Vega-C rocket flights suspended as failure inquiry pending: Arianespace

Launches of Europe's new Vega-C rocket will be suspended while an inquiry is held into what caused the failure of its first commercial flight overnight, French firm Arianespace said Wednesday.

Co-led by the European Space Agency and the French aerospace company, the "independent" commission, aims to find out "the cause of the failure and to propose robust and long-lasting corrective actions to guarantee a safe and reliable return to flight of Vega-C," Arianespace chief executive Stephane Israel told a press conference.