The flight of the vehicle was nominal until approximately 37 seconds after liftoff. Ignition of the Vulcain engine and the two solid boosters was nominal, as was liftoff. Visibility conditions improved as forecast, however, and the launch was initiated. The countdown went smoothly until 7 minutes before the scheduled liftoff time, when the launch was put on hold because the visibility criteria were not met. The only uncertainty was whether visibility criteria would be fulfilled. In particular, there was no risk of lightning since the strength of the electric field measured at the launch site was negligible. On the basis of the documentation and information available to the board, the weather at the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, on the morning of June 4, 1996, was acceptable for a launch.
Ariane 5 integer overflow software#
The story of the uncovering of the software error that led to the crash is summarized here, based on an English translation of parts of the boards report, which was completed within six weeks of the explosion. As it happened, the board appointed by CNES (Centre national des études spatiales) and ESA (the European Space Agency) to investigate the failure was chaired by applied mathematician Jacques-Louis Lions of the Collège de France.
Readers of SIAM News may remember that on June 4, less than a minute into its first flight, the French rocket Ariane 5 self-destructed. Inquiry Board Traces Ariane 5 Failure to Overflow Error Inquiry Board Traces Ariane 5 Failure to Overflow Error
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