Ariane 5 flight VA217 liftoff replay
The first Ariane 5 launch of 2014 lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place two telecommunications satellites, ABS-2 & Athena–Fidus, into their planned transfer orbits.
Credit: ESA / CNES / Arianespace
If the fairing panels were ejected when the vehicle was out of the Earth's atmosphere, would they float along beside the vehicle instead of flying backwards?