Ariane 5 takes its final flight, leaving Europe without its own heavy-lift rocket

Independence Day launch will leave Europe dependent on the US for space missions On Tuesday July 4, the last Ariane 5 rocket will blast off from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. As the rocket's red glare fades, Europe will be without a heavy-lift rocket for the first time in decades, with no reusable one in sight.…