Europe confirms its lead in Commercial launches with the third Ariane-5 test flight.

The successful launch of Ariane-503 on October 1998 was reported in the December 1998 issue of Spaceflight (p.464). At the ESTEC visitors center in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, the launch was watched on a big TV screen. Jacques van oene was there and send us these photo's recording the event.

LESS than seven minutes before launch there was a problem with the launcher and the payload. the countdown clock was reset at T-7 minutes, the point where the synchronised sequence would start. After a hold of almost 15 minutes, the clock started ticking again, but as soon as the count got underway it stopped again - the same problem - a false temperature reading in the engine.

About two minutes before launch, ESTEC public relations director, Heidi Graff, asked for silence in the room: "This is a very tense moment for us, please be quiet and enjoy the launch". We did...

Dinitaries from ESA and companíes involved in the Ariane-5 programme, as well as members from the press, watch the big screen showing the launch site at Kourou as tension builds up.

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The big screen was still showing the trajectory of the rocket when ESTEC director Dave Dale came to the Microphone declaring the flight a success.

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Heidi Graff, ESTEC public relations director, came to the microphone next and spoke a few words; "After this successful third test flight it's now time to go on and make some money".

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All photo's taken by Jacques van Oene.