First commercial flight of the launcher Ariane-5

1999/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astronautika

On 10 December the European launcher Ariane-5 will launch the XMM satellite. The satellite belongs to the European Space Agency (ESA) and is equipped with telescopes capable of detecting the causes of X-rays in space. Astronomers hope to find the million origins of these rays, as useful information on galaxy formation can be obtained through the study of space X-rays.

The first launch of pitcher Ariane-5 failed on June 4, 1996. Due to computer problems the launcher explodes. Since then, two test flights have been carried out on 30 October 1997 and 21 October 1998. The association Arianespace, which manages the launcher, has announced 6 new releases of the new generation of Ariane-5 launchers for the year 2000. The new launchers can simultaneously put two satellites into orbit.