NASA, will test the idea next year, by deploying a 15km tether from the upper stage of a rocket.
"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.
What would be an upper stage, with a crew capsule and its emergency escape mechanism, is actually a simulator made to the correct shape and weight.
Without the Fregat upper stage, Grunt cannot travel to Phobos, yet if this powerful and massive stage were jettisoned, some less powerful, but functional, engines would be available for burns.
"After a good flight of the solid boosters and core cryogenic stage, there was a problem with the upper stage and the desired orbit was not attained, " Arianespace Chairman and CEO Jean-Marie Luton announced after the mission.
The rocket was intended to lift the satellite into an orbit 35, 696 kilometers above the earth, but during its final burn, the upper stage engine shut down four minutes early, and the satellite was released into too low of an orbit.
And in April this year, the upper stage of an American Centaur rocket failed when a guidance parameter was incorrectly entered as -0.199, rather than -1.99, with the result that the satellite it was carrying was placed in the wrong orbit.
Dr Baker reckons that costs can be cut if the launch rocket uses the satellite's guidance computer instead of having its own, and if the satellite's built-in rocket motor is bolstered to do the work now performed by a launch rocket's upper stage.
Vega's upper-stage had to ignite several times to get all three satellites in their correct orbits.
BBC: Esa's Vega rocket puts Proba-V vegetation mission in orbit
The upgrade - known as Ariane 5ME (Mid-Life Evolution) - would introduce a more powerful upper-stage engine.
Work will continue to give Ariane 5 a major upgrade, to provide it with a more powerful upper-stage engine that will also have a stop-start capability.
These will probably involve upgrading the existing rocket with a more powerful upper-stage whilst at the same time laying down a firm development programme for a next generation rocket that benefits from substantially reduced production costs.
As the screams build, Oz emerges from the upper decks and strolls toward the stage, stopping to hug and touch his fans.
As I was saying, the reason I feel comfortable using that four-letter word, love, is because the two women are doing a Valentine's Day show at Stage 72 on the Upper West Side that evening.
Smith improved over rounds four and five but the Commonwealth Games silver medallist from 2002 looked to be heading for defeat at the half-way stage with Quigley picking him off with a combination of upper-cuts and jabs.
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