THE launch of the second Ariane 5 rocket, which had been scheduled for 8
July, has been delayed until mid-September to allow more time to make
improvements.
The European Space Agency set up an inquiry after the mid-air explosion that
brought the maiden flight of Ariane 5 to an abrupt end in June 1996. The
investigators鈥� report has led to 40 changes being made to the rocket鈥檚
electrical and software systems.
Jacques Durand, Ariane 5 project manager at ESA, says rewiring the rocket is
taking longer than expected. 鈥淲e want to make sure there鈥檚 no risk of another
颈苍肠颈诲别苍迟.鈥�
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