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Ariane 5 ECA

Ariane 5
Ariane 5ES with ATV 4 on its way to ELA-3.jpg
Ariane 5 ES with ATV-4 on board on its way to the launch pad
Function Heavy launch vehicle
Manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space for
ESA and Arianespace
Cost per launch

$165—220M

Size
Height 46–52 m (151–171 ft)
Diameter 5.4 m (18 ft)
Mass 777,000 kg (1,713,000 lb)
Stages 2
Capacity
Payload to LEO (260 km (162 mi) circular, 51.6˚) G: 16,000 kg (35,000 lb)
ES: over 20,000 kg (44,000 lb)
Payload to GTO G: 6,950 kg (15,320 lb)
G+: 6,950 kg (15,320 lb)
GS: 6,100 kg (13,400 lb)
ECA: 10,500 kg (23,100 lb) (effective record 10,735 kg (23,667 lb) on 24 August 2016)
Associated rockets
Family Ariane
Launch history
Status Active
Launch sites Guiana Space Centre ELA-3
Total launches 91
(G: 16, G+: 3, GS: 6)
(ECA: 60, ES: 6)
Successes 87
(G: 13, G+: 3, GS: 6)
(ECA: 59, ES: 6)
Failures 2 (G: 1, ECA: 1)
Partial failures 2 (G)
First flight
  • G: 4 June 1996
  • G+: 2 March 2004
  • GS: 11 August 2005
  • ECA: 11 December 2002
  • ES: 9 March 2008
Last flight
  • G: 27 September 2003
  • G+: 18 December 2004
  • GS: 18 December 2009
  • ECA: 14 February 2017
  • ES: 17 November 2016
Notable payloads
Boosters (G, G+) - EAP P238
No. boosters 2
Length 31.6 m (104 ft)
Diameter 3.06 m (10.0 ft)
Gross mass 270 tonnes (300 tons)
Engines P238
Thrust 6,650 kN (1,490,000 lbf)
Total thrust 13,300 kN (3,000,000 lbf)
Burn time 130s
Fuel AP, Al, HTPB
Boosters (GS, ECA, ES) - EAP P241
No. boosters 2
Length 31.6 m (104 ft)
Diameter 3.06 m (10.0 ft)
Empty mass 33 tonnes (36 tons)
Gross mass 273 tonnes (301 tons)
Engines P241
Thrust 7,080 kN (1,590,000 lbf)
Total thrust 14,160 kN (3,180,000 lbf)
Burn time 140s
Fuel AP, Al, HTPB
Core stage (G, G+, GS) - EPC H158
Length 23.8 m (78 ft)
Diameter 5.4 m (18 ft)
Empty mass 12,200 kg (26,900 lb)
Gross mass 170,500 kg (375,900 lb)
Engines G, G+: Vulcain 1
GS: Vulcain 1B
Thrust 1,015 kN (228,000 lbf) (vacuum)
Specific impulse 440s (vacuum)
Burn time 605s
Fuel LOX / LH2
Core stage (ECA, ES) - EPC H173
Length 23.8 m (78 ft)
Diameter 5.4 m (18 ft)
Empty mass 14,700 kg (32,400 lb)
Gross mass 184,700 kg (407,200 lb)
Engines Vulcain 2
Thrust 960 kN (220,000 lbf) (sea level)
1,390 kN (310,000 lbf) (vacuum)
Specific impulse 310s (sea level)
432 (vacuum)
Burn time 540s
Fuel LOX / LH2
Second stage (G) - EPS L9.7
Length 3.4 m (11 ft)
Diameter 5.4 m (18 ft)
Empty mass 1,200 kg (2,600 lb)
Gross mass 10,900 kg (24,000 lb)
Engines Aestus
Thrust 27 kN (6,100 lbf)
Burn time 1100s
Fuel MMH / N2O4
Second stage (G+, GS, ES) - EPS L10
Length 3.4 m (11 ft)
Diameter 5.4 m (18 ft)
Empty mass 1,200 kg (2,600 lb)
Gross mass 11,200 kg (24,700 lb)
Engines Aestus
Thrust 27 kN (6,100 lbf)
Burn time 1170
Fuel MMH / N2O4
Second stage (ECA) - EPS ESC-A
Length 4.711 m (15.46 ft)
Diameter 5.4 m (18 ft)
Empty mass 4,540 kg (10,010 lb)
Gross mass 19,440 kg (42,860 lb)
Engines HM7B
Thrust 67 kN (15,000 lbf)
Specific impulse 446s
Burn time 945s
Fuel LOX / LH2

$165—220M

Ariane 5 is a European heavy lift launch vehicle that is part of the Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) or low Earth orbit (LEO). Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales. Airbus Defence and Space is the prime contractor for the vehicles, leading a consortium of sub-contractors. Ariane 5 is operated and marketed by Arianespace as part of the Ariane programme. Airbus Defence and Space builds the rockets in Europe and Arianespace launches them from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.

Ariane 5 succeeded Ariane 4, but was not derived from it directly. Ariane 5 has been refined since the first launch in successive versions, "G", "G+", "GS", "ECA", and most recently, "ES". ESA originally designed Ariane 5 to launch the Hermes spaceplane, and thus intended it to be human rated from the beginning.

Two satellites can be mounted using a SYLDA carrier (SYstème de Lancement Double Ariane). Three main satellites are possible depending on size using SPELTRA (Structure Porteuse Externe Lancement TRiple Ariane). Up to eight secondary payloads, usually small experiment packages or minisatellites, can be carried with an ASAP (Ariane Structure for Auxiliary Payloads) platform.


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