Another find in my ESA office as I clear it out ahead of my imminent departure: some fragments recovered from the explosion of the first Ariane 5 flight V88 / 501 on 4 June 1996, carrying the four Cluster magnetospheric satellites 🛰️🛰️🛰️🛰️
The satellites were rebuilt & successfully launched on two Soyuz rockets in 2000: they are still in operation today, although their end is near now 🥺
@enigma Hmm, not sure. The plan was always to start with a non-cryo upper stage G version AFAIK, bringing the more powerful cryogenic ECA version in later. I’m not aware (but again am no launcher historian) that that change was made in response to the 501 launch failure.