Kourou, French Guiana: A 10-tonne Ariane-5 rocket that was to lift off for its inaugural flight with two satellites Thursday failed to take off from the launch pad in French Guiana after problems with its Vulcain engine. The countdown had been flawless but the rocket failed to take off at the end of the countdown.

The cryogenic arms providing hydrogen and oxygen to the launcher failed to operate properly, causing the countdown to be stopped, Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said.
Another attempt to launch the rocket will not be made for "several days" a disappointed Le Gall told reporters after the aborted launch.
"Tonight we will empty the launcher, bring it back to the final assembly building. Tests have already begun to assertain the sequence of events in this incident in order to restart launch preparations as soon as possible," he said. Bureau Report