Following the technical difficulties occurring during preparations for Flight 194, Arianespace, in conjunction with its partners in the Ariane 5 programme, has decided to set up a Task Force and conduct a Quality Audit.
The Task Force was formed to understand and correct the anomaly occurring during the countdown on Friday, April 9, which led to the postponement of Flight 194; it has been asked to submit an initial report on Friday, April 16. Flight 194 was postponed a number of times to launch the dual payload of Astra 3B and ComsatBw-2.
The Quality Audit is designed to analyse the underlying reasons for the technical difficulties that occurred, and to propose corrective measures. The initial conclusions of this Audit will be presented before Flight 194.
These two initiatives will be conducted concurrently and independently of each other. They will enable Arianespace to set a new date for Flight 194 as soon as possible, and to consolidate the manifest for the following launches.
