There is trouble afoot for the makers of a new generation of rockets capable of putting 20 tonnes in orbit. Last week, US air force investigators pinpointed the cause of the failure of Boeing’s Delta 4 heavy launcher, which failed to place its cargo in the correct orbit on its maiden flight in December. Its sensors shut off the first-stage engines too soon because bubbles in the fuel lines made them think the fuel had run out.
Meanwhile Arianespace, the European company behind the Ariane 5 family, is hoping it will be second time lucky for the heavy version of its launcher, due to lift off on 11 February. Its first attempt, two years ago, failed when the rocket veered off course, destroying two satellites. Arianespace says the faulty engine nozzle responsible for the problem has been fixed.
But a sharp drop in demand for heavy launches is set to make life even more difficult. Lockheed Martin says it will not build a heavy version of its Atlas 5 rocket until it gets an order.
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