an Ariane 5 was postponed again Friday night because of a vehicle pressurization problem. The Ariane 5 ECA was scheduled to launch Friday evening from Kourou, French Guiana, and place the ASTRA 3B and COMSATBw-2 communications satellites into orbit, but the countdown was stopped less than a minute before the launch time. Arianespace said in a statement that the launch was postponed because of an anomaly in the launch vehicle's pressurization system, but provided no additional details. No new launch date has been announced. The launch had been scheduled for late March but was postponed several hours before launch because of an unidentified vehicle anomaly.