spacetoday.net: Vega launch of UAE satellite fails

Posted: Sun, Jul 14, 2019, 4:17 PM ET (2017 GMT)
A Vega rocket carrying an Emirati satellite failed minutes after liftoff Wednesday night. The Vega rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 9:53 p.m. Eastern after several days of delays because of high-altitude winds. About two minutes after liftoff, though, the rocket deviated from its planned trajectory and fell back to earth. Arianespace said a "major malfunction" took place around the time of ignition of the rocket's solid-fuel second stage, but provided no other details on the cause of the launch failure, the first in 15 launches of the Vega. The rocket was carrying the FalconEye1 imaging satellite for the United Arab Emirates.