What happened yesterday?
At this moment, everything was still GO.
The final countdown was stopped 4 minutes and 1 second before the planned launch time because of a measurement anomaly in the liquid oxygen propellant tank of the cryogenic main stage for Ariane 5’s Flight v200 launch.
Images from Kourou
The new launch time is set for tonight at 21:50:55 UTC = 18:50:55 local time in Kourou = 22:50:55 CET.
The teams here at ATV-CC have planned for launch delays many times in training; the trajectory calculations and related actions are now being verified and the control room is ready for the new launch attempt this evening.
ATV-CC on Wednesday morning at 9:50 CET
Countdown clock set to new launch time
Automated Transfer Vehicle page
ATV blog archive
Discussion: 5 comments
What is the main reason? I did not get it from the broadcast.
Anyway will wait for news and the next attempt!
For the interestet people it is nice to watch a launch in real time on the PC.
To wait for more than 2 hours without any further news regarding the launch
delay is unacceptable. I switch off and go to bed. Goed by ATV.
info from website of Arianespace:
Ariane 5’s mission with the Automated Transfer Vehicle is postponed 24 hours
February 15, 2011 – Ariane Flight 200
The heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission with Europe’s second Automated Transfer Vehicle has been reset for tomorrow evening following a launch hold during today’s final countdown operations.
A measurement anomaly in the liquid oxygen propellant tank of Ariane 5’s cryogenic main stage caused the launch hold at just prior to 4 minutes before the scheduled liftoff. Both the launch vehicle and its payload of the Automated Transfer Vehicle Johannes Kepler remain in a safe mode, awaiting a restart of final countdown operations.
The new launch date for this historic mission – which will be the 200th flight of an Ariane vehicle, with the heaviest payload ever for an Ariane 5 – is now set for February 16 at 21hr. 50min. 55 sec. Universal Time, or 18hr. 50min. 55sec. local time at the Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
disappointment: No more news here… while more news are available on other websites. And also no post on the atmosphere during or after the launch attempt… Come on , keep up the rythm!!!