A United Arab Emirates “observation satellite” has disappeared just two minutes after its launch.
The satellite was lost during a failed launch of a European-made Vega rocket launcher. The rocket and satellite were lost following an “anomaly” in the launch in the early hours of Thursday.
Arianespace, the company which launched the rocket, confirmed the disappearance in a statement entitled “mission failure” on Thursday.
It said: “Approximately two minutes after the Vega launcher’s lift-off, shortly after ignition of the second stage (Zefiro 23), a launcher anomaly occurred – leading to the premature end of the mission.
“Data analyses are in progress to clarify the reasons for this failure.
“An independent inquiry commission will be set up in the coming hours.”
The launch from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, had already been delayed twice this month due to poor weather conditions.
It had been the 15th Vega mission since 2012.
Arianespace describes itself as using “space to make life better on Earth by providing launch services for all types of satellites into all orbits.
“It has orbited more than 600 satellites since 1980, using its family of three launchers, Ariane, Soyuz and Vega, from launch sites in French Guiana and Baikonur, Kazakhstan.”
