Ending an era, Europe launches its final Ariane 5 rocket

Europe’s venerable Ariane 5 rocket blasted off on its 117th and final flight Wednesday, successfully boosting two communications satellites into orbit but leaving the European space program without a large satellite launcher of its own until a delayed successor comes on line. The 165-foot-tall Ariane 5, equipped with two strap-on solid-fuel boosters and two hydrogen-fueled core stages, blasted off from the Guiana Space Center near Kourou, French Guiana, at 6 p.m. EDT, knifing through a cloud deck as it arced away to the east over the Atlantic Ocean. More

(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 6)