TUPPER LAKE, NY — Managers of Europe’s Ariane 6 heavy-lift launcher program were so hungry for a success of the July 9 inaugural flight that they began their celebrations well before the vehicle’s reentry burn and the separation of two reentry capsules.
The two capsules, built by ArianeGroup and The Exploration Co., were not going to be retrieved. They were supposed to splash down, like the Ariane 6 upper stage, in an area of the South Pacific Ocean, known as Point Nemo, that is 1,500 kilometers . . .
To view the entire article, become a subscriber!
