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

Launch will leave continent dependent on the US for space missions Updated  The last Ariane 5 rocket is due to blast off this week 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.…