Ariane 5
hideAriane 5 is a European expendable launch system designed to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit.
It is manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), with EADS Astrium Space Transportation (Astrium) as prime contractor, leading a consortium of sub-contractors. The rocket is operated and marketed by Arianespace as part of the Ariane programme. Astrium builds the rockets in Europe and Arianespace launches them from the Guiana Space Centre.
It succeeded Ariane 4, but does not derive from it directly. Its development took 10 years and cost $7 billion.[citation needed] 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 manned mini shuttle Hermes, and thus intended it to be "human rated" from the beginning. After ESA cancelled Hermes, the rocket became a purely robotic launcher.
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.
By mid 2007, Arianespace has ordered a total of 99 Ariane 5 launchers from Astrium. The first batch ordered in 1995 consisted of 14 launchers, while the second—P2—batch ordered in 1999 consisted of 20 launchers. A third—PA—batch consisting of 25 ECA and 5 ES launchers was ordered in 2004. The latest batch ordered in mid 2007 consist of another 35 ECA launchers. Through these orders, the Ariane 5 will be the workhorse of Arianespace at least through 2015.
For more information about Ariane 5, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with ariane 5
Ariane 5 rocket places two satellites into orbit (w/ Video)
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Oct 30, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Last night, an Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on a journey to place two telecommunications satellites, NSS-12 and Thor 6, into geostationary transfer ...
NASA analyzing junk that could threaten astronauts
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Sep 02, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A piece of space junk was drifting toward the shuttle-station complex and its 13 astronauts Wednesday, though NASA officials said the threat would not delay an upcoming spacewalk.
Ariane 5 places Japan, Australia satellites in orbit
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Aug 22, 2009 |
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An Ariane 5 rocket successfully placed communications satellites into geostationary orbit on Friday for Japan's SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation and Australian operator Optus, according to Arianespace.
Europe launches study into manned spacecraft scheme
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jul 08, 2009 |
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The European Space Agency (ESA) said it had taken an important first step in a tentative project to build a manned spacecraft that would be launched atop its Ariane 5 rocket.
European rocket hoists biggest-ever telecoms satellite (w/ Video)
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Jul 02, 2009 |
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A European rocket placed the world's biggest commercial telecommunications satellite into geostationary orbit, launch operator Arianespace said.
Herschel, Planck cosmic explorers in flight: stunning images from ground and space
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 15, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Stunning images taken from Earth and space show Herschel and Planck in flight on 14 May 2009. The first, taken from Herschel, show the Planck-Sylda composite just after Herschel's separation, ...
Herschel and Planck space telescopes lift off
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 14, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- At 15:12:02 CEST, at the beginning of a 55-minute launch window, the Herschel and Planck satellite pair lifted off on board an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Planck Satellite ready to measure the Big Bang
May 11, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The last tests of the Ariane 5 rocket system have been finished and ESA's Planck satellite is sitting ready for launch at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou. Together with ESA's space telescope ...
Supercooled and supersized technologies aboard Herschel and Planck
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 11, 2009 |
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Away from sunlight it can get very cold in space, but not cold enough for the Herschel and Planck missions, which ESA and European industry have equipped with state-of-the-art refrigeration systems to make ...
ESA to launch two large observatories to look deep into space and time
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 07, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Two of the most sophisticated astronomical spacecraft ever built - Herschel and Planck - will be launched by ESA this month towards deep space orbits around a special observation point beyond ...
Herschel and Planck Share Ride to Space
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
May 05, 2009 |
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Two missions to study the cosmos, Herschel and Planck, are scheduled to blast into space May 14 aboard the same Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. The European Space Agency, or ...
Herschel and Planck to lift off on 14 May
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Apr 28, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Now that additional checks on the Ariane 5 ECA launcher have been completed, Arianespace and ESA have set the launch date of Herschel and Planck for Thursday 14 May.
Herschel satellite weighed and fuelled
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Apr 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- About two weeks ago, Herschel was weighed to record its dry mass before the satellite was fuelled with 256 kg of liquid hydrazine. After switching it on to confirm normal function, engineers ...
Ariane 5 - First launch of 2009
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Feb 13, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Yesterday evening, an Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport at Kourou, in French Guiana, on its mission to place two multi-role telecommunications satellites into geostationary ...
