Trajectory & orbital insertion
Ascent path is a representation — true ascent telemetry isn’t public.
Provider
Arianespace
Provider type
Commercial
Orbit
HEO
Mission type
Earth Science
Launch site
French Guiana
Date
Tue, 04 Jun 1996 12:34:00 GMT
Orbital launch #
#4078 ever
Failure
A software error led to integer overflow, causing the rocket to veer off its flight path 37 seconds after launch. This caused the vehicle to disintegrate under high aerodynamic forces, eventually self-destructing due to its flight termination system.
Mission
A constellation of four ESA spacecraft. These were intended to fly in a tetrahedral formation, and was inteded to conduct research into the Earth's magnetosphere.