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Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 11/97 EUROPE CELEBRATES 100TH ARIANE LAUNCH by Wolfdietrich Hoeveler Europe's space experts felt relief, joy, and pride after an Ariane launch rocket successfully lifted off for the one hundredth time on 23 September, 1997. The emotions went high, like they did on December 24, 1979, when the first Ariane rocket thundered into the sky over Kourou, finally opening a door for Europe into space and breaking the American launch monopoly for heavy satellites which had excluded the launch of commercial satellites from European soil. The development took six years and cost DM2,5 billion. The ESA countries had gotten together in the summer of 1973 and, unlike the fate of the 1972 canceled Europe rocket (with a shared project responsibility), the French space agency CNES became the Ariane program leader after France took over 60 percent of the costs. The SNIAS (Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale) got the leading part on the industry side. Following France with 63,87 percent, Germany took over the second largest program share of 20,12 percent. The ESA decision determined Kourou in French Guiana, where France had launched its Diamant rockets, as the launch site. Ariane 1 could carry a 1750-kilogram payload into a geostationary orbit. Long before the first launch the governments and the industry agreed already that this would not be enough. A performance improvement program for the so called Ariane 3 was decided upon on July 26, 1979, allowing a payload increase to 2500 kg beginning in 1983: Two boosters for the first stage, 25 percent more fuel and a more powerful HM7 propulsion for the third stage, along with a thrust increase of the first and second stages' Viking engines. The plans also included the availability of an interim solution with 2300 kg payload capacity which was projected to be available in October of 1982, called Ariane 2. This version was basically an Ariane 3, however without the extra boosters, such being able to carry payloads up to 2000 kg. Furthermore, Ariane 4 and 5 were also conceptionally defined at that point in time. Ariane 4 was to be based on Ariane 3. It was designed with four boosters and 35 percent more fuel capacity, giving the rocket a payload capacity of 3500 kg, double that of Ariane 1. A launch platform designated for Ariane 4 was to be available in Kourou beginning in 1984. The design goal for the two-stage Ariane 5 was a payload of up to 5500 kg for the geostationary transfer orbit. Ariane 5 was projected to consist of the first stage of Ariane 4 in combination with a cryogen second stage. With Ariane 5, that was the understanding in 1979, it would be possible to carry space stations or the European space shuttle Hermes. Along with the management on the industry side, SNIAS took over system studies, the overall integration, as well as, the assembly of the first and second stage. The French SEP was responsible for the engines. MBB and MBB/ERNO were responsible for the structural work and integration tasks for the second stage, antennae, and the third stage combustion chamber. MAN was responsible for the turbo pumps of the first and second stages, the water tank, for some of the structures of the first stage as well as, for building the launch platform in Kourou. Dornier was responsible for the main tank of the second stage. The ESA states agreed in 1977 and 1978 on a somewhat different organization for the development phase. Based on this agreement the following companies were responsible by the order of CNES for: SNIAS for the mission analysis, overall system aspects, the first and third stages, SEP for the propulsion system of the first stage, the engines of the second and third stage, ERNO for the second stage, Air Liquide for the cryogen tank of the third stage, Matra for the payload bay, and Contraves (Switzerland) for the payload fairing. Furthermore, Arianespace was founded for the production management, the financing, and the marketing of Ariane. The company started to work at the beginning of 1980. The partner companies participated in Arianespace. 19,6 percent are held by German companies and 59,25 percent by the French partners. The ideas and plans of the Ariane partner worked out. Until September of 1997, 100 Ariane rockets were launched. This includes eleven Ariane 1, six Ariane 2, eleven Ariane 3, and one Ariane 5. Of the Ariane 4 family, a total of 71 rockets were launched. The performance improved Ariane 3 launched on schedule on August 3, 1984, the first Ariane 2 lifted off on May 31, 1986, and with flight 22 on June 15, 1988, an Ariane 4 lifted off for the first time. Since then, this rocket has been offered as a family with six versions. With 24 launches, the version 44L was the most often booked variant. Five mislaunches were caused by flaws in the propulsion system of the third stage. Two Ariane launches failed because of problems with the first stage. The first flight of Ariane 5 failed because the flight control system was not sufficiently tested. Still, the European launch rocket is more reliable than its competitors. From page 50 of FLUG REVUE 11/97 Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 11/97 Copyright 1997 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved. Last updated October 16, 1997 FLUG REVUE, Ubierstr. 83, 53173 Bonn, Germany