Watch Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket launch on its 100th mission to space

This afternoon, Europe will launch its 100th Ariane 5 rocket, a historic achievement for the nearly 20-year-old vehicle design. Launching from Europe’s South American spaceport in French Guiana, the Ariane 5 will put a pair of communications satellites into a high orbit above Earth. And if all goes well, it will mark the 300th overall flight for the three-vehicle family of Arianespace, the launch provider overseen by the European Space Agency.
First introduced in 1996, the Ariane 5 has be