Ariane V158 on the launch pad

Surrounded by four 100-m-tall lightning towers (only two are visible here), the first Ariane 5G+, atop its mobile launch platform, stands on its pad at the Launch Zone (ZL-3) of the Ariane Launch Complex no.3 (ELA-3) at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s space port, shortly after its transfer from the Final Assembly Building (BAF), on February 24, 2004. After several delays caused by high altitude winds, the launcher lifted off on March 2. On this flight (V158), the payload was ESA’s Rosetta cometary probe, which was successfully released on an escape trajectory. ESA/CNES/Arianespace – S. Corvaja