Ariane-5 Completes Flawless Third Test Flight

On 21 October, Europe reconfirmed its lead in providing space transportation systems for the 21st Century. Ariane-5, on its third qualification flight, left no doubts as to its ability to deliver payloads reliably and accurately to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). The new heavy-lift launcher lifted off in glorious sunshine from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 13:37:21 local time (16:37:21 UT).