The maiden flight of the upgraded Ariane 5 ECA failed three minutes after liftoff from Kourou when the Vulcain 2 main engine's nozzle overheated, destroying the rocket and its Hot Bird 7 and Stentor communications satellites.
- Outcome
- Failure
- Orbit
- GTO
- Geostationary transfer orbit
- Payload to orbit
- Did not reach orbit
- Flight
- 1st
- of 73 Ariane 5 ECA flights
- Date and time
- 11 December 2002, 22:21 UTC
- Rocket
- Ariane 5 ECA
- Builder
- ArianeGroup
- Launch site
- Ariane Launch Area 3, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
- Payload
- Communications
- Launches in 2002
- 58th of 65