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| European Vega rocket lost minutes after lift-off | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A European Vega rocket has been lost shortly after blast off, the commercial space company Arianespace says. | A European Vega rocket has been lost shortly after blast off, the commercial space company Arianespace says. |
| It is the first time in 15 launches that a Vega rocket has failed. | It is the first time in 15 launches that a Vega rocket has failed. |
| The rocket had been carrying a military satellite for the United Arab Emirates when it took off from the European spaceport in French Guiana on Wednesday evening. | The rocket had been carrying a military satellite for the United Arab Emirates when it took off from the European spaceport in French Guiana on Wednesday evening. |
| It is believed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean north of the space centre. | It is believed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean north of the space centre. |
| Luce Fabreguettes, Arianespace's executive vice president of missions, said a "major anomaly" had occurred about two minutes after liftoff at the time of the second stage ignition. | Luce Fabreguettes, Arianespace's executive vice president of missions, said a "major anomaly" had occurred about two minutes after liftoff at the time of the second stage ignition. |
| "On behalf of Arianespace I wish to express our deepest apologies to our customers for the loss of their payload," he said. | "On behalf of Arianespace I wish to express our deepest apologies to our customers for the loss of their payload," he said. |
| "From the first flight data analysis, we will get in the coming hours more precise information, and we will communicate to everybody at the soonest." | "From the first flight data analysis, we will get in the coming hours more precise information, and we will communicate to everybody at the soonest." |
| The reason for the failure was not immediately known. The flight had been postponed twice because of adverse weather conditions. | The reason for the failure was not immediately known. The flight had been postponed twice because of adverse weather conditions. |
| The rocket had been carrying a satellite known as FalconEye1 - the first of two that will make up the UAE's FalconEye satellite system. | The rocket had been carrying a satellite known as FalconEye1 - the first of two that will make up the UAE's FalconEye satellite system. |
| Vega, which made its maiden flight in 2012, was developed to allow European countries to launch small satellites into space. | Vega, which made its maiden flight in 2012, was developed to allow European countries to launch small satellites into space. |
| French-based Arianespace markets the four-stage Vega rocket system which was jointly developed by the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency. | French-based Arianespace markets the four-stage Vega rocket system which was jointly developed by the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency. |