Saturday saw the firm put up its first satellite payload since emerging from bankruptcy protection last year.

BBC: Sea Launch rocket company returns to service

South Korea's first launch of the two-stage KSLV-1, in August last year, failed to place its satellite payload into the proper orbit.

BBC: South Korea rocket 'explodes' moments after take-off

"Arianespace Flight 142 placed its dual satellite payload in a lower than desired orbit following a problem with the launcher's upper stage, " the statement said.

CNN: Ariane rocket puts satellites in defective orbit

These modifications will enable the vehicle to better optimize its payload capacity for heavier, more lucrative satellite customers - and also to offer a broader range of orbits to those clients.

BBC: Ariane rocket ready to do battle

But although the Dragon was unaffected, the engine problem left a small communications satellite that was along for the ride as a secondary payload unable to reach its proper orbit.

ECONOMIST: SpaceX goes to the ISS

This came as a blow, not only to the satellite owners, but also to families who had paid for an unusual payload: a burial canister with the cremated remains of 43 people.

WSJ: Recycling Project: Green Cemeteries | WSJ.Money Summer 2013

Over a decade ago he helped pioneer the idea of the cube-sat satellite that is a small self contained box that could ride with other such boxes in the payload of a rocket where it could conduct low gravity experiments, biological experiments of do other interesting activities when released into space.

FORBES: Private Space Transportation Reaching New Heights

Present thinking seems to be that it will abandon the dual-payload approach in favour of a design that is modular enough that it can loft a single satellite that weighs anything from three tonnes all the way up to six, and possibly even eight, tonnes.

BBC: Ariane rocket aims to pick up the pace