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Kourou - Oct 18, 2002 Arianespace's increased-lift "10-ton" Ariane 5 successfully passed a major milestone with its successful full dress rehearsal yesterday, which included an ignition of the launcher's Vulcain 2 main engine. The evening rehearsal included several simulated countdowns, one of which proceeded through a planned ignition and momentary startup of the Vulcain 2 engine (see photo series at left, provided by an infrared camera on the launch pad). Vulcain 2 is an increased thrust version of the Vulcain main engine used on the basic Ariane 5. Flight 157 is set for liftoff in November, marking the first flight of the "10-ton" Ariane 5 - which will further increase Arianespace's competitiveness in missions with heavyweight dual satellite payloads. Improvements to the "10-ton" Ariane 5 include the use of Vulcain 2 and the ESC-A cryogenic upper stage (which is powered by the same HM-7B engine that has provided years of reliable service as the Ariane 4's third stage propulsion system). Two satellites will be carried by Flight 157: Eutelsat HOT BIRDTM 7 satellite and the French CNES Stentor telecommunications technology demonstrator. Related Links Arianespace SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
Japan successfully launches experimental space shuttle
Tokyo (AFP) Oct 18, 2002Japanese space officials said Friday they had successfully completed an experimental flight of a prototype space shuttle.
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