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Arianespace chief executive Stephane Israel announced an anomaly occurred during Thursday’s flight of an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, shortly after the launcher’s second stage engine ignited.

The Ariane 5 lifted off at 2220 GMT (5:20 p.m. EST; 7:20 p.m. French Guiana time), but the ground team lost contact with the rocket a few seconds after its upper stage HM7B engine ignited.

The rocket was carrying the SES 14 and Al Yah 3 communications satellites into orbit.