The system was designed as an expendable launch vehicle by the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES),the French government's space agency,in cooperation with various European partners. Despite not being a direct derivative of its predecessor launch vehicle program,it was classified as part of the Ariane rocket family. Aérospatiale,and later ArianeGroup,was the prime contractor for the manufacturing of the vehicles,leading a multi-country consortium of other European contractors. Ariane 5 was originally intended to launch the Hermes spacecraft,and thus it was rated for human space launches.
Since its first launch,Ariane 5 was refined in successive versions:"G","G+","GS","ECA",and finally,"ES". The system had a commonly used dual-launch capability,where up to two large geostationary belt communication satellites can be mounted using a SYLDA (Système de Lancement Double Ariane,meaning "Ariane Double-Launch System") carrier system. Up to three,somewhat smaller,main satellites are possible depending on size using a SPELTRA (Structure Porteuse Externe Lancement Triple Ariane,which translates to "Ariane Triple-Launch External Carrier Structure"). Up to eight secondary payloads,usually small experiment packages or minisatellites,could be carried with an ASAP (Ariane Structure for Auxiliary Payloads) platform.
Following the launch of 15 August 2020,Arianespace signed the contracts for the last eight Ariane 5 launches,before it was succeeded by the new Ariane 6 launcher,according to Daniel Neuenschwander,director of space transportation at the ESA.[6][5] Ariane 5 flew its final mission on 5 July 2023.[7]
Ariane 5's cryogenic H173 main stage (H158 for Ariane 5G,G+,and GS) was called the EPC (Étage Principal Cryotechnique —Cryotechnic Main Stage). It consisted of a 5.4m (18ft) diameter by 30.5m (100ft) high tank with two compartments,one for liquid oxygen and one for liquid hydrogen,and a Vulcain 2 engine at the base with a vacuum thrust of 1,390kN (310,000lbf). The H173 EPC weighed about 189t (417,000lb),including 175t (386,000lb) of propellant.[8] After the main cryogenic stage runs out of fuel,it re-entered the atmosphere for an ocean splashdown.
Solid boosters
Attached to the sides were two P241 (P238 for Ariane 5G and G+) solid rocket boosters (SRBs or EAPs from the French Étages d'Accélération àPoudre),each weighing about 277t (611,000lb) full and delivering a thrust of about 7,080kN (1,590,000lbf). They were fueled by a mix of ammonium perchlorate (68%) and aluminium fuel (18%) and HTPB (14%). They each burned for 130 seconds before being dropped into the ocean. The SRBs were usually allowed to sink to the bottom of the ocean,but,like the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters,they could be recovered with parachutes,and this was occasionally done for post-flight analysis. Unlike Space Shuttle SRBs,Ariane 5 boosters were not reused. The most recent attempt was for the first Ariane 5 ECA mission in 2009. One of the two boosters was successfully recovered and returned to the Guiana Space Center for analysis.[9] Prior to that mission,the last such recovery and testing was done in 2003.[citation needed]
In February 2000,the suspected nose cone of an Ariane 5 booster washed ashore on the South Texas coast,and was recovered by beachcombers before the government could get to it.[11]
Second stage
EPS Upper Stage used on Ariane 5ES
The second stage was on top of the main stage and below the payload. The original Ariane —Ariane 5G —used the EPS (Étage àPropergols Stockables —Storable Propellant Stage),which was fueled by monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetroxide,containing 10,000kg (22,000lb) of storable propellant. The EPS was subsequently improved for use on the Ariane 5G+,GS,and ES.
The EPS upper stage was capable of repeated ignition,first demonstrated during flight V26 which was launched on 5 October 2007. This was purely to test the engine,and occurred after the payloads had been deployed. The first operational use of restart capability as part of a mission came on 9 March 2008,when two burns were made to deploy the first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) into a circular parking orbit,followed by a third burn after ATV deployment to de-orbit the stage. This procedure was repeated for all subsequent ATV flights.
Ariane 5ECA used the ESC (Étage Supérieur Cryotechnique —Cryogenic Upper Stage),which was fueled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The ESC used the HM7B engine previously used in the Ariane 4 third stage. The propellent load of 14.7 tonne allowed the engine to burn for 945 seconds while providing 6.5 tonne of thrust. The ESC provided roll control during powered flight and full attitude control during payload separation using hydrogen gas thrusters. Oxygen gas thrusters allowed longitudinal acceleration after engine cutoff. The flight assembly included the Vehicle Equipment Bay,with flight electronics for the entire rocket,and the payload interface and structural support.[12][13]
Fairing
The payload and all upper stages were covered at launch by a fairing for aerodynamic stability and protection from heating during supersonic flight and acoustic loads. It was jettisoned once sufficient altitude has been reached,typically above 100km (62mi). It was made by Ruag Space and since flight VA-238 it was composed of 4 panels.[14][clarification needed]
Variants
Legend:Retired·Cancelled
Variant
Description
G
The original version was dubbed Ariane 5G (Generic) and had a launch mass of 737t (1,625,000lb). Its payload capability to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) was 6,900kg (15,200lb) for a single satellite or 6,100kg (13,400lb) for dual launches. It flew 16 times with one failure and two partial failures.[15]
G+
The Ariane 5G+ had an improved EPS second stage, with a GTO capacity of 7,100kg (15,700lb) for a single payload or 6,300kg (13,900lb) for two. It flew three times in 2004, with no failures.[16]
GS
At the time of the failure of the first Ariane 5ECA flight in 2002, all Ariane 5 launchers in production were ECA versions. Some of the ECA cores were modified to use the original Vulcain engine and tank volumes while the failure was investigated; these vehicles were designated Ariane 5GS. The GS used the improved EAP boosters of the ECA variant and the improved EPS of the G+ variant, but the increased mass of the modified ECA core compared to the G and G+ core resulted in slightly reduced payload capacity.[17] Ariane 5GS could carry a single payload of 6,600kg (14,600lb) or a dual payload of 5,800kg (12,800lb) to GTO. The Ariane 5GS flew 6 times from 2005 to 2009 with no failures.[18]
ECA
The Ariane 5ECA (Evolution Cryotechnique type A), first successfully flown in 2005, used an improved Vulcain 2 first-stage engine with a longer, more efficient nozzle with a more efficient flow cycle and denser propellant ratio. The new ratio required length modifications to the first-stage tanks. The EPS second stage was replaced by the ESC-A (Etage Supérieur Cryogénique-A), which had a dry weight of 4,540kg (10,010lb) and was powered by an HM-7B engine burning 14,900kg (32,800lb) of cryogenic propellant. The ESC-A used the liquid oxygen tank and lower structure from the Ariane 4's H10 third stage, mated to a new liquid hydrogen tank. Additionally, the EAP booster casings were lightened with new welds and carry more propellant. The Ariane 5ECA started with a GTO launch capacity of 9,100kg (20,100lb) for dual payloads or 9,600kg (21,200lb) for a single payload.[19] Later batches: PB+ and PC, increased the max payload to GTO to 11,115kg (24,504lb).[3]
ECA+
The Ariane 5ECA+ (Evolution Cryotechnique type A+), first successfully flown in 2019, used an improved ESC-D (Etage Supérieur Cryogénique-D).[20]
ES
The Ariane 5ES (Evolution Storable) had an estimated LEO launch capacity of 21,000kg (46,000lb). It included all the performance improvements of Ariane 5ECA core and boosters but replaced the ESC-A second stage with the restartable EPS used on Ariane 5GS variants. It was used to launch the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) into a 260km (160mi) circular low Earth orbit inclined at 51.6° and was used 3 times to launch 4 Galileo navigation satellites at a time directly into their operational orbit.[2] The Ariane 5ES flew 8 times from 2008 to 2018 with no failures.
ME
The Ariane 5ME (Mid-life Evolution) was under development until December 2014 when funding was cut in favour of developing Ariane 6. Last activities for Ariane 5ME were completed at the end of 2015. Vinci upper stage engine, under development for the 5ME, transferred to Ariane 6.
Launch pricing and market competition
As of November2014[update], the Ariane 5 commercial launch price for launching a "midsize satellite in the lower position" was approximately €50 million,[21] competing for commercial launches in an increasingly competitive market.
The heavier satellite was launched in the upper position on a typical dual-satellite Ariane 5 launch and was priced higher than the lower satellite,[22][clarification needed] on the order of €90 million as of 2013[update].[23][24]
Total launch price of an Ariane 5 – which could transport up to two satellites to space, one in the "upper" and one in the "lower" positions – was around €150 million as of January2015[update].[24]
Cancelled plans for future developments
Belgian components produced for the Ariane 5 European heavy-lift launch vehicle explained
Ariane 5 ME
The Ariane 5 ME (Mid-life Evolution) was in development into early 2015, and was seen as a stopgap between Ariane 5ECA/Ariane 5ES and the new Ariane 6. With first flight planned for 2018, it would have become ESA's principal launcher until the arrival of the new Ariane 6 version. ESA halted funding for the development of Ariane 5ME in late 2014 to prioritize development of Ariane 6.[25]
The Ariane 5ME was to use a new upper stage, with increased propellant volume, powered by the new Vinci engine. Unlike the HM-7B engine, it was to be able to restart several times, allowing for complex orbital maneuvers such as insertion of two satellites into different orbits, direct insertion into geosynchronous orbit, planetary exploration missions, and guaranteed upper stage deorbiting or insertion into graveyard orbit.[26][27] The launcher was also to include a lengthened fairing up to 20m (66ft) and a new dual launch system to accommodate larger satellites. Compared to an Ariane 5ECA model, the payload to GTO was to increase by 15% to 11,500kg (25,400lb) and the cost-per-kilogram of each launch was projected to decline by 20%.[26]
Development
Originally known as the Ariane 5ECB, Ariane 5ME was to have its first flight in 2006. However, the failure of the first ECA flight in 2002, combined with a deteriorating satellite industry, caused ESA to cancel development in 2003.[28] Development of the Vinci engine continued, though at a lower pace. The ESA Council of Ministers agreed to fund development of the new upper stage in November 2008.[29]
In 2009, EADS Astrium was awarded a €200 million contract,[30] and on 10 April 2012 received another €112 million contract to continue development of the Ariane 5ME [31] with total development effort expected to cost €1 billion.[32]
On 21 November 2012, ESA agreed to continue with the Ariane 5ME to meet the challenge of lower priced competitors. It was agreed the Vinci upper stage would also be used as the second stage of a new Ariane 6, and further commonality would be sought.[27] Ariane 5ME qualification flight was scheduled for mid-2018, followed by gradual introduction into service.[26]
On 2 December 2014, ESA decided to stop funding the development of Ariane 5ME and instead focus on Ariane 6, which was expected to have a lower cost per launch and allow more flexibility in the payloads (using two or four P120C solid boosters depending on total payload mass).[25]
Solid propellant stage
Work on the Ariane 5 EAP motors was continued in the Vega programme. The Vega 1st stage engine – the P80 engine – was a shorter derivation of the EAP.[33] The P80 booster casing was made of filament wound graphite epoxy, much lighter than the current stainless steel casing. A new composite steerable nozzle was developed while new thermal insulation material and a narrower throat improved the expansion ratio and subsequently the overall performance. Additionally, the nozzle had electromechanical actuators which replaced the heavier hydraulic ones used for thrust vector control.
These developments could maybe have made their way back into the Ariane programme, but this was most likely an inference based on early blueprints of the Ariane 6 having a central P80 booster and 2-4 around the main one.[27][34] The incorporation of the ESC-B with the improvements to the solid motor casing and an uprated Vulcain engine would have delivered 27,000kg (60,000lb) to LEO. This would have been developed for any lunar missions but the performance of such a design might not have been possible if the higher Max-Q for the launch of this launch vehicle would have posed a constraint on the mass delivered to orbit.[35]
The design brief of the next generation launch vehicle Ariane 6 called for a lower-cost and smaller launch vehicle capable of launching a single satellite of up to 6,500kg (14,300lb) to GTO.[36] However, after several permutations the finalized design was nearly identical in performance to the Ariane 5,[37] focusing instead on lowering fabrication costs and launch prices. As of March2014[update], Ariane 6 was projected to be launched for about €70 million per flight, about half of the Ariane 5 price.[36]
Initially development of Ariane 6 was projected to cost €3.6 billion.[38] In 2017, the ESA set 16 July 2020 as the deadline for the first flight.[39] The Ariane 6 successfully completed its maiden flight on 9 July 2024.
Ariane 5's first test flight (Ariane 5 Flight 501) on 4 June 1996 failed, with the rocket self-destructing 37 seconds after launch because of a malfunction in the control software.[40] A data conversion from 64-bitfloating-point value to 16-bit signedinteger value to be stored in a variable representing horizontal bias caused a processor trap (operand error)[41] because the floating-point value was too large to be represented by a 16-bit signed integer. The software had been written for the Ariane 4 where efficiency considerations (the computer running the software had an 80% maximum workload requirement[41]) led to four variables being protected with a handler while three others, including the horizontal bias variable, were left unprotected because it was thought that they were "physically limited or that there was a large margin of safety".[41] The software, written in Ada, was included in the Ariane 5 through the reuse of an entire Ariane 4 subsystem despite the fact that the particular software containing the bug, which was just a part of the subsystem, was not required by the Ariane 5 because it has a different preparation sequence than the Ariane 4.[41]
The second test flight (L502, on 30 October 1997) was a partial failure. The Vulcain nozzle caused a roll problem, leading to premature shutdown of the core stage. The upper stage operated successfully, but it could not reach the intended orbit. A subsequent test flight (L503, on 21 October 1998) proved successful and the first commercial launch (L504) occurred on 10 December 1999 with the launch of the XMM-Newton X-ray observatory satellite.[42]
Another partial failure occurred on 12 July 2001, with the delivery of two satellites into an incorrect orbit, at only half the height of the intended GTO. The ESA Artemistelecommunications satellite was able to reach its intended orbit on 31 January 2003, through the use of its experimental ion propulsion system.
The next launch did not occur until 1 March 2002, when the Envisatenvironmental satellite successfully reached an orbit of 800km (500mi) above the Earth in the 11th launch. At 8,111kg (17,882lb), it was the heaviest single payload until the launch of the first ATV on 9 March 2008, at 19,360kg (42,680lb).
The first launch of the ECA variant on 11 December 2002 ended in failure when a main booster problem caused the rocket to veer off-course, forcing its self-destruction three minutes into the flight. Its payload of two communications satellites (STENTOR and Hot Bird 7), valued at about €630 million, was lost in the Atlantic Ocean. The fault was determined to have been caused by a leak in coolant pipes allowing the nozzle to overheat. After this failure, Arianespace SA delayed the expected January 2003 launch for the Rosetta mission to 26 February 2004, but this was again delayed to early March 2004 due to a minor fault in the foam that protects the cryogenic tanks on the Ariane 5. The failure of the first ECA launch was the last failure of an Ariane 5 until flight 240 in January 2018.
On 27 September 2003, the last Ariane 5G boosted three satellites (including the first European lunar probe, SMART-1), in Flight 162. On 18 July 2004, an Ariane 5G+ boosted what was at the time the heaviest telecommunication satellite ever, Anik F2, weighing almost 6,000kg (13,000lb).
The first successful launch of the Ariane 5ECA took place on 12 February 2005. The payload consisted of the XTAR-EUR military communications satellite, a 'SLOSHSAT' small scientific satellite and a MaqSat B2 payload simulator. The launch had been scheduled for October 2004, but additional testing and a military launch (of a Helios 2A observation satellite) delayed the attempt.
On 11 August 2005, the first Ariane 5GS (featuring the Ariane 5ECA's improved solid motors) boosted Thaicom 4, the heaviest telecommunications satellite to date at 6,505kg (14,341lb),[43] into orbit.
On 16 November 2005, the third Ariane 5ECA launch (the second successful ECA launch) took place. It carried a dual payload consisting of Spaceway F2 for DirecTV and Telkom-2 for PT Telekomunikasi of Indonesia. This was the launch vehicle's heaviest dual payload to date, at more than 8,000kg (18,000lb).
On 27 May 2006, an Ariane 5ECA launch vehicle set a new commercial payload lifting record of 8,200kg (18,100lb). The dual-payload consisted of the Thaicom 5 and Satmex 6 satellites.[44]
On 4 May 2007, the Ariane 5ECA set another new commercial record, lifting into transfer orbit the Astra 1L and Galaxy 17 communication satellites with a combined weight of 8,600kg (19,000lb), and a total payload weight of 9,400kg (20,700lb).[45] This record was again broken by another Ariane 5ECA, launching the Skynet 5B and Star One C1 satellites, on 11 November 2007. The total payload weight for this launch was of 9,535kg (21,021lb).[46]
On 9 March 2008, the first Ariane 5ES-ATV was launched to deliver the first ATV called Jules Verne to the International Space Station (ISS). The ATV was the heaviest payload ever launched by a European launch vehicle, providing supplies to the space station with necessary propellant, water, air and dry cargo. This was the first operational Ariane mission which involved an engine restart in the upper stage. The ES-ATV Aestus EPS upper stage was restartable while the ECA HM7-B engine was not.
On 1 July 2009, an Ariane 5ECA launched TerreStar-1 (now EchoStar T1), which was then, at 6,910kg (15,230lb), the largest and most massive commercial telecommunication satellite ever built at that time[47] until being overtaken by Telstar 19 Vantage, at 7,080kg (15,610lb), launched aboard Falcon 9. The satellite was launched into a lower-energy orbit than a usual GTO, with its initial apogee at roughly 17,900km (11,100mi).[48]
On 28 October 2010, an Ariane 5ECA launched Eutelsat's W3B (part of its W Series of satellites) and Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT)'s BSAT-3b satellites into orbit. But the W3B satellite failed to operate shortly after the successful launch and was written off as a total loss due to an oxidizer leak in the satellite's main propulsion system.[49] The BSAT-3b satellite, however, is operating normally.[50]
The VA253 launch on 15 August 2020 introduced two small changes that increased lift capacity by about 85kg (187lb); these were a lighter avionics and guidance-equipment bay, and modified pressure vents on the payload fairing, which were required for the subsequent launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. It also debuted a location system using Galileo navigation satellites.[51]
On 25 December 2021, VA256 launched the James Webb Space Telescope towards a Sun–Earth L2halo orbit.[52] The precision of trajectory following launch led to fuel savings credited with potentially doubling the lifetime of the telescope by leaving more hydrazine propellant on board for station-keeping than was expected.[52][53] According to Rudiger Albat, the program manager for Ariane 5, efforts had been made to select components for this flight that had performed especially well during pre-flight testing, including "one of the best Vulcain engines that we've ever built."[53]
GTO payload weight records
On 22 April 2011, the Ariane 5ECA flight VA-201 broke a commercial record, lifting Yahsat 1A and Intelsat New Dawn with a total payload weight of 10,064kg (22,187lb) to transfer orbit.[54] This record was later broken again during the launch of Ariane 5ECA flight VA-208 on 2 August 2012, lifting a total of 10,182kg (22,447lb) into the planned geosynchronous transfer orbit,[55] which was broken again 6 months later on flight VA-212 with 10,317kg (22,745lb) sent towards geosynchronous transfer orbit.[56] In June 2016, the GTO record was raised to 10,730kg (23,660lb),[57] on the first rocket in history that carried a satellite dedicated to financial institutions.[58] The payload record was pushed a further 5kg (11lb), up to 10,735kg (23,667lb) on 24 August 2016 with the launch of Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 36.[59] On 1 June 2017, the payload record was broken again to 10,865kg (23,953lb) carrying ViaSat-2 and Eutelsat-172B.[60] In 2021 VA-255 put 11,210kg into GTO.
On 25 January 2018, an Ariane 5ECA launched SES-14 and Al Yah 3 satellites. About 9 minutes and 28 seconds after launch, a telemetry loss occurred between the launch vehicle and the ground controllers. It was later confirmed, about 1 hour and 20 minutes after launch, that both satellites were successfully separated from the upper stage and were in contact with their respective ground controllers,[61] but that their orbital inclinations were incorrect as the guidance systems might have been compromised. Therefore, both satellites conducted orbital procedures, extending commissioning time.[62] SES-14 needed about 8 weeks longer than planned commissioning time, meaning that entry into service was reported early September instead of July.[63] Nevertheless, SES-14 is still expected to be able to meet the designed lifetime. This satellite was originally to be launched with more propellant reserve on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle since the Falcon 9, in this specific case, was intended to deploy this satellite into a high inclination orbit that would require more work from the satellite to reach its final geostationary orbit.[64] The Al Yah 3 was also confirmed healthy after more than 12 hours without further statement, and like SES-14, Al Yah 3's maneuvering plan was also revised to still fulfill the original mission.[65] As of 16 February 2018, Al Yah 3 was approaching the intended geostationary orbit, after series of recovery maneuvers had been performed.[66] The investigation showed that invalid inertial units' azimuth value had sent the vehicle 17° off course but to the intended altitude, they had been programmed for the standard geostationary transfer orbit of 90° when the payloads were intended to be 70° for this supersynchronous transfer orbit mission, 20° off norme.[67] This mission anomaly marked the end of 82nd consecutive success streak since 2003.[68]
Launch history
Launch statistics
Ariane 5 launch vehicles had accumulated 117 launches, 112 of which were successful, yielding a 95.7% success rate. Between April 2003 and December 2017, Ariane 5 flew 83 consecutive missions without failure, but the launch vehicle suffered a partial failure in January 2018.[69]
Upper stage underperformed, payloads were placed in an unusable orbit. Artemis was raised to its target orbit at the expense of operational fuel; BSAT-2b was not recoverable.
Intelsat 33e's LEROS apogee engine, which supposed to perform orbit raising, failed soon after its successful launch, forcing to use the experimentation of low-thrust reaction control system which extended the commissioning time 3 months longer than expected.[77] Later, it suffered other thruster problems which cut its operational lifetime by about 3.5 years.[78]
This mission carried the first Intelsat EpicNG high-throughput satellite based on the Eurostar E3000 platform, while other Intelsat EpicNG satellites were based on BSS-702MP platform.[79]
Heaviest and most expensive commercial payload ever put into orbit,[81] valued at approximately €675 million (~€844 million including the launch vehicle),[82] until 12 June 2019, when Falcon 9 delivered RADARSAT Constellation with three Canadian satellites, valued almost €844 million (not including the launch vehicle), into orbit.[83] ViaSat-2 suffered antenna glitch, which cut about 15% of its intended throughput.[84]
Launch was scrubbed from 5 September 2017 due to electrical fault in one of the solid rocket boosters that caused launch abort in the last seconds before liftoff.[85]
Telemetry from the launch vehicle was lost after 9 minutes 30 seconds into the flight, after launch vehicle trajectory went off course due to invalid inertial units' azimuth value.[67] Satellites later found to have separated from the upper stage and entered an incorrect orbit with large inclination deviations.[86][87] However, they were able to reach the planned orbit with small loss of on board propellant for SES-14 and still expected to meet the designed lifetime,[88] but with significant loss on Al Yah 3 (up to 50% of its intended operational life).[89][90]
Hundredth Ariane 5 mission.[92] Flight VA-243 was delayed from 25 May 2018 due to issues with GSAT-11, which was eventually replaced by Horizons-3e.[93]
Arianespace SA is a French company founded in March 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It operates two launch vehicles: Vega C, a small-lift rocket, and Ariane 6, a medium-to-heavy-lift rocket. Arianespace is a subsidiary of ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus and Safran.
The Ariane 4 was a European expendable launch vehicle, developed by the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA). The manufacturing of the launch vehicle was led by Aérospatiale and it was marketed by Arianespace. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 until the final flight on 15 February 2003, it attained 113 successful launches out of 116 total launches.
The Guiana Space Centre, also called Europe's Spaceport, is a spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a overseas region of France in South America. Kourou is located approximately 500 kilometres north of the equator at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its near equatorial location and open sea to the east and north.
Ariane 1 was the first rocket in the Ariane family of expendable launch systems. It was developed for and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), which had been formed in 1973, the same year that development of the launcher had commenced. Aérospatiale was designated to lead the programme. Ariane 1 was the first launcher to be developed with the primary purpose of sending commercial satellites into geosynchronous orbit. Crucially, it was designed with the ability of sending a pair of satellites into orbit on a single launcher, thus reducing costs.
Vega was an expendable small-lift launch vehicle operated by Arianespace, produced by Avio, and jointly developed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Development began in 1998 and the first launch took place from the Guiana Space Centre on 13February 2012. It was the 8th most launched small lift launch vehicle in history. The final flight of the rocket took place on 5September 2024, after being replaced by the improved Vega C, already in use since 2022.
ELA-3 is a launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. Currently inactive, the complex was first used in June 1996 in support of the now retired Ariane 5 rocket. ELA-3 is 21 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi) in size.
A heavy-lift launch vehicle (HLV) is an orbital launch vehicle capable of generating a large amount of lift to reach its intended orbit. Heavy-lift launch vehicles generally are capable of lifting payloads between 20,000 to 50,000 kg or between 20,000 to 100,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit (LEO). As of 2024, operational heavy-lift launch vehicles include the Long March 5 and the Proton-M.
Hot Bird 7 was a communications satellite that was lost in a launch failure in 2002. Intended for operation by Eutelsat, it was to have provided direct-to-home broadcasting services from geostationary orbit as part of Eutelsat's Hot Bird constellation at a longitude of 13° East. Hot Bird 7 was intended to replace the Hot Bird 3 satellite, which had been launched in 1997.
Al Yah 1, formerly known as Yahsat 1A, is a communications satellite constructed by EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space for Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat). It was launched in April 2011 from Arianespace's Guiana Space Centre in Kourou French Guiana in a dual payload launch with Intelsat New Dawn atop an Ariane 5 ECA rocket. Yahsat Y1A is based on the Eurostar E3000 satellite bus and had a launch mass of about 6000 kg. It is intended to provide Ku, Ka and C-band communications to the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Southwest Asia. It is in geosynchronous orbit at 52.5 degrees East.
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system operated by Arianespace and developed and produced by ArianeGroup on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). It replaces Ariane 5, as part of the Ariane launch vehicle family.
Inmarsat-4A F4, also known as Alphasat and Inmarsat-XL, is a large geostationary communications I-4 satellite operated by United Kingdom-based Inmarsat in partnership with the European Space Agency. Launched in 2013, it is used to provide mobile communications to Africa and parts of Europe and Asia.
Soyuz at the Guiana Space Centre was a European Space Agency (ESA) programme that operated Soyuz-2 launch vehicles at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG). It provided Arianespace with a medium-lift launch vehicle alongside the light-lift Vega and heavy-lift Ariane 5. The rocket was marketed by Starsem a joint venture of ArianeGroup, Arianespace, Progress Rocket Space Centre and Roscosmos.
SES-14 is a geostationary communications satellite operated by SES at 47.5° West, replaces NSS-806, and designed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. The satellite launched on 25 January 2018 at 22:20 UTC along with the Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) instrument from NASA. It has a mass of 4,423 kg (9,751 lb) and has a design life of at least 15 years.
Intelsat 33e, also known as IS-33e, was a high throughput (HTS) geostationary communications satellite operated by Intelsat and designed and manufactured by Boeing Space Systems on the BSS 702MP satellite bus. It was the second satellite of the EpicNG service, and covered Europe, Africa and most of Asia from the 60° East longitude, where it replaced Intelsat 904. It had a mixed C-band, Ku-band and Ka-band payload with all bands featuring wide and C- and Ku- also featured spot beams.
Intelsat 36, also known as IS-36, is a geostationary communications satellite operated by Intelsat and designed and manufactured by Space Systems/Loral on the SSL 1300 satellite bus. It covers Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia from the 68.5° East longitude, providing media and content distribution with the South Africa MultiChoice company as anchor customer. It has a mixed C-band and Ku-band.
Ariane flight VA241 was an Ariane 5 space launch that occurred from the Guiana Space Centre on 25 January 2018 at 22:20 UTC.
STENTOR was a French communications satellite which was lost in a launch failure in 2002. Intended for operation by CNES, France Telecom, and Direction générale de l'armement (DGA). To validate, in flight, advanced technologies which would be integrated in the next generation of telecommunications spacecraft. It will also demonstrate new telecommunications services, including broadband and multimedia transmissions to small user terminals.
↑ "Ariane 5 Data Sheet". Space Launch Report. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
↑ "Ariane-5GS". Gunter's Space Page. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
↑ "Ariane-5ECA". Gunter's Space Page. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
↑ Krebs, Gunter D. "Ariane-5ECA+". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
↑ Svitak, Amy (1 March 2014). "SpaceX Says Falcon 9 To Compete For EELV This Year". Aviation Week. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015. Advertised at US$56.5 million per launch, Falcon 9 missions to GTO cost almost US$15 million less than a ride atop a Chinese Long March 3B and are competitive with the cost to launch a midsize satellite in the lower position on a European Ariane 5ECA
↑ de Selding, Peter B. (2 November 2013). "SpaceX Challenge Has Arianespace Rethinking Pricing Policies". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 27 November 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2013. The Arianespace commercial launch consortium is telling its customers it is open to reducing the cost of flights for lighter satellites on the Ariane 5 rocket in response to the challenge posed by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket
↑ Amos, Jonathan (3 December 2013). "SpaceX launches SES commercial TV satellite for Asia". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2015. The commercial market for launching telecoms spacecraft is tightly contested, but has become dominated by just a few companies – notably, Europe's Arianespace, which flies the Ariane 5, and International Launch Services (ILS), which markets Russia's Proton vehicle. SpaceX is promising to substantially undercut the existing players on price, and SES, the world's second-largest telecoms satellite operator, believes the incumbents had better take note of the California company's capability. 'The entry of SpaceX into the commercial market is a game-changer.
1 2 Kyle, Ed (3 December 2014). "Ariane 6". Space Launch Report. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
↑ Krebs, Gunter. "SkyBrasil-1 (Intelsat 32e)". space.skyrocket.de. Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future
Symbol † indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)
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